Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE THURSDAY, JULY 9th., 1931. NO JOB CONTROL.

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 July 1931, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE THURSDAY, JULY 9th., 1931. NO JOB CONTROL.

W E . have 100 much respect for Mr. 11, E. Holland’s intelligence, to think that it was other than feigned indignation he exhibited in the House, yesterday, when attacking ihe Government for its attitude in the dispute on the Westport wharves. As Member for Buller, a position he owes to Union support, Mr. Holland felt in duty bound to make some protest, but. he conic extract little from a very weak ease. The merits or demerits of “tribute” mining are not the point at issue, which is mainly one of job control, is Departmental business to bo controlled by the State, or by Union sympathisers? There can be but one answer, and Mr. Forbes gave it Without equ ivoca t ion, yesterday. It is one of the merits of the Dominion ’s civil service that whatever the members’ personal opinions may be regarding industrial, disputes, they continue to do their duty as State employees. Wore any other attitude adopted, chaos would soon develop, and the country’s national business would be at a standstill. That truism accepted, why should any section of Government employees at Westport be permitted to act otherwise ? Local pressure may be strong on the wharf-workers, but that is no reason for them agreeing to the miners’ demands. They are rtmployed by, and are responsible to, the State, not the Unions, and the latter cannot be allowed domination. The tactics of those opposing “tribute” mining, are doing their cause great harm, the declaring “black” of picture-goers, footballers and others having nothing to do with Ihe industrial dispute, being attempts at terrorism justly resented by the general public. Nothing would encourage strikes and similar upsets more than a weak attitude of' the Government towards job control. Once it was seen that the Government could be easily frightened, demands for concessions would, interease,- and when

not granted, threats of worse to follow would be made. The position would become intolerable. It is wise io check the evil at the beginning. The quest ion is not one of Government’s as of a Government’s very existence. There are items in the “tribute” mining dispute which are appropriate topics for arbitration, as many of the men are perturbed as to the future effect of the “tribute” system on safety in mines and on the Union’s efficiency to protect the members’ real interests. Job control, however, is not arbitration, nor constitutional, and were it unopposed by employers, State and private, it would not only bring ruin to them, but to the workers. As it is, some of the latter are too much under the thumb of union officials. Job-control means in practice control by Union executives. Experience proves that these can be hard taskmasters, and if they were given unlimited sway by job control, none would suffer worse than the workers.