Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JUNE 11th., 1932. MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 June 1932, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JUNE 11th., 1932. MISSED OPPORTUNITY

move in mysterious way their blunders to perform, and few people will understand the Government’s lofty attitude of aloofness where the min-

ing trouble is concerned. Only those with very narrow vision would claim that “the dispute is one between the employers and the employees”, seeing the heavy national and Departmental losses being daily incurred. Idle mines and wageless men cause heavy dwindling in normal retail business, railways revenue is hard hit, watersiders have their employment curtailed, and many industries are ineon- | venienced. Is all this of no account to the Ministry, and do they regard themselves as “policemen” only, willing to remain passive unless breaches of the peace occur? That is a poor conception of their

responsibilities. From the first, we expressed the opinion that the miners made a mistake in stopping work, but that error has since been more than paralleled by the mine-owners in refusing to fix a date for a confer-

ence, without which the trouble must drag on indefinitely. The men arc willing,—indeed eager,— for such gathering to.take place, and as soon as the date is fixed, they will resume work. Surely, it is foolish for the Government not to bring friendly pressure on the

owners, to agree to meet the meh. The owners would not, by such action, have bound themselves to any conditions of settlement. They appear to be on strike against a con-

ference, an attitude that will com- J mand little public sympathy. The Minister of Mines has lost a splendid opportunity of proving his worth, and the whole story of the dispute is a tragedy of errors by miners, owners and Ministry.

TO-DAY’S POLLINGS QENERAL ' elections take place, to-day, in New South Wales and Queensland, and so far as the first-named State is concerned, the result is awaited with great outside interest. A victory for the present Stevens Ministry is widely expected, but hope probably fathers the thought in many of the prophets. The electioneering campaign has been very bitter, and every day almost, there has been new revelation as to the Langsters ’ misdeeds when in power. If in face of these allegations, and proved breaches of trust, the people of New South Wales give the Langsters a majority in the new House, they will forfeit outside respect and sympathy, and will, in many ways, pay dearly for the blunder.

Meanwhile, it must be hoped that despite the Langsters’ lavish promises and their professed devotion to the poorer classes, with votes, commonsense will prevail, and Langism receive a decided notice to quit. That result would be acclaimed throughout Australia, whose good name and credit it would do much to restore. Should the Langsters win, the effect would be chaotic, and something ap-. proaching civil war might follow. The outlook was threatening enough before the Governor dismissed Mr. Lang. If the latter were now triumphant, he would do the “dismissing,’’ and would be encouraged to carry out a policy of confiscation, that would make his

previous measures mild, in comparison. However, the electors of New South Wales are alive to the situation, and the issue may be safely left to them.

The Queensland campaign has been fought mainly on the issue of the Premiers’ plan of economies and retrenchment. Labour is in Opposition, but expects to regain office and its chance of victory is not negligible. State employees, notably the railwaymen, are well organised, and > will be mainly against the Moore Ministry. Queensland finances are more happily situated than N.S. Wales, and this fact will lessen the feeling against Labour candidates, who have had easy.propaganda in denouncingl wage-cuts, and dismissals, and higher taxation. Electors’ fear of Langism straying over the Queensland border may help the Moore candidates, but the domestic aspect of the elections will be the main consideration. Both sides express confidence, and it would not be surprising if the majority of the victors, whichever side wins, is small when the new Assembly (the only Chamber in Queensland) is completed.