JUDGE’S ATTACK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21978, 23 March 1946, Page 6

JUDGE’S ATTACK

WEAK MINISTERS COAL MINE DISPUTES TRIBUNALS NOT UPHELD (10 a.m.) CANBERRA. March .23. The Government’s failure to support the decision of tribunals and enforce penalties against strikes and lock-outs in the coal-mining industry were scathingly attacked by Mr. Justice Davidson, in a three-volume report tabled to-day in the House of Representatives. . , , Describing the coal industry as tottering, he says that no system of settling industrial disputes could survive the practice of Cabinet Ministers in acceding to union demands. _ These demands followed adverse decisions of tribunals and were that the judge be withdrawn from the future exercise of the same jurisdiction and that the decision be reversed or that alternative benefit be conferred. Communism a Religion Mr. Justice Davidson was chairman of the commission which recently conducted a comprehensive inquiry into the coal-mining industry. It was commonly alleged that many stoppages were due to the machinations of Communists furthering their doctrine of gaining strength by stirring up strikes. The Communists accepted the doctrine that good work would finally convert the miners' organisation into a really revolutionary union. In many centres Communism had become a religion which was ousting the beneficial influence of the churches with the cry: “What have churches done for us?” Use should be made of the secret ballot conducted by the court for calling or continuing a strike. Remedies for Strife The only remedy for industrial turbulence was improving living and social conditions, observation, of law and agreements and imposition of discipline. Matters would be assisted by granting employees the right to attack managers before tribunals for alleged wrongful acts, by introducing mechanisation and abolishing the contracts system. Stoppages were caused by propaganda, lack of discipline, the effect of the contract system, and the machination of disgruntled minorities. He found that some witnesses who asserted strenuously in evidence they were Communists appeared to have only a hazy idea of the doctrines of Communism which they interpreted as meaning merely the rule of the majority. The contention that every trouble in the industry was due to .the irritation tactics of the managements could not be accepted by any reasonable observer.