Grey River Argus and Blackball News PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25th, 1910.

Grey River Argus, 25 November 1910, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25th, 1910.

It i i with no want of sympathy for the cause of Labour, when within its rights, that we are pleased to isee Mr Asquith has upheld . the O'sborne judgment. If must not for a moment be supposed that his conclusion to -uphold the decision, of the highest court in ; 'the land is the result of any feeling antagonistic -to Labour. He is far too astute . a , politician to needlessly go^out_of his way to put a slight upon . so valuable a sec tion of the Great ■„ Liberal P.^rty as. T the , Labourites. But justice must be upheld at any. cost. . It is not a question as to the inconvenience that the Labour

Party complain of through the judgments pronounced in the Osborue and Taff Vale cases, but as to the soundness of the principle vhey stand for. Only what is absolutely right, according to the laws— of human reason, should be allowed 'to stand. If the Labour / Party were ten times as strong as they are, numerically or as a political of moral force,, it would be obliged to recognise the law of right and justice. Only a day or two ago a Home Labour memben declared to the people of Australia that if ■the •Osborne judgment s was upheld the only course \left ffor the Labour , Party at Home was to defy -the law. That is very childish arid inexperienced advice to come from a representaiivK of sensible people, and it is only fair to assume that the great majority of those who elected the gentleman referred 'to Have the average share of common sense./ It is advice of 'that kind that is apt to lead to such sinful scenes as are being enacted every day of late in South Wales. No good can possibly come of such riotous conduct as sticking, up railway trains to look for blacklegs and stoning the defending constables. Such disgraceful doings can advance no causes or- serve any good purpose. They only prove .that the Welsh miners are in a very angry mood, and all who have lived long enough to learn any of 'the most obvious lessons of life know that men in a high stage of anger are seldom reasonable. The Osborne judgment and it's relation to Unionism was recently dealt with by Mr Balfour, the leader of the Unionist Party at | Home. He handles the argument m a very convincing way, and it is as ably put as it is simple and clear. I: is so appropriate to Mr Asquith's conclusion that we cannot do better thau quote the passage, at length. Elsewhere we publish the views of Mr Osborne, a moderate man, on this celebrated judgment. „The follow ing is Mr Balfour's dictum :—Remember that -the man who joins a trade union joins it for two purposes. He joins it that his particular industry may be organised so that no injury can be done to the wage earners in the industry; joins dt to obtain- cer^tain specific advantages for which he pays. (Cheers.) . What as happening- now? These associations, which were brought into existence for industrial* purposes, are apparently in danger of being perverted to political uses. (Cheers.) That would be bad, but in my judgment it is not the worst, nor. nearly the worst, result which will occur, which was occuring before the Osborne. judgment was delivered, and . which will recur with redoubled strength and authority if the Osborne judgment be reversed. . (Cheers.) What ar c those ; other dangers? They are that men belonging to. an industrial association who hold one set of views shall be compelled to subscribe to 'the return to the Imperial. Parliament of man to whose general conception of national policy at home and. abroad they are profoundly and irreconcilably opposed. (Cheers.) And apart from the Osborne judgment, or -if the Osborne judgment were reversed, there is the further and even more serious charge that those organisartions made for -the purposes of labour are in a position to misuse the [ sanction and the power given them by the fact that 'their members have subscribed money for certain adyan'.ag^s and certain privileges, they have the power to turn out a recalcitrant member of the association, or are supposed to have it, or think they have it, to deprive him of all 'the advantage which he has paid" for, not if^he differs from, them on something directly concerned with . the trade interests, but if he happens to belong to a different political party and to hold a different political party and to hold a different political creed. (Cheers.) It -seems to me that, that state of -things is : worse than any that can be . quoted from the worst times of representative government. If the Osborne judgment be Teversed we shall be giving parliamentary '■ sanction to a- species of ' Imtimidation which will exist" after that under the aegis of parliamentary sanction, a kind of intimidation to which nothing- in the past shows, in my opinion.: the smallest parallel. I xeally do ..not believe that if this particular line of argument be considered by the people of this country,, or by the trade unions 'themselves, they will ever tolerate this turning of the powers which Parliament gave, them' in order/ -to preserve their liberties into the greatest, engine ,of individual tyranny that modern civilisation has produced."

The Adelaide ' tramway contractors have iby an ingenious device extri- , ca-ted themselves and their workmen from a menaced strike trouble. The device was as simple .as it was effective. The leadingb" man of the. company of contractors,^ called his men together, and after cautioning them against the folly of being led away by others, conducted a secret ballot as to istrike or no strike, "with the result- that, only 3 voted for a strike, while 172 voted against it. The application of the ballot is 'the only satisfactory way to decide as to strikes, whether called for by Union .officers or by the 'employer, as in, the case of the Adelaide contractors. Past experience has shown that too often the fomen'teris of strikes decline to make use of the ballot and resort to the ■intimidation of open voting, as was done at Blackball and Runanga while in the throes of a strike. Excited as the men were in each of tfliose industrial troubles, had the ballot been trusted to a strike might have been averted in each case. At the time of the maritime strike similar tactics were resorted Jo. The leaders would not allow the ballot ■system 'to. be applied. The test was— "Unionists., go. on 'this side, and you sanguinary blacklegs go on the other. .''■ The contractor evidently took the wind out of the sails of the gentlemen engaged in fomenting the 'strike by ■calling for a? ballot on -the ; matter on' his own account. . It was a happy thought, and- as- successful- as < •it deserved to be. It would be well

if a ballot of the workers affected were taken in the future before a strike was declared. Workers should never let it get out of their minds that the most, complicated industrial disputes are always capable of being adjusted, that - sooner or later they must be straightened out, and that it is a very decided advantage from every poinf of view that difficulties should be settled wkhout rather than with a strike. In the one case no one suffers any injury, while in the case of a pro'racted strike, widespread injury is the result. The strikers inflict serious loss upon those who never did them any harm, without doing any good for themselves. What is to repay Newcastle for. -the loss of a' great part of its coal trade through the late strike, with which Mr Peter Bowling so identified himself ? In future Melbourne will want no Newcastle coal, and China and Japan have picked up a lot of the trade that Newcaste' commanded before the strike. But that is not the worst phase of the effects of the strike. The Newcastle miners find work in the mines more precarious than ever. Yet Bowling is being made a heroic figure, as if he. had been a great .nation al benefactor.

Thb following is typical of the tone of the British Conservative Press when Mr Lloyd George is the object of 'their criticism: — "Meanwhile 'Lloyd-Georges' in all the various ■shades of -the blatant demagogue inflame the passions of the ignorant. 'Unearned increment' and other catch words . are paraded before 'men who can hardly-read or write. The whole* gigantic humbug is sickening" to those who have nothing- to win from political chicanery." And why, it may be asked, is it. that so many of the British people are so ignorant as to be unable to read or "write? It must be because they who possess all the land and ; wealth of Britain take no shame to themselves at seeing their fellow-countrymen so ignorant as not to be aware <of what they are entitled to as men and women. Tiie so-called "political chicanery" of Mr Lloyd George- simply consists in the fact that he shows the people how they 'have been despoiled for generations and endeavours to get back for them some of their own froj.i the selfish and grasping British aristocracy. It is only from self-made men such as Mr Lloyd George, who 'have realised the oppression^ which the very poor suffer from that the masr, of the people of the "United Kingdom have anything to hope for. If they wait for the Dukery or -the Kings of Mammon to do anything for them or for the country that wlrT involve any expense to the gilded crowdi the people will have to wait a long time. Now is the time for the Duke of Westminster and his colleagues to show what they have done for England and the English people in the past. ' That ought to be the first thing that the House of Lords should be able to point to £o justify its claim to the Veto — to its very "existence at all as a part of the British Constitution. But that is the very last thing that its lea"ders will atempt to' do. They will talk about the sacredness"\ of property and the British Constitution, the duty of the people to the Crown and the Church; but the welfare and enlightenment of ■their fellow-beings axe . matters that concern very few of the elite. ;

Mr A. Russell, contractor, requires the services of six bricklayers and s : x labourers

We dont' keep Achilles Cycles — we sell them. The better the. cyclist the bigger the certainty that , he's astride The Achilles Bike. WADE aad Co.

Nominations for all events in connection yviih. <the Westport Trotting Club's Summer Meetdn gclose on Monday 28th inst., at 9 p.m. .

Sir Richard Poore, Admiral of the Australalian. station, as to visu Wesvport on Tuesday next. He comes over land from ChristchurcE.

The [syndicate which has purchased the New Alpine Mining .Co'mpany's property have engagedja number of men for projecting thV different levels.

Three men, whose ages aggregate 244 years were harvesting together at Welby, Lines, when the mail left. Their respective ages are 84, 82, and 78. •

Particulars for the sale of the Buller Junction. Dredge and machinery as a going concern may be seen in an advertisement . in this .or from the auctioeers, Messrs McMahon. and Lee. Reef;t9n.

A ■ New Plymouth press : wire states ■that a. cable 'received from Mr J. D. Henry, the well-known petroleum expert, representing two or three wealthy financial syndicates, says that he wvll leave England on~December 2nd f or iNew Plymouth. ''

Seen; Jim lately? What h.eV in the ispital ! .Fork of his -bike broke coming down abkof a hill ! - Gee,: I am sorxy .he's such a ; decent chap too ! Wonder why he doesn't xide The Achilles' Cycle? WADE and , Co, guarantee the machines.^

The funeral of ithe late Mrs Quinn, of Rimu, took place on Thursday afternoon at Hofcitika, and wa s attended by a number of friends , of the deceased and her family. The Rev..H. Ranston conducted the service .at- the graveside. The deceased had. been, a respected <resideait of the district for. many years, and left a famn'ly of three sons and one daughter. •.

The maiiy schoolmates in (the Westland . district of Mr E. L* Morgan, youngest sbnjbf Mr -W: Morgan, Green stone, will hear -with pleasure cf his appointment to the engineering staff of one of the Federal Houider liners trading between Liverpool arid South America. i-Ie served his apprenticeship at the jGreymquth Dispatch Foundry, and is; Wjbe complimented on his appointment, ' especially as. hs has just- conic through -a very seveifc nllness of twelve months duration.,

It's work, deuced hard work riding a stiff running bike-it's a pleasure— a great treat riding a smooth runtfng Achilles Cycle— WADE, and Co. sell them : . .-

The following will represent Columba Cricket Club in their match - w : th Mawhera on Saturday next at 1.30 p.m. on the Park:— Rasmussen, Heaphy (2), Quinn, Barrigan, Clunan, Dew, O'Neill, Molly, Snathe, Hill Duffy. Emergencies— Martin, Deere,and. McGilligan. . : . '..

The beach as a bathing and picnic resort is becoming more popular every, year. Even now, there are a large number of residents who bathe in the surf regularly. It- «s high- time therefore that dressing sheds should* be ereted on the beach. The cost would not be great, and decency positively demands that some, kind of shelter should, be put up without delay.

For once at least the Oracle of British journalism was a good deal out in its. prediction regarding Mr Asqu'th's attitude von the Osborne judgment. The Times, it was stated in our cable news, said "Mr Asquith will announce to-morrow that the Government's policy includes the reversal of the Osborne judgment, qualified only by a stipulation that the pledge exaated from Labour candidates shall not Be enforced." The fact was that Mr Asquith, in explanation of the Osborne Judgment, said that Trade Unions must establish a separate fund for political purposes, by a. separate levy, and apart from the general funds. It is not well to prophesy before you know. ,r ;

Wanganui boasts a well, equipped fire brigade, and claims the distinction of having been the first Aus : tralasian town \to adopt self-propelled fire apparatus. A -steam" driven motor fire engine .has been in ■ satisfactory service for over seven years, and : has now been supplemented ,by a petrol motor first-aid machine, comprising a hose tender, ladder carriage, hose reel and chemical engine. Th's will, be used for first turn-out to a. fire, and as it can start instantly, and travel at between twenty and' thirty mile s an hour, it should prove of immense value In fact, there, is no doubt, that a large number of fire s will be exting-uished by (the chemical engine alone, without resort to more powerful purirping plant. The chemical cylinder contains 35 gallons of fire extinguishing fhrd, and can be brought into action in a few seconds. The ladders, which can be used for life saving or as a means of graining accers.to the.flames, extend to3o feet, and can be rapidly unshipped from the carriage when required. Both the -new motor and .the old are production of Messrs Merywsather and Sons, of London, who in the course of the last ten years have built over 150 fire brig-ade motor vehicles.

There are many cordials and .carbonated waters on . . the . market, bui only one THOMSON.'S . The ..name THOMSON and. the trademark "Puirity"o.n the label of any bottle is. an irreproachable guarantee of absolute purity and wholesomeness. In open competition against the; world's best manufacturers,- Thomsons products have secured, 23 special.. gold,. medals and 31 first-class certificates—a record fqr ; Australasia— but the real secret of ,*heir success «d exi>nr sive .popularity is to be found n cv c ry bottle. ... ,r . : , ■ > . ..*