THE VAG’S COLUMN

Grey River Argus, 1 July 1922, Page 7

THE VAG’S COLUMN

(By the Understudy.) Derr Henry,— I must apologise for not writing my usual weekly advice to you last week. My intentions were good enough; but after spending a day in Fat’s Court listening to the libel *•- tion brought against your paper and Comrade Turley, I wrote so hot that the Editor said he was not having any more libel actions at present and consigned my carefully-written epistle to the W.P.B. I protested, against his high-handed action, but lie said he had nearly 12 columns of the best Advertisement the “Argus” ever had to go in, and there was no room for my stuff. That advertisement was the report of the libel case. Well, Hen, I spent the whole of last Friday week in the Grey Supreme Court listening to the case, :nd I read the account of it in the “Argus” the following day; but no cold print would describe the class lines that were drawn there. It surprised me too, when I heard that our side had some trouble to get witnesses, and also when I heard the. Judge doubt a witness whom I knew was telling the plain unvarnished truth. 1 don’t blame, tht* Judge, Hen, in the face of the evidence hejhad listened to it looked as if our witness was telling lies. As for the evidence against us—well the psychology of master and slave was at work. It is hard for a toiler to be disobedient to the wishes of his master when his life has been one long cycle of obeying orders. Add to tins the fear of want —*the fear of not getting a job in the future—and you can easily see how hard it is for the “Argus” or Turley, to collect evidence that will tell against the masters from the very men they fight for—the workers. Two days before the case came off, lien, we knew that Greymouth was invaded by mill managers and mill workers—all witnesses against us—-who made sundry trips to the opposition lawyer’s office to see there were no mistakes. And two days before the ease came off the men who were fighting your case were busy trying to get fresh witnesses and to prevent those they already had ,fro:n finding some paltry excuse that they could not attend. We heard that they were going to get doctor’s certificates to prove that they were unfit to give evidence, and we know of one case in which the head of a family tried his best to prevent another member of his family from telling the truth. All these men were workers, Hen, and a few years ago they used to stick out their ch «tn and proudly term themselves “Bed Feds. ’ ’ I am no lawyer, Hen, but the facts of the libel case as T see them will appeal to all V: gs and Dubbs who are forced to work for a. living. In the first place the “Argus” reported certain accidents where two workers lost limbs, : nd another was crippled for life. It has also reported other accidents where men Lave been struck with Hying or broken belts and the collapse of bridges. It is the duty of the “Argus’’ to do this; for the men who control it (all workers) hate to see a man crippled in any preventible accident. They used their best endeavours to educate the public and the Government to a full sense of their responsibilities in the matter of the protection of machinery. Surely this is a laudable object. Everyone knows that machinery needs inspecting. If it doesn’t, then why an inspector at all? If we had a record of the awful accidents that were due to workers being drawn into cogs, belts, and rollers or wound up on shafts it won i •i;.m e ’ vou, lien. And yet, because we criticise the ‘ ‘ Machinery Department'’ ami “those in authority” the local inspector of machinery, for tin* purpose of libel, is made the Machinery Act and “those in authority.” It seem* to me, an unsophisticated Vug, that if we criticise the Mines Department, the local Inspector of Mines can : t once say that he is the Mines Department I and take everything we say about the department as alluding to himself per- - soually and sue us for libel. And the i worst of it is, according to the deci- | sion* given against us last week, he cm ] win. It looks as if advocating for the protection of life and limb in mine, mill or factory is a dangerous game for the “Argus” Company to follow. But whether it is dangerous or not, the instant the ‘‘Argus” ceases to give due 1 publicity to every accident that occurs, and to fight for more srfety and better conditions for the* workers, that instant this Vag severs his connection with it. Before I leave the libel ac- . tion, Hen, 1 wish to call your attention , to one phase of it that I believe did not get due publicity. Vou remember when the Tnchbonnie accident occurred Comrade Turley went to the sccat the accident and took possession of some beams of timber which he states were ■ rotten and broken and caused the loss of a man’s leg. He left this timber in charge of a worker. Later on the timber was removed by the company’s orders. Then Mr W. J. Joyce, counsel for the “Argus” Company, Mr F. Turley, and Mr Jas. O’Brien visited Inchbonnie to see the timber. They were refused permission to do so by the mill manager who said that he would produce the timber in court if necessary. This should have shown that the timber was important evidence the destruction of which should not be tolerated. But one witness stated in the court that with the exception of the 4ft piece produced he had chopped up the rest for firewood. Mark you, this was done within 50 yards of a sawmill, where a man is generally employed to burn firewood (slabs) just to get rid of it. Now, Hen, that timber was cut from a white pine tree, and when did you ever hear of white pine making good firewood that a man who should know all about these timbers would cut it up in preference to red pine or birch which are generally plentiful around sawmills ? Anyhow the evidence the “Argus” wanted, was, on the evidence of the mill manager, admitted to have been “chopped up and burned for firewood”; and this admission brought no commit from the Judge. The only interest the Judge seemed to take in the timber was when Turley stated he took charge !of it. Then he asked Turley: “Was it your timber?” So much for the i libel action, Hen! But — I With heads uncovered swear we all ‘ To bear it onward till we fall; Come dungeons dark or gallows grim i This song shall be our parting hymn: Then wave the scarlet standard high, Beneath its shade we’ll live and die. Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, We’ll keep the Red Flag flying here. THE UNDERSTUDY.