The Hawera Star. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1924. LABOUR’S OVERTURES TO FARMERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 November 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1924. LABOUR’S OVERTURES TO FARMERS.

Delivered every evening by 3 o'clock in Hawera Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham - Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake. Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata.

In another column appears a letter by Mr. W. Brown, secretary of the Hawera branch of the Labour Party, in which he states: “L characterise* as absolutely'false the suggestion that the Labour Party or the miners restricted the output of coal during the war years.” In that sentence Mr. Brown leaves no possible room to doubt but that he knows all about it. Memory suggested- that we look through our files for the month of April, J 917. There we soon found ample facts:—

, Press Association —Greymouth, April 1, 3920: “At, the sitting of the Military Appeal Board on Saturday. Prom the. Westport and Stockton miners evidence it was clear that, the go-slow’ policy is in vogue in the mines. The extent and effect, thereof vas contained in detail in statements and returns of the wages and output which were submitted bv the managers. ’ ’

o Press Association—Greymouth, April •j:. ‘At the Appeal' Board to-day the mine managers of the State and Blackball coal mines gave evidence that the ‘go-slow’ policy was enforced at the State, Blackball and Roa coal mines, the Brunner mines being the exception. The output of the State and Blackball mines had been comparatively reduced 200 tons per day. About four miners only at. Blackball were keeping their output normal, two of whom had been drawn in the ballot. The average earnings at Blackball had dropped from 19s to 11s 4d. The manager of the mines, examined, could give no definite reason for the restriction.”

Other messages under their respective dates stated: April 17. 1 917: Train services to be reduced if miners did not resume; ferry steamer Mararoa withdrawn. (The train services were curtailed a few days later.) Wellington, April 29, 1917: “Coal stocks here are reported to be

light. A leading merchant says that stocks for householders and small manufacturers are practically exhausted, and expects to see some factories close down at the end of next week. The gas company and the meat freezing companies are affected by the restricted train services from to-mor-row.”

Wellington, April 23: “Coal stocks exhausted; tramears not running, except a very attenuated service from the city to Newtown. Mayor appeals to business people to modify hours so as to reduce the demands on the electric light and conserve dwindling coal stocks.”

A paragraph in the Star showed that coal stocks were short in Hawera, and purchasers were restricted to two bags. The miners’, strike, in spite of the assertion of Messrs O’Rourke and O’Brien a few days before that it would be continued for a much longer period, ended on April 23, but frequently in the succeeding months the “go-slow” policy was resorted to, and it was only after the Government, in order to secure the country’s industries against the coal shortage which continued threatening, had placed large orders for coal to be brought from overseas that the “go-slow” policy was defeated. But another strike in October, 1920, caused serious trouble. At the end of September, 1920, Mr J. Arbuekle is reported as saying “that in the Alliance of Labour resulted the salvation of the worker of New Zealand. They had to organise, as the workers of Russia and Italy were organised. Industrialists must take charge of the industries.” , We know how farmers view that statement by a Labour Party leader. The strike of miners early in October, 1920, caused much trouble, .and fuel was very short. An article in the Star on October 8, 1920, reprinted from the Auckland Star, said: “They (the people) are ‘up against it’ with a vengeance' and if all their violent objurgations against the miners were to be. quoted it would make a lurid commentary indeed.” So much for Mr Brown’s “absolute vindication, of the miners.” With regard to the statement that Mr Massey failed to warn the people of the temporary nature of the boom, in the “interests of truth and common fairness” we republish from the Star two statements made by Mr Massey in 1920, before the slump came:—

In the House on October 5, 1920, on the Land and Income Tax Bill, Mr Massey said he did not wish to cause alarm, but he could not help thinking that we might yet meet more adverse times, and we must be prepared to meet those times if they came. ’ ’ In the Star of ‘Friday, Dctobre, 29; 1920, Mr Massey, in speaking on the Imprest Supply Bill, “ warned the public against a fall in prices of our primary products, because there was no doubt a fall was coming, and we must provide against it.” In neither of these; debates do the reports contain a word of warning by Labour members regarding the boom.

Our leading article of October 9, 1920, contained the following: “It is impossible to foresee with any degree of certainty how far or how soon the wave of depression will affect New Zealand. . . The. more money that can be brought into New Zealand the better for everybody, and we hope that those people who have been limiting production and making it necessary to .increase imports to satisfy New Zealand’s wants will realise how serious such a policy is. The outlook’is not by any means black for this Dominion, but it merits the closest attention by every section of the people, and the determination by all to work hard and consistently to build up the strongest barrier against the effects of low prices and trade depressi n which are bound to follow the abnormal period through which we have been passing.”

In referring to and condemning the “go-slow” policy we are quite aware that these methods were, not universally followed, but the fact remains that there were a sufficient number of miners amenable to sinister influences to be successful in inflicting inconvenience and loss on the community generally. We are equally aware that from the ranks of the coal miners came many good soldiers the country honours these men, but their personal patriotism affords no shelter for the “go-slow” man, nor the shirker. Our purpose was achieved when we had directed attention to and challenged an assertion made by Mrs Devanny on the previous Saturday night. Having published a communicated report of Mrs Devanny’s address, our comment, the letter from the secretary of the HaAvera branch of the Labour Party, and our reply, we do not intend to give further space in the correspondence columns for discussion of this particular matter.