THE PREMIER'S INTERFERENCE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 9, 21 December 1911, Page 4

THE PREMIER'S INTERFERENCE.

A i Ei.Ei.UAM which came to iiaud from Tiniaru yesterday reveals <a remarkable action on the part of the Premier. The wire states that “When tiie waterside workers struck last week, foilowed by th;? railway casuals who receive cargo in trucks, the permanent railwav hands were sent to take five place of the latter in disciiaiging tl;e stcr.mt r Anncthy. The permanent > protested against having to receive cargo from the Chinese crew. They asked Air. Craigie to wire the Premier. and lie did so. they wiring the Minister of Railways and the Railway Servants’ Executive. The result. of the wire to the Premier was an order that the permanent railwav men were not to receive cargo from the Chinese crew. Consequently the | ship was idle for a few days.” Now, putting aside tilt' question of the foreigners for the time being, w’-at •power has Sir Joseph Ward to make •i law f..r himself to curry favour with a seelicn of the workers ? Ithere any law which gives the Prc- [ micr power to prohibit the handling of cargo simply betause the crow of the vess< Is happens to bo yellow ? Certainly tlit re is m.l. But Sir I Joseph Ward lias always been quite prepared to leave the law out of the <pit ~t ion when he desired to beslobber the workers and convince tlicm cif his benevolent care. The weak t -rs. however, have'seen through his shallow sympathy ;and the business uien revolted against his interfere once. It is an accepted policy bv all sections of the community thn!. Cluncse. or other low grade labour, should mit be encouraged in New Zealand. Provision h.”.- been made that when these crews come into New Zealand waters tiny must be paid the fixed wage for European seamen and every care is taken to prevent the Chinese or Lascar w irking io the detriment of the white sailor. Bui in this case we have a ship breaking no law, paying the wages that are demanded and fulrlling all conditions, yet because th ■ faces of the crew are yeilo.v. r Jos.epli 'A ard orders that its ca shall not be worked. Surely lie sus-< utibilities of the New Zealander io a Lit of yellow skin is no excuse for official despotism m r rcasc’.i why we should discourage tra.de and commerce with c< untrics whirl’, do not labour under the disability of sueli tine feelings. Let us have otrr • restrictive laws ifdeemed nccr-t'-ry, but thev have n> right to be abrogated to suit the -keep-sv eet" d-.-ircs of tlm Premi' r.