THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 24 June 1912, Page 8

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

MR ROBERTSON'S VIEWS.

BY TELEGRAPH—PBESS ASSOCIATION.

AUCKLAND, June 24. Mr J. Robertson, Labor member for Otaki, in an interview in reference to the Waihi strike and the position of the Federation of Labor relative thereto, said the machinery of the Arbitration Act to settle the element of disputes had proved in many ways unsatisfactory. The Act had done a good deal in raising the standard of living, but could not provide a means of raising the actual standard once it had been laid down. The Federation of Labor, in adopting the constitution of the Independent Workers of the World, however, had conveyed an impression that it tad set its mind against using any means except those of industrial revolt, with its concomitants of strike, turmoil, etc. Much could be said in justification of the objection of the Waihi Miners' Union to the existence of a separate union within the area in Tvhich it was the paramount organisation, but its object could have been attained without resorting to a strike. As a matter of fact the strike had been entered upon without the consent of the federation executive, and had the matter first gone before that body he did wot believe the strike would have ever taken place. The executive showed weakness in not repudiating the precipitate action of the Waihi Union, and thereby maintaining discipline within the Federation's ranks. Instead, it had made the blunder of countenancing i;he strike, and thus involved the very "existence of the Federation, as the result had been that many affiliated unions had had their loyalty to the Federation considerably strained, and the renuest for financial assistance ■miclit be the means of proving that ttxnr loyalty had reached breaking 'point. Thft United Labor Party, whlie ably recognising the need of industrial *"-<*anisation, believed that political action must <ro hand in hand with industrial activity, and that the greatest victories for tho workers in the iww^rTis»*o future would be won on the political field.