Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, MAY 4th, 1920. CHAOTIC CONDITIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 May 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, MAY 4th, 1920. CHAOTIC CONDITIONS.

Tiie exercise of power by flic mil waymen and others to emphasise their demands, draws pointed attention to the condition of affairs in all branches </ tho industrial world, and the chaotic conditi.otK wh|ich result if tiiis method is p.yiynUte.d to become general. There ary those who to think than because an individual pr a paper does not support fhp striker, that tlie itydiy--dual or the pappy i§ opp.QJj.ed to the striker's demands, T%e objection is ip the strike, add |;jip sjtrjljpr’s m.efliods, not necessarily to his (l(d)l.abds. Ptm view is if a demand is strong enough t*> strike on, it- is strong enough to arbitrate ,up/tu. Mr Clynes M.P., a prominent labor"-loader Home, said recentj ly to the Trades Ilniops; —■/'J'hcy must ! persuade and not threaten. -They ipusf argue their case add pot depend upon the spirit which in file case of Prussia they denounced—force!" -4 strike is a resort- to force, which is war, upon the immediate community affected. Jfow Mr Clynes has said, also and we agree entirely, because it has been our view all along and thy best- advice which can be offered to all concerned; “Tlie best f riends of Labor can best serve its interests b.v frankness -in advice, by restraint and by 'bringing out into -the light the ! proofs of all .experience, apd history The moment- is a great occasion for organised workmen, The immediate .‘uturo offers supreme opportunities, and it would bo a great pity as it would be a clime to blunder in tho recklessness of the workers’ new found power, and merely net as others have acted when they thought only of themselves and forgot- the country and ips (future.' 1 There is hope for 'Labor surely w’pep feaiiei*; are talking in this sane strain. Labor lias the power to win all if, wants by constitutional means, and exercising those methods sanely they must tie’hieve success. What has jjust foeen quoted fits the late strike of the railwayman admirably. Their strike was a blow at their own country and its future. -As the employees of the State, they hit directly at their own cause hv the strike, and thereby endangered their eau.se with the public. The ne v order of events which the changed feelings resulting from the war was supposed to bring in, does not appear to bar? come to the surface yet. The vote is the real hall-mark of liberty and the true march of freemen is the march to the ballot- box. Quoting Mr ,Clynes further, we can say, that Labor ;rm funi with hope confidence to the instrument of the ballot, and to that end it should discard the crude and llldigested employment of the weapon which was misnamed “direct action.” The lightning strike, adds hut to lb.e economic and social difficulties, and are a demonstration of force against flic community. Labor has everything to gain by being rational. Persuasion in a reasonable way will secure conviction. These are tile sane lines along which all branches of Labor should work if they wish to attain their full shape in improved conditions. The revolutionary methods, it- has been amply demonstrated, are long ago exhausted and to still resort to such is to alienate public sympathy—the real power to help right to merit its full reward