The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JUNE 18, 1934. A FUTILITY

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1934, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JUNE 18, 1934. A FUTILITY

The Member for Westland returned last week from, his mission to Australia to endeavour, with his .colleague, Mr Webb to raise funds for the Mintrs’ strike in the Inangahua district. There is no doubt that both gentlemen are one hundred per cent militant Labour leaders. In a brief interview on his return, Mr O’Brien made a very brief statement to a newspaper about the success of I>' S mission. No details of the financial result are given, but, we hope, for the sake of the misled strike's that the return will give them some tangible result for the wages lost. The report goes that the strike at Wauita. cost the men some £ Id,ooo in wages which were lost. Another report was to the effect that the strike pay from tile Union consisted of two amounts of fifteen shillings each! We take it, however, that the eloquence of Messrs 1 O'Brien and Webb across the Tasman will,cause additional money to come this, way and assist to recoup the men for what must be regarded as foolhardy action' directed, by leaders who should have known, better. However, Mr .O’Brien does not recognise the futility of this strike, business as a means to a 'reasonable encl in these days when education should implant a. better judgment in the minds both of the leaders and the men. Tlie Member for Westland is still of the old kidney prepared to batter his head against a stonewall—for he asserted to the pressmen that the Australian workers were prepared to keep the families of the men on strike for a year if necessary unless their request were agreed to. We certainly gave Mr O’Brien credit for a better understanding of meeting a disagreement such as formed the basis of the strike referred to, than' a.stand and deliver method without any serious attempt at discussion, or to probe the case from the other side. Militant Labour leaders take the stand that their case or demands are infallible from the outset, and adopt a take jt or leave it attitude which does not encourage reasonable discussion. In a. moment, inflammatory remarks are made and the situation queered at once by an unreasonable plan of attack. In the caso

of Waiuta-, the miners were .working under a company which, we take it, over the years it has been employing labour was, a least, an average employer, land had given its workmen some degree of consideration. That being so, the action of dislocating operations in the sudden manner practised showed that those in leadership must have expected la tactical advantage from the move. They failed, and to cover their failure caused a prolonged strike, , the severity of which fell on the work'men who had to stand out of work, and the families of whom must have had a very lean time over the period. This experience of t>o outcome of strikes is not new in the country, but those who should learn from tho experience are slow to accept the lesson 1 . We would be sorry to think that the gentleman whom this district has sent to Parliament by a majority vote has as little understanding as his reported utterance conveys. If he has been reported correctly and is of the opinion credited to him, then the electors of Westland might well consider the position when next given an opportunity to cast a responsible vote for a representative.