OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13127, 15 May 1903, Page 4

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

We marvel at the moderation of the Hon W. H. Irvine, Premier of Victoria. Twelve months' imprisonment is the puvishmenfc he suggests for the wicked railway men'who left their employment without the approval of' the Commissioner. In mild cases he thinks a fine of £IOO would be- sufficient, but in extreme cases lie recommends both fins and imprisonment. There are said to be some 11,000 men on strike. At £IOO a head they would increase the revenue for the year by over a million sterling. Here, indeed, is a new way to pay old debts. Of course, some of the men might have obtained the "approval of the Commissioner" before ceasing work, and some of them may not have £ICO in the world. The fine should, therefore, be nfede £IOOO. Incidentally, Mr Irvine has supplied us with a new definition of striking. It is " ceasing duty without the approval of the Commissioner." The Strike Bill proposes to create a number of new offences. If the Bill passes it will be a hnna'in"- matter to cast reflections upon the birth or breeding or manners of " loyalists," that is to say, of Government sympathisers. "Lurking near or spying upon houses where loyalists reside" is a clause obviously aimed at the' reporters who have been shadowing poor Mr Bent and Mr Irvine for "copy." Even "suggesting" is to be made an indictable offence. We wonder what the punishment is for "suggesting" that MiBent is the cause of all the trouble. " Organising, holding, receiving, collecting or distributing strike funds" is another offence, this clause Effecting, we suppose, fully 200,000 people. "Printing, publishing or posting any notification encouraging the strike" is prohibited, a section under which the Government itself should surely suffer, and with such sensitive folk as Mr Bent aboui, it would he dangerous, wo suppose, to send copies of this journal to Victoria. If any preacher desires to say a word in favour of the men during his weekly sermon, he will be liable to a penalty not stated, but doubtless severe, and his whole congregation, if it exceeds six in number, may bo haled off to gaol. No wonder the Labour members in the Victorian Assembly ■ suggested hanging and shooting as suitable punishments under the Bill. Wo are surprised, as we said, at Mr Irvine's moderation. He has produced, a Bill only one hundred per cent more drastic than the Dutch measure, which astonished oven the capitalist organs of the Old Country. The Dutch Government did propose to carry out its Bill; Mr Irvine, we suspect, is seek--1 ing only to give expression to Mr Bent's

native truculence. It is incohceiyable that he should seriously contemplate' enforcing so drastic a measure. To give effect to its provisions he would need to increase his police fores tenfold, treble the number :of Courts and Magistrates, and work them overtime. He has altogether exceeded the bounds of reason, and however, sincerely the Victorian public may sympathise, with the. Government they can hardly approve of legislation so outrageous. The most the Government could do, even with this law behind it, would be to clap a few riotous strikers into gaol, and the strike- would still go on. Mr Irvine doubtless recognises this for himself, for while he was introducing his Bill the. Melbourne papers were publishing an "understood" paragraph, apparently inspired, to the effect that if the enginedrivers returned to work soon the Government would bo magnanimous. It is rather ominous that Sir Alexander Peacock's conciliation amendment should be rejected by 58 votes to 30, but the Assembly may be in a more reasonable frame of mind when the details of the Bill are under consideration. The mere publication of the proposals, we should think, ought to send all waverers- over to the side of the strikers.