ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1920. THE STEAMER BOYCOTT.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 165, 15 July 1920, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1920. THE STEAMER BOYCOTT.

It has come to a pretty pass when a. reputable citizen is denied tho right of using the travelling facilities that in the ordinary way of things are open to every man, woman, and child in the country. Any rogue or mischief-maker may buy his steamer ticket and gu

from one port to another ■without question; but because Sir George Clifford holds certain views, right or wrong, about the industrial rights of the jockeys in relation to the racing clubs, and has the courage to maintain them, he is barred and affronted. The action, of the firemen on. the Mokoia' is not only a singularly grave' invasion of the elementary decencies of spciety, but it is also an .outrage on sane democracy. Least' of all can the genuine champions of Labor afford to tolerate it. It is,; distinctly* to their interests \ that they •:• should unreservedly'-'. ccm'derrm this wanton •application <©£ the 1' principle;: of "direct action." much may be said without Centering-, iiito the merits of the ■■'■ jockeys' ' dispute,, though it may bet remarked, that the jockeys themselves^ taking them 'as.'.'' a class, dd "not seem to be directly responsible .for , the : extraordinary length to which the war against ■ the racehorse .owner's has' nmv boon carried. The jockeys are

"carrying on" at the race meetings, and, apparently, are not nearly so ■much- concerned about the 4 ; whole business as the waterside workers and seamen. What the general public wants to ,-kn.ow is whether the firemen acted under the orders of their own or any other organisation, or, if they, did not, whether the hold-up at Lyttelton is approved by the Transport Workers' Advisory Board. Naturally enough, the public is also curious to see how thej shipping companies regard their responsibilty in the matter. It appears that both the captain of the vessel and the Union Company's manager ■at Lyttelton. tried to reason iwith the firenfen, but the men were! firm ire their refusal to go to sea unless Sir George Clifford disembarked. It was only' Sir George's consideration for the other passengers that saved a very awkward situation; but everyone who desires to see New Zealand spared from the evils of a, particularly vicious form of sectional victimisation must realise that the matter cannot be allowed to rest just there. For some time the seamen have been placing an embargo on cargo and racehorses as they have thought fit, and it | must be admitted that they are in a position seriously to embarrass [ the affairs of the country if they wish to do so; but the public patience has its limits, and under this latest strain it is more than likely to snap altogether if some responsible disclaimer is not forthcoming. The boycotting of Sir George Clifford has introduced a very ugly element into the industrial and social life of the Dominion, and the maritime workers would be well advised for their own sakes to eliminate it without delay. If the Lyttelton incident is to be established as a precedent, anyone might be the next victim. Every citizen, every visitor to New Zealand, who wished to move about from one place to another would have to submit to the making up of the passenger lists in the stokehold. Their convenience would be at the mercy of a few partisan despots, and our politicians and captains ofj industry would live in a state

of intimidation. By the w_ay, we may perhaps be able to improve the occasion by asking if the unfortunate contretemps at Lyttelton does not afford a telhng illustration of the need for a State ferry service between Wellington and Picton. This, we submit, would be an excellent solution of the friction and risks that have been characterising *the conduct of the traffic between the Empire City and Lyttelton. A State line of communication between the two Islands, with crews adequately paid and having tho incentive of superannuation privileges, would be an effective safeguard against such regrettable occurrences as the one reported from Lyttelton this week.