WRONG MEN RESIGNED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 6 October 1942, Page 5

WRONG MEN RESIGNED

VIEWS 07 MR DOWNIE STEWART Dunedin, This Day. Mr Downie Stewart, commenting on the National Ministers’ resignation from the War Administration, said that if Cabinet resignations were necessary, Mr Webb and some of his colleagues should be the first to l'esign, for moi'al responsibility for the strike lay at their doors. Early annual reports of the Miners’ Federation teemed with speeches by Mr Webb, Mr Semple and Mr Fraser, jeering at those trade unions that thought disputes should be settled by peaceful means. They never tired of describing the Arbitration Act as a machine created to keep minei's in slavery. Mr Webb taught these doctrines only too well, and now he vainly pleaded, threatened and took off his hat to the miners. Doubtless Mr Webb was sincerely converted to sounder views, but he and his colleagues had never fi'ankly recanted and the mischief created still persisted. It was useless to cry peace when all we got was patched up concessions, outraging the public sense of justice.—P.A.