THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1894.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9560, 11 July 1894, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1894.

The great labour strikes, which now extend over every State in the Union, must bo calamitous to the world. They form one of the most wonderful series of events in the history of the century. They reach the magnitude of a civil war, and will probably be as injurious in their effects as many wars that have taken place. They will have to be discussed and examined by all thoughtful men to see who is in fault, and how such calamities may be obviated in the future. , Strikes have been frequent in America of late. The most prominent in this latest series was that on the Union Pacific Railway. That great institution is now in the hands of a receiver, who, it seems, was desirous to reduce expenses in consequence of the decrease in goods and passenger traffic Against this the men rebelled, and thereupon a oonflict arose between "the Industrials," and the officers who sought to maintain order. Trains were seized, and fights took place, in which lives were lost. The "industrial Army" spread through several States, and seem _; to have ob-

tained a considerable amount of popular sympathy.' They had oamps,' and fortifications, and supplies of ammunition, and altogether defied the authorities. On the back of this came a coal strike in various States. At Cripple Creek, Colorado, the striking miners and the deputy-sheriffs soon came into conflict, and several men were killed. The miners were well armed with Winchesters, and used them vigorously. In Pennsylvania, a strike of formidable dimensions occurred, when hostilities were waged as briskly as in I other places. In fact, the coal trade in many States, and the railway systems, were wholly disorganised. There was war all over the country. Then came the strike at the Pullman car works. It seems that owing to the dullness of trade throughout America there has been a great falling-off in the demand for Pullman oars. Mr, Pullman assembled his men and offered to submit bis books for examination by a committee from amongst them to show that he had been losing money. The men declined everything except that wage 3 should be maintained as before. Mr. Pullman, we may mention, has been studious of the comfort and convenience of his workmen, and has built commodious houses for them. Now we hear that in sympathy with the Pullman car strikers the Kail way Union has rendered idle eleven railways in Chicago and the western districts. Thirty-two railways have been affected, '300,000 men are involved, large buildings have been burned down.

J There is not much doubt as to what J the end will be. The strikers will have to give way, partly by force and partly from the want of resources to carry on the struggle. The people of America have always been zealous to maintain order and to prevent any interruption to the ordinary business of the country. But it must be acknowledged that at this time they have been very lethargic, and have allowed riot and confusion to prevail unchecked for a time. One of the results of the turmoil is sure to be a loss of property and capital all over the Union. We read of goods perishing in the railway sheds, no man daring to touch them, of trains being derailed, of acres of buildings being burned. All this is done by the sovereign people, by men who have votes, by men who have lived well, who have not been politically oppressed. It looks like the outbreak of a lot of blind infuriated slaves, who have nothing to lose, and who have risen against those who have oppressed them for generations. They themselvejsk will suffer heavily. To throw train's off the lines and to burn railway carriages will not encourage railway travelling, or indeed any kind of business.

It is greatly to be desired that means could be devised to settle trade disputes without resorting to such measures as we have seen in America and Australia. But there has been as yet no solution of the difficulty. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill of the present Government is perhaps an honest effort ; but it would not be effective, because it is one-sided. An employer might be fined £500 by the Court which is to be set up, but he could not be compelled to carry on his business at a loss. The very fact that every employer is liable at any moment to be hauled before a Court, and to be punished for doing what he thinks is right, is not likely to stimulate trade enterprise. It is argued that a Court of law is compulsory, and that there can be no hardship in putting settlement of trade disputes on the same footing. But a court of law simply defines what are the legal rights of individuals- The court which would give decision in trade disputes would inquire whether any employer could profitably carry on his business. In cases in our civil courts, both parties are equally responsible for the judgment and the costs of litigation. No Compulsory Arbitration Bill that we have seen could make a number of men equally responsible with an employer.