THE REFERENDUM AND THE STRIKE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8261, 25 October 1912, Page 4

THE REFERENDUM AND THE STRIKE

Mr J.- E. Taylor has given notice that ho will move at tho next meeting of the Auckland Harbor Board: “That thia botvrd respectfully requests tho Employers’ Federation, of which it is an to take into consideration the advisability of conferring with the representatives of all labor organisations, who ace willing to co-operate with them, in a £ pearling to i-tarifua-ment to immediately confer upon the people the democratic ngut of direct legislation by means of initiative and referendum, as a much better means of settling the prevalent unhappy labor dispute .than by strikes, and of preventing others in the future by thus giving the people direct power to better tho condition of the workers, and lessen tho great disparity between tho suaus of the extremely wealthy and tho struggling poor, which is the root cause of all tho world’s labor unrest, all questions submitted directly to the people to bo decided by a majority of the votes cast, and in no case by a minority; one condition of the granting of the initiative and referendum to bo tho immediate calling off of all strikes and tho resumption of work, and tiie release of the WaiKl strikers from gaol.”

Mr Taylor’s suggestion of, the referendum is. in direct keeping with the programme of the United Labor Party, but why the ■ Government should be interested in granting the initiative and referendum because of the cessation of tho strike or why the Government should refuse tho initiative and referendum unless all of the strikers Consent to go to work, and the Waiiu strikers who sent themselves to gaol shall conclude' to withdraw from gaol, on their own motion, or be turned out by the authorities, is a little difficult to understand.

All the referendum, if established, could do for Labor would be through improvements in legislation, but those who are striking are not asking for improvements in legislation. Tho strike has not been offered as a means of improving tho laws, but as a substitute tor the law itself. By all means let the battle for tho referendum be pushed. Let the right to determine what the laws shall he bo given to the whole body of tho public. There need be no fear that a referendum carried by the whole .body of the people would ever authorise indiscriminate, ill-considered striking as the first weapon to be resorted to in industrial disputes and the abandonment of all effort at coot ciliation and arbitration in order that the striker might have his way.

That is another reason for tho referendum. Withholding it constantly carries the suggestion that the people might do unwise things, which they never will do, and that they might take action in advance of what the world is ready for, and therefore again action that would not bo wise. But tho test in nine American States and in Switzerland proves directly tho contrary. Progress by popular majorities is regular, slow, continuous, but it moves by tho turn of a wheel which carries a ratchet, and tUoro is no reverse movement in tho process.