THE COAL PROBLEM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17730, 15 September 1919, Page 6

THE COAL PROBLEM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sut, —Thero are many people who will agree with Sir Joseph Warcl that "Parliament is what the people themselves make it." Tho electors cannot escape from their responsibility, 'i'hey elect or reject as their juugment dictates, and are responsible for the acceptanco of the opinions held by the candidates elected. This fact, however, only brings into prominenco another question: Can tho electors pronounce a verdict upon the soundness of the opinions held by tho elected candidate? For example, can the electors, with any degree of certainty, declare that the nationalisation of the coal mines will prove a, solution of the coal trouble? Let each elector ask himself if ho clearly sees that the solution lies in State ownership; if he does, let him state the facts upon -which he arrives at such a conclusion. It would help to convince the doubtful mind, silence opponents, and hasten to establish a much ctesired condition of industrial peace. Sir Joseph V.'ard warns us: "If the people do not choose well, it is useless to cry out after the election." But that is not telling the electors how to choose well. To show tho impossibility of Sir Joseph's logic, tako himself. Ho is ono of tbo chosen, and,

measured by his own dictum, he is either the "well' chosen or the '"ill" chosen of A war ua; but .how aro we to provo him either a good or an evil statesman, This can only be proved by examining his facts and arguments. Only last Thursday Sir Joseph Ward declared that "He was fully safcidied that the onlv solution of the question was that the State should own the mines and put them under independent control. The employees shoidd be State employees, who should be made to feel that they would lose tho advantago of superannuation if they agreed to tho persuasions of. profession;!! agitators to strike." Mr Massey, on the other Jiand, declared that "tho nationalisation of the mines had been put forward as a remedy for existing trouble. Ho was not sure it was the remedy, but if investigation proved it to be so, by all means let us nationalise the mines, with all it involved." It will be noted that the statements of our political leaders rest upon the slenderest and most precarious argument. Mr Massey "is not sure," but Sir Joseph Ward "was fully satisfied." There tho question is left for the electors "to clioose well" and "hastily," for tho electicns aro to be held in the early part of December. But nobody will bo sure of the facts that aro to guido him until tho investigation has been completed, and that will certainly not be within tho present year. Tho cause of the coal trouble, liko every other trouble that is invested with a political mantle, quickly loses its visibility and becomes obscured in political darkness, to the great relief of the political dodger, who, under cover of darkness, refers all troublesome questions to Royal Commissions, committees of inquiry, or the Board of Trade, to advise tho Government what to do, and finishes up with blaming tho people for "not choosing well." This vicious circle has now been in motion for some time, but gives no indication of performing any useful service other than wearing out, by slow attrition, the patience of a long-suffering people. Politicians never say what they think, but they are always thinking what to say, and it is a sure sign that they have reached the end of their tether. What the electors require to know is: What is wrong with the coal mining industry? A notion is abroad that the public is being- exploited by the coal owners. Of this, however, we have only a feeling or strong suspicion. Wo have no positive evidence. The Board of Trade assures us that no evidence of exploitation was discovered in tho course of its inquiry, but their statement is weakened by tho admis-

sion that the members of the board had no power to examine for themselves, but had to take for granted tho evidence supplied them. Another rumour in circulation is that the miners aim at forcing Parliament to nationalise the mines. Hence their "go-slow" policy. In the absenco of evidence we can only blame politicians for failuro of duty.—l am, etc., W. SIVEKTSEN. SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITAL MATTERS. •>0 THE EDITOR. Sib, —I would beg to crave a little space to reply 10 some of tho remarks passed at a meeting of tho St. Kilda Borough Council concerning South Otago hospital matters. la tho first place, with reference to the heavy expenditure being incurred by the Otago Hospital Beard, I may just say that before it was committed to the List "white elephant' (the Wakari Sanatorium), the delegates from South Otago warned the board that they intended to seek separation. Secondly, the proposal for separation is not for just a few ratepayers, but for the whole of tne representatives of the Counties of Bruce and Clutha, with the Boroughs of Milton, Bidclutha, and Kaitangata. And now as to the statement that it was only a question of pounds shilings and pence with the South Otago people. I deny the statement, but even it it wero true, what about St. Kilda and on what grounds does that council oppose the proposal, but 011 tho question of pounds, shillings, and pence? We, who live in South Otago, know only too well the amount of unnecessary suffering and tho number of valuable lives probably sacrificed every year through tho disgraceful lack of hospital accommodation in South Otago, and w\hile matters remain as at present thero is no prospect of improvement. As to the argument that the people of

Oivaka were divided on tho question of separation, I have proof in my possession that, notwithstanding the fact tliat representatives of tho _ Otago Hospital Board \ isited Owaka with special pleading and lavish promises which they had neither tho will nor the power to fulfil, over nine out of every ton residents of Owaka and surrounding district are in favour of separation. As for tho statement that in Kaitangata the movement has no support. I can only state that at a public meeting liold there a resolution *vv<is parsed in favour of separation, and that tho Kaitangata Borough Council (which. I assume, is quit»* as intelligent as tho St. Kilda Borough Council) has passed a unanimous vote in favour of separation, and has asked its representative to support Air Malcolm's Bill. I must apologise for troubling you with this matter, but as you gave the council meeting some prominence, I have to ask you to publish this reply.—l am, etc., Alfred North, Chairman, South Otago Hospital Committee. A COMPLAINT FROM THE TAfERI. TO THE EDITOB. Sn?,—May I givu expression to what is, in the turmoil of greater things, merely a P'-tty grievance? •!he matter is one, however which makes my shoe pinch and pinche3 some of t-hoso who see no prospect of shoes for the ooming season. I am only a poor, benighted -cocky," with flood waters all round me. I have enough cows to milk to give mo milk and butter for tho hauns, but no immediate prospocts. I have horses and drays idle, and would have gladly served the Drainage Board with a team or two in restoring tho banks, but there 13 no room for such as mo. A member of the board has appropriated all of that work here, and I just stand idlv by wondering who's who and what's wliat anu what wo fought tho war for, and ali l la '' so . r t of tlisng. Now, I'm wondering who 11 cio the pumping. A returned soldier? I liae ma doots.—l am, etc., 0 Settle n. [Upon miking inquiries, we are informed that no member of the Western Taieri Land Drainage Board i 3. employed to do any work in connection with the flood, and that ncver_ since the formation of the board has any 01 its members been employed by it to do any work of anv description In tunes of stress members of the board in common with settlers, have given their assistance, but never at any timo lias any member, past or present, been paid by the 1 board for his service?.—Ed. ODT]