The Patea County Press With which is incorporated The Patea Mail. MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1913. The Real Friend of Trades Unionism.

Patea Mail, Volume XXXVIII, 1 December 1913, Page 2

The Patea County Press With which is incorporated The Patea Mail.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1913. The Real Friend of Trades Unionism.

" Inherent Jnsticeis Eternal Right.”

When the history of this country during the present industrial disturb, ance comes to be written, one of the outstanding features of the crisis, if not the chief outstanding feature, to be recorded will be the firm, dignified and statesmanlike attitude adopted by the Prime Minister of the Dominion in what has been one of the moatcritical periods of the country’s history. In these days of paid members and professional politicians it is both comforting and refreshing to note that this country has at the head of affairs one in whom the people can place the utmost reliance and unbounded trust, As the holder of the highest position in the land nest to that of the repre* sentalive of the Sovereign, it will be readily understood that Mr Massey’s influence with the employers was correspondingly great, and it is safe to assert that be could, bad he so desired, have influenced the employers to such an extent that they would in i'll probability have conceded the demands. made by the Federation of Labour and entered into an alliance witix them which might have been binding until after the next general election. It would have been very gratifying to the heart of a seif centred professional politician to be able to pose as an all powerful mediator between employer and employed, and the public who did not look beneath the surface might have been gulled into believing that the very best thing had been done for the country. But fortunately for New Zealand Mr Massey is not of this stamp of politician. He was states., man enough to see that however desirable it might be from tbe politicians’ point of view to patch up a dishonourable peace with a socialistic body like the Federation of Labour such a course would not b« tolerated by any self-respeo ing man for a moment. The Prime Minister realised that it was no time for temporising with a body that had openly expressed its contempt for law and order, and that any peace with such a body could not be lusting. There was only one course to follow the hardest and most unpopular of all, aud oue that was liable to be mistaken t broughout tbe length and breadth of tbe land—-

and that was to let the strike run its course and in the meantime to take steps to ensure the life, property and freedom of every law abiding citizen being protected, At the same time it was necessary to point out to the workers that if they wished to see the cause of labour prosper they must uphold the law of tbe land and seek redress for any grievances they might have in a constitutional manner. In these days of progressive legislation it was idle to imagine that trades unionism would not flourish, a'd Mr Massey told the workers plainly that as long he was in power he would see that trades unionise, that is legitimate trades unionism, was protected. But unionism that is prepared to stand by the law is one thing, and unionism that is prepared to flout it is another proposition altogether, Mr Massey looking forward has seen that to have kept alive a body like the Federation of Labour that at any time was prepared to tear up its solemn agreements, disorganise the trade of the country and cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds, was not the act of a statesman, Accordingly when he saw the tactics of the Red Federation, he wisely stayed hie hand and contented himself in seeing that the revolutionary extremists who were masquerading under the banner of Labour were made to observe the law. The result, as everyone knows, was an appeal to the farmers and their sons to see that those willing to work under tbe Labour laws of the country were protected and the produce that had been left to rot was shipped to its destination. The future will show that by his far seeing and determined action, Mr Massey has done the very beet thing that could have been done both for the workers and the people of the Dominion as a whole. Th<re have not been wanting men who have claimed that Mr Massey, whilst being without an equal in his place as Leader of the Opposition, would not succeed in tbe more responsible position of Prime Minister of the Dominion. Events have again proved how utterly wrong such an assumption was, la every cese Mr Massey has risen to the occasion and proved himself to be the man of the moment to whom tbe destinies of the Dominion could with safety be entrusted. The result of tne present industrial disturbance will be, unless we are greatly mistaken, that the majori y of the workers of the Dominion will realise that they have bean living in a worker’s paradise and will welcome with open arms legislation which will protect them from the foolish acts of professional agitators in the future. By the time tbe next General Election comes round the workers will have had time to think and think hard They will by then have counted up the exact coat to them of the present strike and will have learnt to value at their true worth tbe services of the leaders whom they have kept in luxury with their bard earned gold. By that time they will have decided that their best friend and the bast friend chat the cause of Trades' Unionism ever had in this country is not Professor Mills, of Milwaukee, Mr P. H. Hickey, who advised tbe breaking of all agreements, Mr W. T. Young who spoke of " marching on Wellington with 10,000 or 15,000 armed men,” or even Mr E. iregear, I S 0,, who spoke of the patriotic farmers who responded to the call for volunteers and hastened to protect the chief city of the Dominion from mob rule as “ outcasts come from the country,” but the present Prime Minister of the Dominion, Mr Massey. The general public and especially the farmers will realise what he has done towards maintaining tbe industrial peace of this country in the future and will, we have no doubt, express their opinion in no uncertain manner when next they go to the poll.