The Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. TUESDAY. SEPT. 2. 1919. DISHONEST WORK-SHIRKERS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11906, 2 September 1919, Page 4

The Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. TUESDAY. SEPT. 2. 1919. DISHONEST WORK-SHIRKERS.

THE decision of the coal miners to adopt the “go-slow” policy supplies strong evidence that the Bolshevik element is influencing the workers wherever they are assembled in numbers. For this resolve has been made at a time when there is a woeful shortage of coal, and when statesmen and even trade union leaders are urging the necessity of, and even pleading for increased production. The miners not only will not- increase production, but deliberately resolve to decrease it. In other words the men upon whom the community depends set themselves to betray it. They are practically in possession of the mines, and even if it were possible to displace them with other workers equally skilled, they would deeply resent this action, and a vast amount of industrial trouble might result. Their resolve to produce less is therefore an attack upon the interests of the whole" community, and practically amounts to conspiracy against the State. If there is no law that makes such action punishable, there ought to be one, and our legislators should lose no time in providing a safeguard against Jsuch intolerable tryanny. For it is nothing short of tryanny; perpetrated too, by irresponsible individuals, and it is also robbery, for they refuse to give value in return for what they are paid. 0119 might as well try to reason with a lunatic as preach morality to a Bolshevist, but even he would resent an employer cutting down wages for the hours worked. Their action, however, is precisely the 'same in its effect, for they are cutting- down the output the employers reasonably expect honest men to produce in return for their wages.

WE believe that when the State —or those then mismanaging its affairs—truckled to the unionists who clamoured for State mines, a grievous wrong was inflicted on the people. There was no necessity for such action, and no good from it has since resulted. The price of coal, iustead'of decreasing, lias steadily increased. All that was done was, — as is pointed out by Mr Trigga—to establish convenient centres for strike promoters and labour disorganisers, who are practically being maintained by the community to enable them to injure it. The danger to the State in assuming

control of industries, or establishing competing enterprises, is well illustrated by Mr Triggs when he points out that in the State mines the seditiouista enjoy immunity because of Government fearing to lose votes if they are subjected to proper discipline. There can be no stronger argument against the Industries Commission’s recommendation that the coal mines shall be nationalised, fo then the whole industry' would be under the complete control of the agitators. It would be far more prudent for the State either to close its mines immediately or sell them to private persons who would not in their operations be hampered by fear of losing political support. The national safety demands thar the State shall divest itself of any possibility of being dominated by irresponsible unionists.

THE Industries Commission seems to have been tainted with a proportion of members who possess the most foolish idea that people should regard the State management as the sole combination of wisdom, and the only safe conductor of business enterprises, fof it suggests State control not only' of mining but of

the allied transport services, which would, of course, largely extend the field of the labour agitators. But even this (Jommission had to realise the importance of our chief industries, for it says:—“lt is to the primary industries and their development that the 'country must look to provide the bulk of the added revenue required to meet the increased expenditure rendered necessary by the war. Everything possible should therefore be done to stimulate production and increase the number of those employed in the agricultural and pastoral industries. The fullest use must be made of the lands of the Dominion, and “there must be very stringent legislation against laud aggregation, and the speculative gamble chat is at present going on in rural lands should be discouraged, and, if possible, prevented. The Government should push on with an adequate reading policy in newly-settled districts, and a vigorous policy in railway construction is also required. ’ 7 With the foregoing we can heartily agree, but may point out that the success of these industries is to a large extent depend - eut on facilities for getting produce to the markets of the world and obtaining supplies therefrom. The Commission has not referred to the heavy barriers we have set up against trade from outside, nor to the manner in which these detract from the advantages that would otherwise accrue from improved shipping and other carrying services. It has only recommended action that would inevitably intensify the evils from which the community is suffering.