South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1890.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6292, 12 August 1890, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1890.

The Railway Commissioners have put their foot down in regard to the “ general boycott ” proposal, and it must be quite clear to any unprejudiced mind that the attitude they have taken up is the only one consistent with their duty. As they say, the Maritime Council might just as well ask the Post and Telegraph Offices to refuse to work for Whitcombe and Tombsi and the Courts of Justice to close their doors to the firm. The Commissioners were by no means careful to choose smooth words in framing their reply to Mr

Millar ; the likening of Union law to Lynch law was about as rough as they could make it. Still, if the use of this term rasps anyone’s feelings, it can only be because it is appropriate.

Politicians of every colour have at various times, we remember, condemned “ panic legislation ” meaning thereby the passing of laws, or the making of financial arrangements, in some haste to meet a danger or a difficulty which was rightly or wrongly considered to demand instant attention. It would be ridiculous, however, to call it “ panic legislation ” which might be directed, for instance, to improving the defences of the colony with unusual celerity, if war were declared by any Naval Power against the Old Country. It would be ridiculous to nickname “ panic legislation, ” measures taken to cope with a great outbreak of cholera, should New Zealand ever be so unfortunate as to suffer such a visitation. Now at the present time New Zealand is threatened, not at all obscurely threatened, with a very great disaster, the results of which, if the threat is realised in action, will be as destructive as the most successful raid of a hostile cruiser could possibly be. “ General Boycott, ”is possessed of greater power for evil than Commodore Russikoff or Commander Pigtail, and there is not even a sod-wal! to resist his progress if he should call his braves to the wat-path. For the present this General has put off digging up the hatchet, but it is quite on the cards that he may yet do so, and before very long. Why then do our Legislature not burry up a measure of some kind to make unnecessary the revival of the threat that has been made P Do they fear to be taunted with “ panic legislation ” ? or do they shut their eyes to the disastrous consequences of the carrying out of that threat P They have a Bill before them now to make arbitration in trade disputes compulsory, and adherence to the arbitrators’ decisions compulsory. They ought to push that Bill through, as they would a War Bill, or a Cholera Prevention Bill, making it as fair to all parties as they can. When the Bill was introduced we were of opinion that the principle should be tried and proved before being legislated upon, but there was then no imminent danger of a very much worse thing than a defective law, as there is now. A defective law can be mended ; a general smash of business cannot.