PEACE IN INDUSTRY

Southland Times, Issue 20648, 21 November 1928, Page 10

PEACE IN INDUSTRY

“PREPARE FOR WAR.” AN EMPLOYER’S ADVICE. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Employers’ Federation in Adelaide recently the president, Mr. E. H. Bakewell, said the chief feature of the year had been strikes. A comparatively small handful of men on the waterfront should never be allowed to hold up the trade of the country by violence. They had been hearing a good deal about a peace conference, but it was useless to talk peace unless both sides wanted peace. “Until a few weeks ago,” Mr. Bakewell continued, “I certainly never expected to see willing workers assaulted merely because they wanted to work in Melbourne. I saw men hammered in the streets by cowardly ruffians, who were believed to be striker® There is no doubt that the arrangements made by employers to protect men who had taken out licences were very bad. “It is quite evident that if peaceable citizens want to carry on their business they must resist when extreme provocatian is given, and the best way to preserve peace is to prepare for war. We are less likely to have industrial troubles if we let it be known that we are prepared to resist, and are determined to carry on our business according to the laws of the country, and not according to the ideas of foreign agitators.” Mr. Bakewell said it was very difficult to talk peace while arbitration courts were in existence. The position between employers and employed was worse to-day than ever it had been. Employers hesitated to take on big works, because they never knew when alterations in pay and further concessions might be made by courts. The average educated employer, by virtue of his training, and experience, had acquired reason, and he endeavoured to deal tactfully and equitably with his employees.