The Daily News TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1925. THE COOKS' STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1928, Page 8

The Daily News TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1925. THE COOKS' STRIKE.

The Federal Government has certainly made haste slowly in applying the powers authorised by Parliament to restore the Australian shipping service at the earliest possible moment. It is by no means difficult to understand that the policy of any Government worthy of the name would be to exhaust all other avenues likely to lead to a resumption of the service before proceeding to the extreme measure of arresting those who interfere with the reestablishment of the coastal service. As a matter of party politics, the Leader of the Federal Opposition was bound to express regret at the action of the Federal Premier, but when he went a step further and voiced a doubt whether all possible means ; had been exhausted to settle the , strike, his opinion failed to carry weight, for the simple reason that he was unable to suggest any rational way out of the impasse that had not been tried. No surprise can be felt at the manner in which the Sydney branch of the Australian Labour Party received the notification that the proclamation under the Crimes Act had been signed, empowering the authorities to take ’-action against any attempt to prevent the carrying on of essential services. All that Labour organisation can do, however, is to pass strong resolutions of protest against what they denounce as “calling into action the armed forces of the Commonwealth and States for the protection of ‘scab’ labour.” Having failed to obtain a settlement of the dispute by negotiation, there appears to be no alternative for the Government but to enforce the law specially framed to meet such a ease as the cobks’ strike. Either volunteer labour must be adequately protected or an essential service of the country held up indefinitely, and considerable loss suffered by all dependent upon the shipping industry. The question of resorting to the criminal code to overcome a labour dispute is naturally repugnant to the community in general, for at best it is undemocratic. Moreover, it is admittedly not a means of settlement, being merely an extreme recourse to power in order to save the country from the illadvised obstinacy of a small section of the community which, while resenting the exercise of power on the part of the Government, for the welfare of the country and-its people, yet acts in the most autocratic manner to the injury of all others. There is sterling commonsense in the views expressed by Mr. Tom Walsh, a Labour stalwart of strong opinions. It is, however, refreshing to learn that he proposes that the commonsense of seamen be allowed to assert itself, and create an industrial conscience which will prevent the men from stopping the ships for all sorts of factious reasons discreditable to themselves and their fellow members, and which will eventually spell ruin to the Seamen’s Union. In the face of such a statement there can be no doubt as to the wisdom of the Federal Government in deciding to put the Crimes Act into operation, especially as masters and engineers, who have been rendered idle by the cooks’ strike, have decided that they will sail with free labour, as they resent the action of the cooks in holding up the whole of the Commonwealth services. Nothing is more certain than that the present position cannot be allowed to continue. The principle at the root of the whole trouble is that which is common to all such labour disputes, namely, whether the Government is to rule or be ruled. Though there can be no doubt as to the issue, the most appealing ideal is that which is now receiving attention, namely, the draw-

ing together of employers and Workers in a common effort to attain industrial peace, but it appears probable that the desired end will not be attained until paid labour agitators are replaced by men of the best balanced brains and commonsense among the various sections of labour.