A TRAGIC FARCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1929, Page 8

A TRAGIC FARCE.

Were its consequences less serious and free from tragedy it would be difficult to stage a greater farce than the coalmining dispute in Australia. To residents of New Zealand it would seem fairly apparent that with a strike in progress, and rioting that approached nearer civil war than is pleasant to it would be a plain statement of fact that a dispute exists which must affect the whole of the Commonwealth. Australia has an elaborate system of compulsory arbitration designed to prevent such disputes, or, at least, to keep them from arresting the progress of industry. Its failure to do either so far as the coalmining industry is concerned has been made fairly obvious during the past few weeks. It now appears that before a new award can be sought from the Arbitration Court the solemn farce of applying for higher wages is necessary in order to constitute a “dispute” within the meaning of the laws under which the court functions. The chief reason for the unhappy differences between the mineowners and their employees has been the costs of production. These have prevented Australian coal from competing with rivals in oversea and inter-State markets. The owners maintain that wages as well as profits must bear a share in bringing down the selling price of coal, and Governments have offered to do their share in resuscitating the industry by means of subsidies. The men have steadfastly refused to countenance any reduction in wages/ and the strike has gone from bad to worse. For it to be necessary at such a stage for the miners to make demands for higher wages in order that their claim to retain the present rate of pay ; may be considered by the Arbitration Court, shows the sorry plight to which the system has arrived. Conceived as a buttress to industrial peace and goodwill, compulsory arbitration is proving but an irritating clog upon progress and development.