ANGRY UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1931, Page 4

ANGRY UNEMPLOYED.

Coming soon after the considerable disturbances which have occurred at meetings of the unemployed in Christchurch, the action taken by relief workers and , others at Wellington on Thursday night appears rather startling. The telegraphed report of the meeting indicates that the chief participators were men who had been obtaining bed and meals in return for three hours’ work a day. They decided to refuse to continue work under these conditions, and one cannot altogether blame them forjriieir indignation, since, theirs must be v a most dreary outlook. Yet it cannot be said that they have acted wisely. They have decided to demand sustenance as a right instead of working for it, and in that they are utterly wrong. If they had made their protest, but gone on working, they would have had a claim to be listened to, which they have practically forfeited by their high-handed action. That, however is not the worst of their offending. They propose to organise a march upon the Magistrate's Court next week, when certain accused persons in whom they are interested are to appear, and to “demand” from the Minister of Justice the immediate release of these persons. If they persist in such ill-judged action these unemployed will merely put themselves beyond the pale of law and order and arouse the antagonism of those who are really their best friends. The great bulk of the people of this country will not for a moment countenance anything in the nature of direct action subversive of the law, and those misguided men who may be rash enough to try it will quickly find themselves in serious trouble, as from time to time such people have done. The propaganda of Moscow may appear attractive to men whose position admittedly is pretty desperate, but the sooner they realise that Bolshevik methods are totally opposed to the national ideals and beliefs of New Zealand, the better for them. Violence and lawlessness have nothing to offer in the way of a solution of the difficulties under which men in Wellington and elsewhere are chafing, nor will hot-headed antagonism towards constituted authority help to bring about better conditions. The growth of unemployment is entirely an economic evil, for which an economic remedy must be found, and New Zealand is handicapped in its efforts to find adequate remedies by the pressure of outside influences. That is why co-opera-tive effort is needed. If the State, the private employers and the workers can really get together and pool their ideas and resources, facing difficulties boldly and being willing to make sacrifices, the task of keeping the whole population employed will not prove insuperable. But foolish obstruction and hostility, to say nothing of lawlessness, can onjy delay the process of reorganisation which every serious person so earnestly desires.