The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1890. THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2087, 19 August 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1890. THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS.

The Railway Commissioners cannot open their "official mouths without putting their official feet into them. In the dispute with the railway servants some • months ago they approached the subject in a most arrogant manner at first, but toned down afterwards. At first they spurned the idea of acknowledging the union under any circumstance, but they very meekly swallowed it afterwards, with an unusually large mouthful of le®k into the bargain. They also scorned the notion of officers submitting their: grievances to them through the medium of the executive of the employes, but a little mild persuasion made them laugh over it, and regard it as the best thing that could possibly be done. They scouted the thought of doing away with boy labor and establishing the three-legged service, but after going home and sleeping over it-for a couple of days they “ caved ' in ” handsomely. Now we ask, "Was it for men who had so recently backed down stairs in such a humiliating way to indulge in such irritating arrogance as that which characterised their reply to the Maritime Council * The council asked them not to carry Whitcombe and Tombs’ goods, and the Commissioners replied to the effect that to comply with such a request would amount to introducing lynch law, etc. It is just necessary to pause here to understand exactly what the council asked. In effect the Maritime Council said to the Commissioners, “ All the employes on the railways under your control are trades unionists, and have come to the conclusion of declining to work for Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs any longer by refusing to handle any of "their good's. We hope that as you have acknowledged the railway servants union you will acknowledge their right to refuse to work for so unreasonable a firm as that of Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs.” That is what the council asked the Commissioners, that is, merely not to force the employes to work for Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs; not to use the property of the people to enable Whitcombe and Tombs to carry on their system of degrading labor. Possibly the Commissioners were right in refusing to comply with this request. Our own opinion is that the Commissioners ought to have suspended the first man who refused duty, and as this would lead to a general strike and civil commotion the Carriers Act would have been evaded and the men could have been reinstated in half an hour. That is what sensible men would haye done, but in the whole’career of these three officials there has not been one sensible act. Instead of returning a polite answer; as all public officers are bound to do, they talked of “ lynch law,” and indulged in insolence which was well calculated to irritate men whose patience had already been tried to the uttermost extent. Unthinking people have applauded them. A meeting of nobodies in a remote corner of Otago, called Balclutha, passed resolutions of a most irritating nature in relation to the matter, but if such arrogance had driven the council into taking violent measures what would be the result ? A desperate and fierce struggle, from the effects of which this colony would not recover for the next five years. It would mean ruin to many, and discomfort and inconvenience to all. There are 50,000 men ready to move at the command of. the council, and as many more ready to extend to them sympathy and support. What does that mean ? About half the adult male population of the colony, and this is a power that is being defied and treated with contumely and insult. Could madness go further f Is it not tempting providence to do anything to provoke such a power into action f We , have been told that we should not say anything which would inflame the minds of unionists. In our opinion we tave never donp §o, but capitalists by their insolence and .oyerbearing arrogance are doing so daily, and ws warn them that they are doing a dangerous thing. They want trades unions to exercise patience and moderation. Why do not the capitalists set them a good example ? 1 Eim ployers and overseers of labor lay claim to social, intellectual, and educational superiority. Let them prove their claim by exercising the virtues jyhich they wish the trades unions to practise. Who are those who are daily insuiting the unions P _ Large landowners in Otago who think the world was made for sheep, and sheep were made for their sole and individual benefit. Whatever merchants and townspeople have done behind the scenes they have not yet adopted that violent tone which characterised the large landowners. They have better sense than to provoke a disastrous quarrel. We warn people most solemnly that there is no greater enemy to social order than the man who approaches the unions in such arrogant and insulting tones. Very , little of that sort of thing may kindle

a flame which would take months to extinguish, and which would yield untold hardships. It behoves every peace-loving citizen to assume conciliatory tones in discussing these subjects, and if there must be a fight let us wait until a decent pretext for fighting presents itself. So far trades unions have done nothing wrong. They have settled many quarrels amicably, and the recent action of the Maritime Council shows that they do not mean to abuse the power they possess. At the risk of a loss of prestige they have withdrawn their threat to boycot Whitcombe and Tombs, because they do not wish to put the people to inconvenience Are men so moderate so considerate so patient as these to be treated with insult and contumely? Do they de-serve-it? We say they do not, and that every honest man ought to applaud them, and encourage them to continue their conciliatory methods by exhibiting an appreciation of their moderation. We feel sure the council have too much sense to trouble about the nobodies of Balclutha, and as for the insolence of the Railway Commissioners anything they may say can only excite ridicule and contempt. Men like them who bounce one day and surrender at discretion next day are I 'too contemptible to notice. In the history of the colony there has not been a greater failure than these three officials. They have not taken one single sensible or popular step in all their career, and their best friends now regard them as past praying for.