Taranaki Herald. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1910. THE STRIKE LEADERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14132, 11 February 1910, Page 2

Taranaki Herald. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1910. THE STRIKE LEADERS.

The trial of Mr. Peter Bowling and four other strike leaders iu Sydney has resulted in tfaeir conviction and sentence to.eighteen mouths’ imprisonment, the term iu the case of Bowling tolbe cumulative upon the sentence*of twelve months imposed upon him a fortnight ago for taking part in a meeting for the purpose lof aiding in the continuance of a strike. Strong exception was taken iu some quarters to tho latter sentence as being unjust and malicious, hut it was generally regarded that the punishment fitted the crime. Judge Rogers, who heard that case, spoke very emphatically of the action of the leaders of the strike in calling upon the southern miners to continue the strike, and now Mr. Justice Bring has condemned them in even stronger terms. The actual charge against them in the cases concluded on Thursday was that “being persons of evil minds and dispositions, and not regarding the laws and statutes of the State, they did unlawfully and wickedly conspire to instigate certain coal miners to take part in a, strike.” On a second count they were charged with conspiring to instigate other persons, wharf labourers, coal lumpers, and trimmers to take part iu a strike. Each of the accused declared that he was unaware he was committing a breach of the law, a plea which might be an excuse in the case of the led, hut not of the leaders. The Judge, however, did not accept the, plea. The accused, he said, knew the law and deliberately broke it, this being the finding of the jury. Under these circumstances, and considering the serious consequences of the strike, the punishment is not too severe. By their action the accused brought about, or largely contributed to bringing about, a state of things which might have resulted in chaos in the community among whom they dwell. Great monetary loss has resulted, not only among the mine proprietors and others who are perhaps in a position to bear it, but also among tlie working classes, whom tiro accused imagined-—we give, them credit for good intentions in that direction—they' were going to assist. Tlie monetary loss to those most closely concerned wijJi the mining industry is, however, only a part of the consequence of the acts for which Bowling ami

tlie others are now punished. A serious dislocation of other industries and of such public services as the railways, trams, steamers, lightiug and power was caused, while what private inconvenience and even suffering had to he endured cannot he estimated. Hod the designs of Bowling been fully carried out very great distress, and possibly loss of life, would inevitably have resulted, and it is necessary that a salutary lesson shall be read to other misguided men who are inclined to try and put forces in motion which they cannot control. They seem to think that industrial laws are made to be kept or broken Just as it pleases them, and Judge Print’s remarks, „in passing sentence, may help to remove this impression. We do not know what the most unfortunate of the victims of the leaders’ foolish actions, the miners themselves, will think of it all now, hut to our mind Unionism has suffered a blow from which it will take long to recover. The New South Wales Unions have shown such a want of judgment in their choice of leaders and have acted so erratioally all through the trouble that their best friends must feel a great deal of disgust and he inclined to throw them over altogether. Yet there is a good and useful side to Unionism, and it Is not a small part of Mr. Bowling’s offence that he has brought it into discredit.