REPENTANT SINNERS.

Observer, Volume XXVIII, Issue 28, 28 March 1908, Page 3

REPENTANT SINNERS.

A Back-Down by the Labour Bodies

TJMHEN the Blackball miners first ff threw down their implements of toil and incontinently re•fused to do another stroke of work -until their demands were complied with, labour bodies all over the .Dominion were profuse in their expressions of sympathy ior the strikers. The local Trades and Labour Council, -which has the honour of pitting at the feet of Arthur Kosser, J.P.,and listening to the pearls of wisdom that fall from his lips, passed, with only one a resolution approving of the action of the strikers. Presumably, a copy of this resolution was transmitted to. the secretary of the Blackball miner?, and presumably the -miners were greatly encouraged thereby. It is uot given to everybody to win the approval of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council.

Suddenly, however, these hitherto .-sympathetic labour bodies performed jßk wonderful and wholly unexpected feat of tergiversation. The majority of them, in spite of their previous messages of sympathy, refused to have nnytl ing more to do with the strike, ,«nd sternly resisted all the later Jblandishments of the Miners' TJnion. This unique somersault came as a surprise to the general public. It 'was •known, however, that the miners were Soliciting financial aid from -the other

labour bodies, and the possibility existed that the new and virtuous action of these bodies, was dictated by parsimonious considerations.

The real reason for the change in attitude on the part of the labour bodies may probably be found in Clause 15 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitratidn Act 1905, the first part of which reads as follows :—

" Any Industrial Union or Industrial Association or Employer, or any worker, whether a member of any such Union or Association or not, which or who shall strike or create a lock-out, or take part in a strike or lock- out, or propose, aid, or abet a strike or lock-out, or a movement intended to produce a strike or a lock-out, shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to a fine, and may be proceeded against in the same manner as if it or he were guilty of a breach of an award." * m »

It may safely be inferred that the hitherto sympathetic labour bodies, having suddenly discovered tbe existence of this clause, stood aghast at the sinfulness of their former attitude, and with one accord groaned " Peccavimus!" So long as fraternal sym-: pathy could be expressed without risk to the sympathisers, they were willing to give it without stint. But so soon as they ascertained that this sympathy was likely to bring them within tbe reach of the law, a change came o'er the scene, and the majority of labour bodies, in place of flaunting their revolutionary opinions in the face of a distracted Government, became angels of purity, and regarded the doings of the Blackball strikers with grim disapproval. They cast off these misguided miners, and refused to have anything more to do with them.

Nevertheless, in spite of this sudden spasm of virtue on the part of the labour bodies, there is little doubt tbat their conversion came rather late in tbe day. Most of them had already officially expressed sympathy with the strikers, and had thereby broken tbe clause of the Arbitration Act which we have quoted above. It is not likely, of course, that the Government will take proceedings against them, but the fact remains that they have broken the law; and have laid themselves open to prosecution and a fine not exceeding £100. They have repented (out of consideration for their own pockets). It is easy to repent of a sin after the mischief has been done.

There is one outstanding phase of the Blackball trouble that should not be overlooked by the Government. Ever since the strike was first initiated, a Socialistic agitator named Fitzgerald has been prominent in inciting the men to continue their illegal and ill-advised revolt. This individual, according to all accounts, is not a miner himself. He is an imported professional agftator, and it is naturally to his interest that the strike should continue. The Government will fail grievously in their duty to the public if they refrain from prosecuting this man for aiding and abetting the strike. No professional agitator should be permitted to sow broadcast the seeds of dissension, and thu9 widen the gap between employer and employee. Fitzgerald has been consistently breaking the law almost daily for the last month, and unless he is brought to book, a precedent will be set up that will be for ever a standing menace to industrial peace.