The Star. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1911. THE SYDNEY STRIKE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10300, 3 November 1911, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1911. THE SYDNEY STRIKE.

The serious .strike that has occurred on tho wharves in Sydney brings grave labour troubles very close to our own doors. The groat general strike in the Old Country, as wo showed while the trouble was in progress, was only a symptom of widespread unrest in the Labour world, and wliilo the conditions obtaining socially, and industrially ;n Now Zealand ought to protect us against anything approaching a general strike, it is tolorably clear that some of the workers in Australasia have been infected by the prevailing unrest, and tho Sydney strike and tho minor troubles that have occurred in tho dominion warn us that wo ought to be giving earnest attention to tho whole problem. The fact that is overlooked is that in tho prevention of strikes very little can be done without the co-opera, tion of the workers themselves, and attempts to sidetrack tho workers or to defeat them by intrigue are bound to defeat their own end. In the pronounced movement towards what is called "industrial" unionism we see tho effect of the policy that has been pursued hi recent years by the Arbitration Court, the refusal of awards, and so forth. One of tho prime, intentions of tlie system, of industrial arbitration was to encourage the formation of labour unions under.the system, so that the tribunals might have as wide a scope as possible. The policy of the Arbitration Court of late has certainly not had the effect of encouraging the formation of unions, and everyone who follows the course of events at all closely recognises that a crisis has been I reached here so far as the arbitration system is concerned. Nothing is being done by tli'o friends of peaceful methods to combat the agitation in favour of organisation outside the Arbitration Act, and it is obvious that unless the position is faced this agitation will grow in strength. Where the workers make the mistake is in imagining that they can do better by organising independently than bv taking advantage of tho existing tribunals. Organisation will bo profitable under any conditions, but the workers miss the point that it is far more costly for them to win by striking than to win before the Conciliation Council or the Arbitration Court. However, tho fact to be faced is the possibility of certain workers in New Zealand following the bad example set by tho railway men at Home—where J there was some, excuse for a strike — and by tho waterside workers in Sydny. There is known to bo grave discontent in maritime circles, and it might easily happen that the coastal and intercolonial trade would bo paralysed by a failure on the part of tho ship-owners and officers and men to come to terms. The powers of tho Arbitration Court aro ample to deal with disputes effectively, and to our mind tho present unsatisfactory position has? como about simply because tho Court declined to exercise its powers. We can scarcely recall a case in recent years in which the Court has made an independent attempt to arrive at an understanding of the position of an industry apart from the evidence that tho employers on one side and tho workers 011 the other cared to produce. Parliament will have to take the whole problem .seriously in hand again at an early date, and in tho meantime an effort should be niado to confirm the loyalty of the great majority oi the workers to the arbitration system.