WHY NOT STATE CONTROL?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10927, 17 November 1913, Page 4

WHY NOT STATE CONTROL?

The Hon F. M. B. Fisher, Minister of Marine, made a statement in the House on Wednesday that involves a principle that Government might do worse than extend and follow out to a legitimate conclusion. He was referring to the difficulty caused' by the crow of the Hinemoa joining the strike.and leaving the Government in

tho lurch. He said that ho intended to provide against a liko hitch in tho future by making tho crows of tho Government steamers permanent officers of the Marine Department. He would give them regular pay and holidays and rank them as permanent officers of the Marino Department, and give them the benefit of the superannuation scheme. There ought; to be no possibility of servants of the State striking. The men of the Hinemoa, it appears, were tho first to join tho strike. That was a rather anomalous state of affairs. And it is easy to eonceivo how very dangerous such action might be in certain circumstances such as in time of war, or when the various lighthouses required attention. We agreo with tho "Grey River River Argus" that no Government servants, such as police, militia, railwaymen or other class of indispensable servants should be at liberty to strike and- thereby embarrass tho Government by throwing the machinery of the public service out of gear. As the majority of workers are usually glad to avail themselves of the advantages attaching to tho public service, they ought to he equally pleased' to afford a-compensatory equivalent in return. As watersidors as a class are sometimes apt to give a little trouble by ceasing work and interfering with the transport industry, it is worth considering whether it would not be advisable for the Customs Department or the railway authorities to consider the advisability of taking sole charge of waterside labour and dealing with it as the Hon Mr Fisher proposes to deal with the crews of the Government steamers. If such a scheme were taken in hand there would be active competition amongst the best class of labour for employment at waterside work under Government regulations and discipline for the sake of trie advantages it would' bring to the holder of thd privilege."