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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9634, 24 March 1910, Page 4

One right has man always possessed from time immemorial—the right to work. Latter-day legislation has challenged this universal right by imposing artificial limitations. To go no further back than Scriptural authority conducts us, we find it laid down for human - guidance that man shall live by the sweat of his brow, though indeed this was the embo'iment of a supposed "curse" upon ' -c race. Well, labour (as labour) Li.*,

on the whole, proved a blessing in disguise; but in litter days, owing to congestion, the'labour market has been over-crowded, aud the spectre of unemployment has become a constant guest at the national board, so that an increasing number of persons have beeu denied the opportunity of utilising brow-sweat. Measures for relief proving inefficacious in view of greed and tyranny in high commercial piaces, recourse was had to legislation, by meaus of which the condition of the workers was much bettered. But the remedy has brought iv its train other evils, the most formidable of which is the grievous tyranny of the Labour Unions. Iv so far as those laboured for amolioratiou iv various diroctiou3, thoir policy is above praise. But tlioy spoodily booaint) au irrosponHiblo tyranny, claiming virtually powor of life and death over the labutiror—-for if; ih nothing loss, this piiwni , (o gnint or deny a man fclio right 1,0 work. That power liho Unions uiidouhdodly posso.sa, and it jh not fitting that Englishmen Hliould ho thus in thraldom. 'L'lnit a million pounds Hliould havo boon lost to tho men through fcho .Newcastle strike, that Victorian fcrudo with tho Philippines Hliould havo boon Bot back indefinitely, Tor no iiioro Hubatautial or rational rouHon fcliiin that a number of roally woll-paid men had gono out on striko, is intolerable. Wo should like r,o know whon tho parties who suffer most will got tired of strikes. Tho public, us woll as fcho employers, arc quirt , , sick of thorn, iv the meantime tho question of rJio right to work crios aloud for settlement, and the learned Judge in .Now South Wales who has just given a lead in tho matter of tho uou-Uuiouists has set au example which wo hope, iv everybody's intorests, to see followed in every pla/jo whore tiie microbe of labour trouble is at work.