PRACTICALLY ENDED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 11883, 20 January 1914, Page 5

PRACTICALLY ENDED.

WORK BEFORE PARLIAMENT,

(Received Tuesday, at 9.20 a.m.) CAPETOWN, Monday. Parliament meets in the ordinary course on January 30th. Although a postponement was anticipated, this now seems improbable. The Government will ask Parliament to pass a Bill of Indemnity for measures taken during the crisis, and in the present temper of the community, the Bill is unlikely to encounter serious opposition. So far as the heavy costs of the crisis are concerned, these will be borne with fortitude if they represent the price of prolonged relief from the industrial paralysis which has been afflicting the eonntry, more especially as they also represent the price of what proved to be a most gratifying experiment in the mobilization of eighty thousand men, the success of which proved a surprise even to the most enthusiastic believers in the Union's newly-born defence system. Apart from tho Indemnity Bill, stringent industrial measures providing for tho governing of trades unions, the settlement of trades disputes, the dealing with strikes and public meetings, and the maintenance of public order generally will be proceeded with. The session promises to be a very heavy and interesting one. Meanwhile the authorities are. continuing the arrests of labour leaders in different parts'- of . the country, the most sensational being that of Cresswell. It is reported that Legislator Andrews has also been arrested. With the exception of Legislators- Madeley and Haggar, and Mathews, general secrotary of the Miners'.Association of Johannesburg, practically none of the influential Labour leaders remain at large. The present position is that the railway strike is practically ended except in the Pretoria workshops, and to a limited extent at Durban, neither of these exceptions interfering with the restoration of the normal train service. At a meeting of Durban strikers yesterday, the speakers urged continued solidarity. Tho proceedings do not affect tho general situation. The mining strike is coming to an end and there is a complete absence of those disturbing factors which made the July strike so grave. Taken all in all, the outlook is more hopeful than for some time past. The Cape province railway men, whoso attitude throughout has been regarded as affording the key to the railway situation, are warmly praised. Their loyalty to tho administration had a vital bearing on the issue.