ARBITRARY METHODS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 14143, 15 June 1920, Page 4

ARBITRARY METHODS.

It appears evident from our cable news to-day that the industrial upheaval in Melbourne will spread to other parts of Australia, as the result of coal being declared “black.-’ Melbourne. lias been practically 'deprived of its supply of lighting and fuel through the ill-advised gasworks strike. Conditions in the industrial world in Australia just now are in a very unsettled state, and so many unreason-' able and exorbitant demands ‘are belfiig made by sections of labour that the day is dose at hand when employers will require to combine j and fake drastic measures. The ext r enlists among'Labour are harrassing' employers at every turn and without any legitimate reason. While wc have e\erv sympathy with labour in obtaining its rights we mu St strongly condemn a polcy which upsets the machinery of industry and causes strikes on the most trivial pretexts. Employers will shortly be forced into the position of closing down their factories and establishments, owing to the lack of stability in the industrial world through strikes, stop-work meetings, and other methods which, bring loss to both employer and employee in their train. Labour must recognise that unless industry is"-carri-ed on smoothly the employing, class will not be prepared to continue.—the running of their factories, etc. -: They will find an outlet for tlieir capital in some other direction. We trust 1 that the strike in Melbourne will shortly come to an end, and that labour generally thorughout Australia will soon recognise that arbitrary methods such as strikes must : ultimately end in disaster Tor the working, man....