WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15198, 19 April 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE COAL STRIKE. STILL UNSETTLED. (From Our Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, April 18. So far the efforts of Sir James Allen and the Hon. W. 1). S. Mac-Donald appear to have effected no improvement in the position on the West Coast, and he delay in reaching a settlement of the trouble is causing a good deal of uneasiness throughout the community. Just what significance should be attached to the telegram which the secretary of the United Federation of Labour lias addressed to the ActingPrime Minister it is difficult to say, but workers here, who, however much they may disapprove of the principle of conscription in the abstract, realise the importance of the Dominion discharging its obligations to the Empire fully and promptly at the present stage in the great national crisis. They deny the right of the Federation to speak on their behalf in this respect, and protest that the organisation is doing Labour an incalculable injury by prejudicing it in the eyes of electors whose political co-operation it will need after the war. RAILWAY SERVICES. The fact thai the negotiations between the Ministers and the miners on the West Coast are not progressing as smoothly as it Mas hoped they would, is brought home to the public this morning by an announcement from the Minister of Hallways that "consequent on the serious shortage of coal throughout New Zealand" the str.ff-saving scheme which was to have been inaugurated at the beginning of nest month will be brought into operation on Monday next in an even more drastic form than was originally contemplated. In addition to restricting the passenger service to the very barest necessities, the goods service will be confined to the carriage of foodstuffs and other absolute, essentials. Timber, fencing material, iron, straw, lime, and a number of other articles in constant demand will not be accepted till the fuel position is again assuredTHE POSITION FORESEEN. It may be as well to state, what is now an open secret, that the heroic measures now determined upon were discussed by the Cabinet a week ago. The Minister of Railways was prepared even then to take the drastic steps now forced upon the Government, but after careful consideration it was decided to put the ca.se frankly to the miners before going to or*renins. 'I hrvisit of Sir James Allen and Mr McDonald to the Coast was the result of this determination, arid it now rests with the men on strike to say whether or not the public shall be put to The serious inconvenience and grave loss in which the restricted railway services will involve every section of the community. Mr Hcrries has made this pcint 'quite clear in his announcement and the miners will have only themselves to blame if they have to bear the onus of dislocating the whole transport system of the Dominion. SANE LABOUR. While irresponsible agitators under various disguises are trying to stir up strife over the administration of the Military Service Act, the sane representatives of Labour, among them Mr A. 11. Hind marsh and Mr W. A. Veitch are the most conspicuous figures at the moment, are attempting to arouse the workers to a proper sense of their opportunities and their responsibilities. These gentlemen are not talking of the conscription of wealth as if it were desirable to march off the great land-own-er's accumulated thousands to the war, but are emphasising the point that the accumulated thousands are already at the disposal of the State to be taken by any equitable system of taxation and employed in ameliorating the condition of the less fortunate members of the community. Speakinsr at Petone last night, the member for Wellington South urged an audience of local ratepayers to be preparing for t-he next' Parliamentary election, which would decide how the enormous burdens of the war were to be borne and how the governing institutions of the country were to be brought into harmony with the ideals and aspirations of the'mass of the people. It was a wholesome and inspiring note after the wearisome fulminations of the spokesmen of the Federation of Labour.