The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1909. THE MINING DEADLOCK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2399, 14 January 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1909. THE MINING DEADLOCK.

It is now very evident that the anxiety of the AVard Ministry tp placate the Labor vote prior to the last elections lias led the country into a very much worse muddle than usually ensues from legislative indiscretions. After creating a position which inevitably led to a deadlock and a consequent stoppage of the mining industry. the Government has attempted to give temporary relief by giving an indemnity to the State Accident Insurance Department against any loss it might incur by insuring men against the disease that has been conveniently termed “minors’ complaint.” This action could only be justified on the ground that “desperate conditions require desperate remedies..” for as a principle it is hard to conceive of anything more vicious than the State as a whole being called upon to bear the bunions of a particular industry simply to placate a special section of workers. Once permit the public purse t-o be exploited in this fashion, and it is hard to say where such abuses would end. However, even this wild endeavor ol the Premier to end the present labor crisis has up to the present failed to have the desired effect, and although a good deal may well be sacrificed, in the interests of industrial peace, wc are not sure .that it would be well to secure it by a method so unsound as that propounded by Sir Joseph AVard. The latest phase of the difficulty is that although the State Insurance Department, with the Government indemnity behind it, is willing to insure for the period from now until Parliament meets, the actual course that will then be followed is still uncertain. Before re-admitting to their employ men. suffering from miners’ complaint, the mine owners naturally want to have some idea as to how they will stand in regard to the liability thus incurred after Parliament meets. They claim tnat it is useless making a settlement at the present time merely to go through tile whole trouble again when the period covered by the State guarantee elapses. In other words, the employers want to have a. 'definite assurance belono again resuming business that the new liability created by Parliament, and which it was intended eould be contracted out like iormorly existing risks, can really be so contracted out. This is precisely the assurance that the Premier cannot give. It is impossible for him to pledge Parliament in the matter, or oven his own supporters. He might give the assurance of the Cabinet, but that would scarcely bo sufficient, and to do so would bo to rouse a torrent of opposition beforehand from the labor element. This is the kind of opposition against which Sir Joseph AVard has never been proof, and altogether ho is in an extremely, unenviable position. Every day the results of the muddlo become more disastrous, and the Premier can thank his lucky star that the trouble occurred after tlie elections and not before. The only solution that seems apparent at the moment is for the mine owners to accept the terms offered by the Government,' but to aslc them to do so is to impose upon their forbearance and business instincts to a quite unwarranted extent.

AN UNWELCOME FOE. Jt is 0110 .of the chief advantages enjoyed by the New Zealand iaruier that tho various pests which exist in tlie bird and insect world manage to balance tlheinsolvles .with something approaching equilibrium, and the Dominion is to a large extent free from the scourges, which bring about) devastation of crops in other countries, i Possibly the most notable instance ol a pest obtaining undue predominance in the eternal warfare that goes on in the lower world is provided by the sparrow, which works so much damage to the wheat fields of Canterbury and other parts of the South Island, that thousands of pounds are paid every year as compensation for sparrow’s .eggs, for bird’traps, and on poisoning schemes. Now it would seem that the insect world is for the moment in the ascendant, for a telegram published this morning shows that caterpillars ill myriads are devouring the crops and pastures of North Canterbury. It would appear that in this dire emergency the übiquitous sparrow is taking little part in keeping down the insect pest, and one of the chief arguments in favor of tho preservation of this small bird is thus destroyed. The sparrow was introduced into New Zealand almost by accident, and certainly not by deliberate design of the acclimatisation societies, but when he did arrive it was - hoped that he would play an important part in keeping down the insects. Unfortunately the busy little immigrant seems to have lost any inclination lie may have inherited from his forbears in England to feed on slugs, and in .the Dominion has developed an abnormal appetite for grain, greatly to the loss of Southern farmers. Starlings, on the other band,, are recognised as valuable aids in keeping down the insect pests, and in the present case appear to be doing good service. The farmers of Canterbury have had an excellent season so far, but unless some change, climatic or otherwise, takes place shortly and extinguishes the caterpillar hordes, the profitable returns looked for will in many cases be entirely lost.