The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30, 1912.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3666, 30 October 1912, Page 6

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30, 1912.

The news that has been coming to hand during the past day or two seems to indicate quite clearly we think, that the end of the big industrial struggle which has been going on for some months, chiefly at Wailii, is now within, measurable distance. No one will bo sorry when the trouble in question is ultimately settled, except, of course, the leaders of the Federation of Labor, who may or may not then admit that they asked too much of the workers when they expected continued support in connection with what has all along been generally felt to be a hopeless cause. To the credit of the great majority of the workers of the Dominion, they have, it should bo recalled, shown a decided preference to abido by tho principle of upholding awards and agreements during whatever may bo their stipulated term, and to continue to stand for the settlement of all disputes by means of conciliation and arbitration rather than by such undesirable methods as general strikes, etc. For tho position in which Messrs Semple and Co. now find themselves to-day they have, it will bo agreed, only themselves to thank. It will bo remembered, for instance, that when the trouble at Wailii, and also that at 'Reefton, was at its height, and since, they have continued to boast as to what they coukl do and would, if possible, do, oven if it should involve the temporary paralysis of trade from end to end of the Dominion before success attained their efforts. How mistaken have their tactics been proved is now moro than ever plain, for if on the one hand they expected to impress employers by their wild

A Fight That May Soon Finish.

threntsjCbey liavo signally failed, or if other liand they anticipated thnirtheir claim to have tremendous hjfnt power would succeed in gaining Mr them much added strength, the result, is must be acknowledged, has been equally disappointing. As a mattor of fact what has transpired since work has been recommenced at Waihi has. demonstrated that the Federation of Labor has l>ecn rapidly losing ground. Perhaps the clearest proof that its power is sadly on the wane lias been the course of events in connection with the latest trouble, viz., that at Huntly. As is well-known, the employers there, as at Waihi, and at Reefton, took up a firm stand, and what has been the result? Reluctantly, no doubt, Mr Semple, it seems, has now advised the men at Huntly to return to work, as it would give the body of which lie was such a prominent leader “a chance to fight out to a finish at- Reefton and Waihi rather than risk failure all over the Dominion.” He might, indeed, have gone further and indicated that even in the case of the trouble at Waihi and Reefton the Federation of Labor has a much bigger task than it finds it will be able to manage. The stand which the employers at Huntly adopted has undoubtedly proved a valuable one, for in addition to leading to an early victory for the side of law and order, it must have demonstrated to all those workers who might have seen merit in the methods of the Federation of Labor the utter futility of the cause. Everywhere, too, one finds that the stand which the new Government has taken in the matter is widely approved. Unless something of a totally unexpected nature crops up it need come as no surprise now if at any time, through loss of adherents, as well as depletion of their exchequer, the Federation of Labor also “throws up the sponge” (to use a sporting phrase) both at Waihi and at Reefton.