The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-09-20
NOVEL LABOR EXPERIMENT
Made BY Former Labor Aeltator IN
New Zealand 0

Maue by ToTHicF GapoT AAikdhV w
New. Zealand p,
From the mouth OF a man who,
eight years ago, led many thousands
OF his fellow-workers through the
most disastrous strike in the indus"
trial history Of New Zealand, has re-
Gently come public utterance which
may prove an inspiration to labor in
the Antipodes, weary OF the intermi'
Aable war OF LOCALITIES in the arbitra-
ton court. Eight years, ago, Robert
Semple, a New Zealandborn working
miner was the fighting man OF the
New Zealand Federation OF Labor
which seized on comparatively triv'
ial dispute for a trail of strength with
the employers in general strike,
For few days in October, 1913, the
strikers were masters of Wellington
whurves and the government power
iless to control the situation. Semple
was the Trotzky OF militant labor,
and proclaimed prematurely "a victory
for the workers Over the way OF
hills which surround Wellington, APP
peared in the gray dawn of a day in
the southern spring 1000 farmers on
horseback, griinly determined to see
that the, wool and mutton and but
ter and cheese, on which their liveli'
hood depended, should be loaded on
the ships in harbor for their destined
market in England. The farmers
won after short. sharp rioting and a
little boodshed in the streets. The
strike lasted two months longer. but
the dream OF triumph had gone. Sem,
pie and the Federation OF Labor came
out OF the strike beaten and discredit-
ed. Incidentally the leader served a
term of Imprisonment for seditlon, ut
tered in one of the many fiery speeches
he dilivered during the strike.
A Novel Contract
During the war he came to light
again from comparative obscurity,
and tried the political method OF at
tack on capital He became labor
candidate, and got into parliament
at by-election, as an official Labor
member He was not a success there,
as his violent eloquence was better
suited to the platform than to the
SNUG decorum OF the House OF Rep
resentatives. He was defeated in the
1919 general election. So, having haa.
experience OF labor under the cast
iron code OF the arbitration court OF
labor in direct ACTON banding the
two edged weapon of the strike, OF
labor In politics impotently nagging
at the party in power. and fmdlig
all barren OF fruit worth the while,
he has now essayed still new, ana
this time more promising role
Nearly year ago, when the city
NJ Wellington. short OF water for its
rapid lyincreaslng population, pro
duced an elaborate scheme for pierc'
ing a two mile tunnel under one OF
the many mountain barriers, to tap
the waters OF perennial stream, the
Orongorongo, the Job practically went
begging. for nobody was in a position
in those days to contract for such
work. with all its risks OF failure ana
DELAY While the city engineer ana
the mayor and council were wondef'
ing what to do. in stepped Sempie-
Bob Semple, as he is famlilaFly
known-with some OF his old mining
mates. and made Il proposition, whicn
was finally accepted. This was that
the city should supply all the material
and plant. and Semplc, with a picked
team of so practical miners, would
put Though the tunnel at a stated
nrice per foot--the whole cost worked
out at somewhere about 10000,
The agreement drawn up AFTER
much criticism and controversy Is
generally regarded today as provid-
ing ample safeguards for the corpor'
alton. There are provisions against
strikes. go slow" or any OF the tao
tics by which labor has rendered II
self obnoxious TO the public III
Australasia. A certain percentage OF
the progress payments is retained TO
form a bond or security of good latin.
In turn, all the members OF the party
have entered into a mutual. signed
agreement with their leader, and with
each other TO do their very best.
That is nearly year ago. During
the interval Semple and his mate have
had to bear many taunts from their
former comrades in the militant
labor cause and many sneers from
members OF the employing class. The
Orongonongo valley is between 20 and
30 miles from Wellington, and from
Walnut to Orongorongo there was no
access through the virgin forest when
the work commenced. The tunnel
could he bored, only from one end.
Semple and his men built their camp
and threw themselves into the work
with the fierce energy that always
marked the stormy career OF the
leader in industrial politics.
They have opened up one end OF
the tunnel as far as they can get
with hand drills, and, while the air
drills were on the way, they spent the
time making a road over the noun
tain ridge. $500 feet high, to the
valley OF the 0rongorongo. They