An Australian correspondent contributed to the Times of last Saturday
some Australian analogies to the present strikes in England. He thinks that the object of such leaders as Mr. Ben Tillett and Mr. Tom Mann is to substitute the general strike for remedial legislation and arbitration— in fact, to discredit Parliamentary methods generally. The professed friends of labour in Australia are divided into two parties—those who advocate the strike and those who seek political remedies. The latter are immeasurably more power- ful, and a Federal Government representing their -views is, of course, sow in office. The strike party has generally been compelled to seek its leaders from outside, and two of these outside leaders happened in recent years to be Mr. Ben Tillett and Mr. Tom Mann. In 1907 Mr. Tillett led the strike of the coal lumpers in Sydney, and for some weeks refused all offers of a settlement. When he was trying to paralyze the whole business of the port Mr. W. M. Hughes ousted him and quickly negotiated a settlement. Again the miners of Broken Hill, who struck in 1909, were led by Mr. Tom Mann. There was much violence, Mr. Mann was arrested, and the strike was soon afterwards settled by arbitration.
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