A Socialist and Arbitration.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 11

A Socialist and Arbitration.

VIEWS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ACT. . HIGH WAGES, HIGHER COST OF. LIVING. Mr. C. H. Chapman, of Wellington), • a Socialists ho came, to Now. Zealand some two years ago, has, at the request of Mr. J. 'Ramsay.' MacdSnald, M.P., written an article for th& British "Labour Loader" on the Ncw ; Zealand Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr. Chapman, who has had considerable experience of tho labour movement . in Groat Britain, expresses? his viows as under:—' -f CONCILIATION ANT)'ARBITRATION ' IN NEW ZEALAND. "After 1 a number of ■ disastrous; strikes in the early nineties .in elaborate Act of Parliament was passed, in 189-1, having for its object the settlement of industrial "disputes by compulsory conciliation and arbitration.' Coincident with the''existence of this ■Act' New Zealand lis;' enjoyed"'a period of exceptional progr' -' and r prosperity,. This-prosperity, it i.'"ilaimed, ig'duq;to. the Act. Recent dcVolopnients,-' howovor, tend to show . that' -'the opposite' is the' case; in short, the continuation of the" Act, without' any-real challenge', as to its ■ efficiency,' : has r ; depended upon continuous prosperity'/-'Since the. passing, of ithe Act until the lastrfcw yoars industrial peace'',has' existed, tint it does not' follow'; that, the 'industrial, world: would have been'l'.in . ji' state';,! of; turmoil through strikes and lock-outs, if the laws relating''to'tho'; settlement' of disputes, were non-existent;'.',",'-' !!''''. "New Zealand's is due to a number of causes which would,have operated independently' of the lar mothbd which .obtained.'as. to rogu-. lation of- diftcrencea and employed. Tho' expansion \ofl.thpj frozen- meat trado, high' pricos, obtainable for mutton, butter, cheeso,"'wool,: flax, and othor principal.produ'eo of the' Dominion, 'together with a':wise' policy of closer settlement 'on r tho laud, i.e.,

tho bnying of largo. estates and subdividing' them : into' smaller; homcstoa,ds,carrying ' consuquohtly V mvch,', , J population, which ill its 'tiim lias' giyen impetus to 'town';. 'occupations,' havbbeen contributory causes' to! our perity. Que' effectof; thi'.Unorcased'. prosperity has; , beon enhanced - ■ land' values, resulting -in higher.' domandedj and land\spcculatipii,'with , ■it's usual evils. Rent;in,.this;Dominion; ii out of all ; 'proporfcion.'to - the ' jrpi&ajrs! wage.* .The'- last • fojT^yws^hajre^ise®' rises by leaps and bound's-in. rent., arid in tho prices of most necessities. ;,,:Tho decreased purchasing . power , of., wages has had exactly the- 'sameeffect',:-a'k direct lowering of /actual 1 wages'.,-woiild have had, and the result is ,seeri ;in ; ,tho industrial' unrest 'which -has '.recently

prevailed 'thirough'diit .'..New ; '.. : iisisal4ndi 1 , The workers realiso tha.t any,'more;than'' a'nominal share in prospdi'ity,.is .being . filched: from them.;'--While; even mode-, rate prosperity continues ,th(i • Act l will meet only little opposition; hut, sjiould 1 depression, come, however heavy;;,the penalties, both enlplbycrsvand. workmen, would seek to ;evado. its .. "During the past -oigliteeh' moiltlis strikes, quito against,,tli,o.;Jaw,,; i Jiaye ; occurred among- tailprcsses,tra^ay. •workers,- navvies;; (Sey.eril' ;' occasions)-, and butchers. • lii- adilitibiri.'to' actual cessation of wOrky whiclivlifts'ih'iii'ftiiy'casps Caused;tho• Strikersjto incur- individual ' fines of ,£s> there-,lias been 'great-dis; satisfaction expressed,at- the, ,awards which have been inado .by tli6 ( Arbitral iioii Court.;; K .this .connccti6n ; -.it;us. interesting to' note - that»the... Conciliation Board '•.at^Ms|v,;geh^ily t «'in(>lfS favotiralilb -to workerq, -jare' .jihviiriably appealed against' by employers and'Stil); s'oqufthtly lfipdified in' their-favour >hy, tfifc r A'rbitration,.Ciitirt|.' 1 po.iistitptod.'by' one enyployfets' and.;qiie,. 1 ,. ~re; proscntativfc aiid', a- jiitlfeo:'.' Tho r.p'rprisioris' of .'.the'..Act-'', are of one party-'to :,c6lupol tho;.other L ',,t6 a'tihinit -a disputb. -to. arbitration,'.and tho enforcement o£''waitls penalties. In ■ extreme!,; cases' third -, is possibility of imprisphtflfclit. '.The;. New, 'Zc&lalid ,Parliattcnt 'has'before.:.,it.V;at, present an: amending. Bill, framed with 1 , the object of. mectiftfc.difßcuitiesj which havo arisen/ Its Chief fcatutes .aro.:— . '■ "(1) The: abandMHttmt 'of Conciliation : Boards' in favour?.' of* Industrial Councils to bo constituted::by .i.thir# workers' -and . .thrcp'.'.eqi'ployprs',', representatives whci havb-.bocn :or. are.; engaged in the pafticu)tir;j indnatry<: iii Tvhicli tho dispute has..arisen, .presided over by a chnirmun scle<K:ea> bjy themselves or'.the Governor. . Opposition is expressed to this ■: provision by. trado Unionists, wlio point, out that after,., .a dispute is disposed of the, workers' : re-; prfesentativfcs would, have.;t,o gOiback to their: ohijilbyers' for 'wSrk,;: and; would • probably bo- subject to intimidation. "(2) An' attempt;£o..conii>el.all,trade unions to',register 'under .the' Conciliation and Arbitrat-ibri Act'. A' able section of tho wbtkers desire freedom to-evade' the Act,, and yofcobtain benefits of trades unionism, should the Act'becb'me-.too harsh-.':;- _ . .". "(3) To avoid thtslunpleasant 'possibility of imprisonment-an. .ingenious method of collecting, fines-'is proposed by .means of,- which; the., employer -is the instrument, and is to be ..compelled to deduct .from the' wages.-' of-any.worker Such fine, not, moro thmi. 2o per cent, of wages to bo deducted.; As_ may, :b'c, anticipated,, - objection .is taken to .this provision. , •' ..; ; '' (4) Ah impractical .'proposal ;is made that all trado union, officers must actually en'giged iu, the industry for; which tho union was established'.' •' ' -"Wliht the'workers desire. *&>; •that; there, shall: bo losiK delay .in .the. hear-; fog of CaSes : , arid that ,a, groator share of tho Wealth produced by them. Shall btco'mp tboir own. ■; At preSCht ahd the proposed amendments aro; scarcely; likely to affect. tho-:position—delay is; vCry irritating. Cases been held Up for - two years, before" a '■.settlement: has been effected,-.' and twelve months:

is quite aii ordinary time to elapse between tho preparing and actual; settlement of' a dispute, . With ■proved machinery probably u of'dissatisfaction can ; be remoTed.lho. latter part of tho dfcSire- is-ono.-that-appears to IAO impossible.-' of,- gratification- so.long.fts mfethods 'at. 'presont' followed are allowed' to; contihuo creased . wages, are-'invatiablj; followed, by increased pricos,'., means must' bo found to to the workers the fruits %.ttcir._ labour. : What thosb means shall be ~aro. known to tho membors of Party .to whom this- article .is addressed, and slowly_; but- surolyi the workers'"of- New Zealand' ana-,!the workers of the whole are b6"inning t-o realise that 1 in. pocialism alone can theris be any real.escape from the ovils of - capitalism. ... The weight of rent, interbat, ,dividends-f-i)i short, ■ {irofit-monfeering-isvtQoto Wo want vou who live 011 profit to-Get off our backs. That; l is-tho demand, of the Now. Zealand' worker,' although as yet'he has not lOaniVthat SO-soon.as lie asserts himself. Jio burden will fall from him. -