PRESS OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 150, 19 March 1908, Page 11

PRESS OPINIONS.

THE SITUATION AT BLACKBALL.'. ,■ 1 -Tho Blackball Miners Union, as at present ssdvisedjlhoivever, .is;inclined to be contuma- . tnous and pugnacious. Not only has it resolved H in favour of a continuance of the strike, but it, 'has decided to make an effort to.extend tho area of'.disloyalty, to tho law and of : antagoaiism' toi.'tho'Jarbitration system," it! being" al-' : , ways 'borho 'iii mind that,. as the • Arbitration Court hns pointed out; tho arbitration system, ■ ; and Vstrikes ( cannpt i be -"maintained.: sido -..by ; ' , side.':VWo >re not pre-pared for a moment to ~ i; think;'that-.'the mission, by i delegates from tho 1 TJriibn/.'.yrhp'i'aro. to ;canvass, tlio Dominion for I funds in support; of the. striko will bo suc- . cossful:'' l 'Tliey will certainly havo no right'tofrom sober, " intelligent ■ working-men; who value tho arbitration sys- ' tom'.~''sTlicy,-phonld,"'indeed,.,b'o. mado, 1 - .Very-. ; by' thoso .wh.V.iattach importance to the system, that tho. action they ; aro-takmg- is a gravo blunder, as-well.as. a • i flagrant- breach of ;; itho.', la w—.l; breach x > in which >they,.\vill, ..as- a v matter of fact, _ to .. whafcvor;, 'degree. ,thoy meet with, a . response to. - their appeal, to a corresponding dcgree'involvo others as well ns themselves. For' ovoryone who lends a favourable ear to Bplv ; .cs}';,cbmmit : an-infringement, of'tlio law.., 1 This-is quite clearlv shown, bv section 15 of.- ' "The -.Industrial ■■Conciliation . and .. Arbit-ra-.-r tion;"Amcndniont 'Act,;l9or),". which provides, : superfluous expressions being omitted: "Any :■ Industrial Union or worker, whether "a-mem-; | ber 'of'ariy such Union or not, which or who (.••Aaflystril&.tidt'TtaWT^^ / or ; propose, : aid;- or/abet- a 'strike, shall. '• 'l».'';;;guiWy.j/;bf^-'''--)an , . : 'VpfFenco,-''.-;..-and-.' shall be liablo-to a ..fine,-, and may bo pro- :! ceeded '-against.-.in- the samo manner as -if it|; : ■ or ho; woro'guilty ; of a-breach of an award: •Provided that the fine shall not exceed £100 for : any such olfehco iii tlj'p J case of - a.- Uhiwi, ' i'orV£lp,-;in' : tho c'iUo/of.'.aiTrorker.'.'.ijFrom,;tliis.v' <•'seotidi^'itS.will?- ;also' that .tho.: ■■ Crown has not, bv tho proceedings v/hich • 'woro ;taken,.last;week, against the 'Miners'' Union,', (Exhausted ■,the l . mt-aus ,it; has at its disposal -for the punishment of, a striko. — 1 "Otago Daily. Times;" ■ ' :, / ■' .' COMPULSORY TAKING OF LAND. / It ■may,';ho i 'Well to remind. landowners that : the' new,/provisions as' to: tho taking ■of land - ■ by the:' ; Uovorni::cr.t under tho : ; Land 'for.' ■. Settlenieht-s": -Act: come into : force; afterjthp ;;31stV.inSt'.*;'; :W-heh. any land is corn-.' ; pulsoriiy in ,j pursuance; ,of ,a requisition ;-'gazbtted;;ifter,that.date, compensation, tp.bp- '; paid-'to the owner- js to. bo fixed in the ma.il- •. ner prescribed by Section 81 of tho Laild • LawsilAniendment Act.; - Tho' compensation • -is tp' be .sDparately. assessKl -in respect of tho unimproved'value of tho land to be so taken, ' and ; in''r6spect of: ;the. improvements thereon.: ! .Thb;;"unimprdvcd' land'.is ;,to, hp.;'- .: deemed; to-be .tho;: aVnount;: at which 'it 13 •• ;'-assessod in-.tho district ,valuation roll-111 force 1 under;thb''Government;" Valuatioii ■' of Land : '"Aot,; , lßS l 6j l ;-''at--the f tirao', when'; tho .rcquisitionJfor;:the; taking' of .--land-; -.is-'gazetted;" ; Thl aivr-V/important• point,.which'' lancL- ) owherrtwould .do; well - to', note.. ■It is generally i understood that'new .Government vain-. •atioiJsV.areVnow : ,in'..i'progress,, 'and*, it. is, expcct&l that/.in ;mosfc caces.theso will- show an I',, -jncreasp.-^Thopoint. is ' that,-.. Government; !. . may' gdisetto. a; requisition' in -April next; for,> ; tho 'pufchaso'of land, and that, as the;iinimT. ; , provedi'valuo.is'te-ho:taken at tho'-'ambuno an thbVGbvbrnment.yaluation.'roll in force at : tho. time foff tho'-.. gazetting,' whilo tho now valuations .are not pspected to' bo out until ! is a; 'month • at" least during'..which ' tit -"'Would' be' lin -tho powe'r of : Government to ' ;, takpilind',,at prices which ' would be grossly inequitable4b/the owners, even', allowing:for:• the pe'r'dehtago'which, ■imdcr '.tho,-Act, 'is'to .bp ■: added 'to" tho i: amount : fof - the -Government ••.valuation." far; land -purchase' purposes; "'Tho ' ownefj-hipwever, apparently has the power- to ,■ - under-SectionJ.'pf ftljo. Laiidf, ' Act, .by. giving notice:dur--•ing;the- present .mbnthvio fha V.aluor-Gencral . that lie. requires, Jh'e,Valuation - ," so 'fsr -1 as- it - relatesrtq.th'p unimproved"value^-offthqiland, - increased ;;tb"ah amouiiii fstated'lin 'his- notico. ; .tionVsh'all/'.'for. itlio 'purpose f of ..the -purchaso.. 1' of "land}for : settlements 'as, well as for' ..the. purpose;of Ifand Tax assessment;. bo deemed;. to beiuhstituted for the' valuations contained ' in th'el.dis.trict-.valuation roll, - ; and shall(.until .the.;nest ( ;-,rerision'; of ,tho; last-mentioned- : roll - have,'' fqr- the : purposes ouoted, '- tho'.. same;effect ! as'if mado by the Valuer-Genoral, : in. accSriianco; v/ith tho provisions of tho, Government Vaulation-'of: Land Act, .IS9G,: f : and in tho .district valuation roll accordingly;-, f; Every notico:.requiring an ■ 111- ; cre'asp; pfevaluation must: be given ,to ; tho Valu'er-_Gcheral 'either. ,:;in : ..tho month; lof ! MariSh ."in. any; year,, or, •.within one fmonth j after, -thejdato :of; tho" advertisement fpiib-: : lishedi'.bjf, the, -Valuer-General, notifying it-he : time diiring which,' fwh'en . a roll has been re- , vised,'- the 'objections may. bo lodged against' . thoiyaluations.'f. tho owner,, mayfprotect himself against having his land - ■ taken fat' a; low. .valuation if -he is willing to increase tho. amount .on'w'hich ; he-is to pay , ; taxes. :!i.v No-'doubt fsomo;, bwhers. . boiind' -to! . thbirj;hbmes;,by: ties' of ywill allow .- themselves to be taxed beyond the fair valuo' . of the. property; _Tli'at thev should -bo • re-. ; t.o, ;this : position ;'is only/part 'bf; tho injustice'.which, has .been heaped :;upoir'thcm: . by tils present Government;—Chnstchurch .."Press." 1

,'THE shipping conference TimO: his seldom', wrought -..a more remark-, able' change. than iscecn . in the fact of tho loader'of.tho great;shipping.'strikoof 1890 presiding',a;.few days, ago at art, amicable.;, conferoiicavbctween shipowners', and- the ■ representatives of tho Seamen's - Union, for tho of questions at issuo between them! The. success of the confcrenco was 61k viously, duo ;in •' great'nicasiirp. to tlw spirit with which the delegates mei 'each.'' other.' Each: party; : 'as Mr. Millar says, knew exactly what;'; wanted, . and. thorp' was", therofor'o ; an ;. absence 'of ' superfluous ' talk and""argil-' This': advantage, coupled with tho" good fceling that,was displayfd and the ds-i Biro,;to:■ incotroach• other's" views:-as far' as possible,;enabled. 'the' negotiations'tp. be'con- ■ ducted;smoothly to -thorend. 'But; 'as both no ' doubt willingly, admit,' tho. entitled to-spccial erodit for. his share in tho. matter. Tfio .delegates' to tho conference were fortunate in securing the services 'Cf :i oiie whoso; position as Minister forLabour ,arid/.'Marine, to, say nothing of his personal knowledge'of tlie under discussion', would enable him to speak, when rerequired, 'with authority. .r It is clear, that if every industrial dispute e-buld be dealt :with as'frankly and with as much comrnpn. tense as has been , tho case with tho de-, marids'.of tho Seamen's t-nion, Conciliation Boards .and' tho Arbitration Court', would find-their occupation: 'gone..- As it is, tho oonfercncd affords another; proof that tho Conciliation. and Arbitration. Act 1 , is.mo.t fuli filb'ntj its, purpose. ' It .was meant, in the first place,!,',to' ; provide: for- tho settlement. of disputca : by C'cnciliation' Boardc-;- and the confcrescr -Has shown /that- agreement: can bo reached • without., recourse to a Board. It wasjfurther, intended to prevent, strikesend n'' hundred men havo»been on strike for a fortnight -on tho 'Wept; Coast, whilo many hundreds, wont out on striko last year.: Tho Ministcr; : himse!f, has practically thrown tho Act; .overboard. "Whatever is mutually agreed upon," ho says, "is more likely, to ho observed. than. anything which contains the. compulsory, element." It would certainly bo difficult for less regard to bo paid to this mutual; agreement than has boon accorded to some of tho-legal awards of the Arbitration ' Courtj' Wo shall be curious to seo if Mr. Millar will again attempt to find some substitute'for a system which has so obviously broken dowrii—Christchuroh "Press."