PRESS OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 179, 24 April 1908, Page 9

PRESS OPINIONS.

IMJIIGRATIOX;' [ l'Np WAGES. The delusion that : 'immigration tends- to lower wages would serious consideration jvero it not ;i jipparently held as an articlo of economic .faittt-r.by Miiany' representatives, of' the labour organisations,'-and presumably by a very considUfablij 'number' ofthoso who work for ..}.t is /for ,'tliis reason that'- all who aro int.cr/:jjtq4, ; iIV-ljift. well-being of the.■ country, in'./th'o development: of its industries, alid "ill the maintenance 'of the civilised standards^Sf coiiifdrt,: Vliibh a'M" only possible- where ciyili&'ci! met'liotls' 'of' 'production are.i followed,' sTipu|d'p_ay..some..attett-' l tion to the relation existing between,-iiiimiT, griitioii and wages, ill'order-that'an int'elii- 1 gent public opinion, pervading all ■section's of society,' may dissipate itho'. mismiticrstandiiig to which this delusion is ■ tliio, -- (j liut f ' even though ail unwisely,-handled-immigi'fir lion temporarily disorganised the labour- niiuv ket, it' coulil not reduce'wages , .unless , ; rihe ; Arbitration, -Act. werc; : repealed ■and,vAi;bitration Court awaids'.ceascd. to.ihaveplegal.. standing'; for,- although-'it-scems that.ifabour Unions can defy tho . Act, at .their .pleasure, an employer can evidently be sent' to, gaol aS tho ultimate result of. making a,-privatQ bargain with an; employee,('whatever mitigating, circumstances .may have existed^.'::;At- -tlw worst, therefore, immigration' ariiumigratioii cannot depress wages. .'.w.What tlib'■ Arliitru-., tion Court has set wages to be,'. Wales; re-: main,,without being affected-in.tlio.slightest, by any offering by to. work;'fori less, that bligbear of'those : wliov in , 'thc!r anxiety to' maintain a -.dead ' levels of- wages,, forget or .overlook all' the .conditions.: which; go to {make prosperous '.thuds j 1 land to keep' up the remuneration Of labour,-? and Who-also-forget that the Arbitration. Act- has, abolished' the: right of private, contract..as between an. employer ; iind a ivorkinaii.'whose trade i?\:af-:. fect'ed by an .award:;- They-forget; that,'imriii-'' gration need never, and .does:;.not. rf'iisualljv • swamp hordes of. wage-earners into ail . IUK prepared labour m&rket, . but : that., it ought' always-'to be- based, and might, ahyayg' bo based, upon the absorbent powers of a'cotih-'-try, and should be steadily,.and intelligently, regulated according to ,thou,oxpaiision of in-' dustrial opportunities,; . ; AVe do not assert for ono moment..t-hatj' industrial', pros--penty depends upon t-lio: density of population or that human happiness.depends, upon the complexity of industry';.but;.thero.;can b.O; Jio question whatever that until '■ a "country, begins (o approach the .population' arid the development -.width. it can,.easily ,;and comfort-* ,ably .carry its industries; arp f conducted ; uiider, great difficulties, and its every form o? living{ . attended with great expense.'."..'The .labour of-; ganisatlons concern themselves . with'' those national actions which tend to ' make,work plentiful or to mako work scarce;' and '..•upon this ground are protectionist to a' mail, where- 1 their own 'trades -.are . eOncen! > ed.\{Aud; : .vet. they oppose immigration,guilder tho' delusion'.! that it will lower'wages,: niako a surplusage of ilnbour, and generally depress tho pros- ' perity of tho country, wjien, as a matter of fact, and for reasons-which must, be plain-to every intelligent person, wisely regulated immigration will- tend to .raise; wages all', round by. assisting to develop; tbq .natural resourced 'fi tile, secondary industries.'iof tho Dominion l —checkediinbw. for f sheer lack.' of by. tliliS uaiTordin'g'.v.'conStant' employment at profitable .Wofk'' for an eyerr increasing ninnber of ' and unskilled w oikmen.—VNcw--.Zoaland<-Herald<'' , i>i'v» v <■ ~ ■

THE tpicl oiA n«RAD !; .:.„:,:.„ ■_ -.The. spectacle so* a 'doputatioMoflßuiftiairf' 'bakers interviewing a Miiiisfcer. of= thV.Growii ami solemnly asking- that ; the G-ovornmcnt .should regulate' the iiroe, .of .breacl.-Jias 'its amusing .side. • Mr; w is f ,toV:ija-o6^»-' J gratulated -on' the «astuteness '"of'iifs' l "l-dilly, .which,. while: it held..out •hoTmmedia'fti prospect that this .l'equest'so-oultL.Ao ; suggested that "the GoY.crnmßnt.vmigllt hAps fix a maximum .that. tlio-priob of. a. loaf should not''exceed. - Tliis ac'tioA Of tlfe. bakers •suggests greift possibilities f6r v aiv'fex6r'ciso' of paternal raro oil the part of' tile-State.-"Wcrd ,this cliino.d 'Lillipufc it nvoukl'b& Mioat'iiiitiiral 'for an unenlightened Gulliver. has become of the. butchers ,and. candlestickmakers that they leaiW the'bakers-to''bear the brunt of this thing alone. Once it had ;niade .a.'bogmiiing.with tho; staff State mightjustlypass.,on. to a .regulationof tho/'pries Of meatj.fllilk, vegetablesr 'andr otlior commodities, . untes; it. : iv. lot of unnecessary, troubte'frould b» saved : bv' .the. simple- process ofnationalising . bake-' houses, market gardens, and all such tliings'i. l ' It is highly interesting to. study, the causesthat have sent the niastei*-tftikers of I.) 11 n eel in, a powerful; orgaiiisatiptis.it. might 'have • been.' thought,;running i to j{jfj.->C!ovcriiment to ask for State protection fpMtyifi trade/ for'that: is what their/proposals The trouble, would seisin. to?li<y.-in, the; fact', that ia ; rebellious spirit, a sort of local Jack Gade,--.if• tho comparison; be-, al|gvretl/,;for .< (i frantof ha-', hotter, has entered, into-Mm and has .beeiv (joiiig woll'in a- Brn'rill way bj-,. cutting rates, .Kfy; Whatever,be.tho'mcritsor tho difficulties of tbo" positioiijii which ,th"b; bakers now find themselves,f liowowr;-Itheyi must see,, the futilityof-• th.Q ;pr6pcsal tliev made to the Ministor / on,Mo'nday l "idia that: the Government; ! .c6.uld:f l .satisfactbrilyi regulate' the price ■: of b<-ea,d,; Specially -in ilio; interests. of aiid;..tho fixing of -a- maxlmunv! : not at all serve<tho-purpose;'.'which-tlio balcer.Thave:.in - view." .It wouldyno ,doubt satisfactory -to the bakers, vthafcl'the,. State should base the bread -Ori'- data'"' furnished: by :th'euis/anj,' f n<ii'doiibt's-tbo petition 6f: tafiff-cuttiiignwouldibo.i'ithus;.-moved, - but there ■ the. advantages! •. tt>. be- derived "from: tho7proposal would - appear'-', to ; cease. •- The public would certainly.* 11'ot' beonaniDUracli of thej.arrangeirieiit. j, S'iß JrfseplU Ward may. liiiVo encouraged • hopfcs ;'df •iState 1 intervention in regard - to',-.th<vprico".'.of-ibread" by declaring ■ legislation ■ to...contro]-.:thQ price of wheat and flou'r .woLuld'.bo. nf-.no sSrvice to the consumer unless it-also embraced' some means of controlling the prico-bf bread,, but futile legislation directionis 110 stimulus to a, similar efcsay in.'theJatter/; —" Qtago ; Daily; vi:;; 6;