OBSERVING THE LAW, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 May 1908, Page 4

OBSERVING THE LAW, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.

• ■ Sir, —I am afi'American' traveller, and liko nearly all Americans alii much'. interested in tho legislation J along economic' and ' social linos which, lias beeii inaugurated' in' Now, Zealand.' In passing,; I,.niay. atata that citizens of tho;'Uhifcil' , Sfetes ai-o] better informed on the-social ipolities of this country, and watch its legislation more closely, than most.New Zealanders realise. '.• : In reading an accoiint of tho settlement of tho Auckland tram striko, in your nows columns to-day,a phase of the situation presented itself, which has puzzled me very much, and which I trust, you'rt;ay : .c|c-ar up for "mo:• ' It was. stated iii;tho news account that tho men objected, at first to. going to work,.'while two "blacklegs" were retained by"the Tram .Corporation. Afterwards it was found that tho two,; men referred to were .merely casual help, and tho Union men withdrew their ob'jections.' I understand that the term "blackleg" refers to men who refuse to join their ■. in striking. ; >Now, under the: New Zealand law, I understand tliat'it' is al'breach : of law to strike,yor '. encourage, : or fojnent a strike. If ,a liiwabiding .subject should ■ refuso to, join ini a. striko ou the', ground that ho was a breaker-! of-,his country's laws, he would,;by that very act, become* a "blackleg.". In tho: case of the rccent Auckland striko, and manifestly in any...other large. strike, such a man would] not., oily labour under .the hatred ~of his', fellow workmen, .bearing tho ,while,, an - opprobrious! and contemptuous title, but'on tho settlement, of thq''dispute bis dismissal from employment would' bo a sine qua'- noii;'. In other words, would ' it. not take .;far,.more mora), courage to pbservo tholaw of tho land tlian' to break it ;? Is it possible that,the peoplo of New Zealand are building'up a system in which to obscrvo, tho. law ih. certain eases means not., 'only contumely and contempt, but the loss of .'employment as well, whilo to becomo a lawbrealcer :-nx>uld bsHho only means, of retaining, olio's standing.'with his fellows, and one's power to support;.liimself and those dependent upoii him?- '■■ I would appreciate it very much, if you would .analyse this, matter for tho benefit of myself and_ others;. Millions of Americans are now thinking along these lines, and many , liavo wondered if New Zealand, in its Arbitration Act, had really found a'means of ending strikes and-lock-outs; while, at th 6, samo time, holding a just balance of.equity between individual citizens. —I am, etc., AMERICAN. ' DaniieVirko, May 27.