THE ARBITRATION PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 240, 3 July 1908, Page 8

THE ARBITRATION PROBLEM.

MINIMUM STANDARD WACE SUC- ' GESTED. A DIFFICULT TASK FOR THE GOVERNMENT.' (BT. TELEGRAPH.—SFECIA.L CORRESPONDENT.) ■ Christchurch,' July. 2.The talk in tho city to-day is largely oil tho situation, as regards tho Arbitration Act, iter which attention has been so pointedly directed by tho emphatic romarks of, tho Minister for Labour. It is admitted on. all sides that lie summed'up tho position with absol-, .uto accuracy.

In tho course of his opening'speech 01 behalf of the employers in-tho shearors''dispute at tho Arbitration. Court Mr. W. Scot! ■ said: "It is manifest that 'many of the workers do not think as much of tho Court as they once did., If tho workers go against the Arbitration Court, thou it will be a bad day for them.. They have far more to-gain by holding on to the,. Court than the employers.- Tho employers .not much to thank tho Arbitratioh Court for, though it has certainly, put thorn oji • a better footing so .that they know, where they, are; but • tho awards of-tho Court havo put up ! tho . cost of . production, and . there is no donbt ' that employers are not now earning the money that thoy'did.prior to the Act coming into operation.". .■ AGAINST REPEAL. ,< i . -y. ■ ... \ . ■ v/ Mr. H. R.- Rusbridgo, an ex-president of tho Trades and Labour Council, and a member of tbeConciliation'Board, said, in reply - to questions by a "Press" reporter; "To my mind, it would, bo-disastrous from tho worr . -kens' point of view.if the Act! were repealed, 0 .- and I do nt>t think there is any wish on the part of tho workers to repeal ! the .' Act.-. Among" tho thinking section of, tho workers - there is. no such wish.' 'Personally, my idea ;is , that the'-industrial ■ councils ; proposed'by, the Minister should) bo -given' a fair; trial.; 1 Tho greater part of the opposition to" tho Ar-' ■bitration Act; is. being' shown by those wor,v , kers whose knowledge : ririd ! experience of unionism is of comparatively recent date. . Daring,recent years the older unionists, who •: have Wl! experience of the troubles ;brought , about by \ strikes arid lock-outs, are almost - invariably'-.laudatory: in their -comments on ~v ~ the Conciliation and .-Arbitration .Act.".';, WORKERS APPROVE IOF THE ACT. • • "My candid opinion is that the majority of workers approvo of.'tho Act," said Mr. R. . T. Bailey, secretary of tho Trades and Labour Council. " The persons who are stating, in one breath that: the Act is no good are expending all their-.enorgies to. bring- vari- 1 ous unions under its provisions. The Concil-1 iation Board as now constituted is no'good. I don't think there, are two opinions • about that. -But. if tho: Conciliation .Boards were "■■■■■: given the same power which the Minister proposes to give- tho industrial councils, 1 tho ■ difficulty would be overcome. .-•-If a plebiscito were taken on tho question whether tho Act was to bo repealed; or' left -as iit is," Mr.. "Bailoy, continued energetically, "therowould v be an overwhelming majority, in favour of the. retention of tho Act..; What is tho benefit of being able, to! strike? Tho position is, sum-, med up in the Blackball miners' and Auckland ■ tramway. employees'., strikes.; How much better off are thoy now ? . .Thoy'gained their i";i points,'.but' : tho points'"cost' them: more" thai) • they woro worth?" Mr.' Bailey concluded by 'expressing tho opinion that the Arbitration .!. .Court ''would;'giye ; .;in6reysatisfactioh' :j:' ing. ■ into tho. profits - mado by' , an. industry geneplly,\-'rather than; insisting on hearing tho experience of' overy'employer cited. - THE POLITICAL ARENA. -. Mr. Di • Sullivan,, vice-presidont of tho :-.! . Trades,' and-/Labour/ Council;, said that as' ;. far as his personal ..views were concerned,- ■ tho repeal of. the Arbitration Act was altogether out of tho- question. " I recognise ■:■;'. this fact," he added,' "that froni an economicpoint of view the Arbitration Act can .do nothing for us: Our salvation must bo fought out in the political arena. The Arbi- ;•, trntibn: Act" has :d9ne , -a iot.!of ; good,'but it! wants amending in tho direction which tho Trades and-Labour Council Conferences havo urged.; There are any amount of unions m . connection with industries which, could never have been organised without the' Act. Thero is now. a .moyem'ent-'.on!fo'ot. to 'petition- the; : ; Legislature to - fix theminimum ; standard' .' : \wageV' :below; ,s which : lthe 1 Arbitration Court: cannot make an award:'." I-think if that' v ero put into operation and accepted by the Gov- .! ernment we would hear 110 more of strikes." PRESS OPINIONS. :■' •/ The; " Press,":, commenting on Mr. Millar's speech, romarks: .The, -Minister/ says that/ : ' tho '.workers . are in! revolt against the Act, !,-..-,but that ! hardly- describes-, their attitude/ They are not 'retelling against the Act: .Why .' should .tliey/'- so long, as - they!! can !use it.as -: a lever to _attairi"sbmd,; of! their 'desires,.!and V. '..can -break, it; when they choose, at the t» iflirig v cost of a ,pe£altyj . which'. their. feilow-union- • ists help them to pay? :It' is tho general . public" even - more! than'tho :cmpioyi;rs:,v'ho! , ' are ill revolt against .Vrhicli ; they. re:1 ; cognise to/.bo 'in; all.!'vital.-respects one-Sided :; in/ its. operation, -. and•.tho. 'weight- ,of ■ .their. - opinion is making itself.felt.in; Parliament;. ! ! The,;.Minister : !fo'r;!Lab6ur has >still-. hope. of retaining the systeriv in form ( it takes in bis Bill. It would bo his endeavour, he declared, to -save . the .workers from .themselves. ; !'He is undertaking a ,most difficult ■ task;and he deserves,a/ fair ; and sympathetic ''bearing," but;. personally'; we be- : lieve tho .taski.is ,'beyond,his- power, or that ; of any .other.'man; if it ;is!^sought ,to pro- : serve,, even'.in' a modified form,.; the;, systeiu . of compulsion.'- : Compulsion that cannot com- ■ pel is a .farce; and ..we .are. forced to . tho ccnclusidn. that. this' is tho case with ,o,ur ;. aibitratjori system.'. The only .sound method; or dealing with industrial- disputes is, in our- opinion; that /of ' conciliation, such, rs . obtains at Home, andl'moro. fully in Canada, '- and wo believe that Mr. : >Millar would line] somo modification-.of the' Canadian,-, system; •v the best , method of ..solving •; the great prob- . lem thpt confronts- him. ; , -

The' " Times" declares that it is impossible ' that . the law;: sho'.uld bo allowed to; stand . unless" the.- workers -are disposed to recognise-;- the moral obligations imposed upon them by it. . . They ; have' used it 'to their advantage -for . thirteen or fourteen years, arid they, cannot be permitted to play fast and' loose, with its provisions now. The paper appeals to ;tho .responsible leaders- of the organised workers to take- a 'definite stand iii favour of .arbitration/ They have let, their natural sympathy for their fellow-, workers blind - them to the gravity of .' the crisis, and now they must either rally to, the. support..of the* -system/ or. he .prepared to let the. system die.!,! Those of : them ; who remember, the conditions, obtaining less tl an twenty years.', a2o, will nave no. 'difficulty in making a choice. *; ' . ' ,'