EFFECTS OF ARBITRATION

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 301, 14 September 1908, Page 6

EFFECTS OF ARBITRATION

INTERESTING EVIDENCE.' A PESSIMISTIC-VIEW. Some very interesting. evidence jvas given before the Labour Bills Committee .by Mr. Georgo Booth, .of Christ/church. . Speaking of "the .dire; effect upon industry.of State regulation," he said: "I dp not mean either to say that the .whole of the blame for this state of affairs is- to? bor laid on the arbitration system: I do say—and in this, Mr. Chairman, I perhaps had .better 6ay I am expressing my own am not authorised to make this statement on behalf of the Employers' Federation—l say that the arbitration system is. partly!, to blame, and I believe is largely to blaihe. It is to blame in so far as it embodies' and expresses, or even implicitly sanctions■, what I believe to be falso and vicious industrial and social ideals. It is to blame,'for'. jinstance, in so far as it embodies or sanctions the theory that work is not a' thing 411 winch a man, should engage cheerfully aiid manfully and into which he should put the best of his intelligence and his energy, but that it is a curse —a hateful and degrading necessity—imposed upon ' man for his sins, a penalty which it is not only justifiable bjit .creditable to a man to dodge. Ido say that the arbitration system is to blame iu so far as it sanctions, implicitly, no doubt, shirking' arid laziness, and in so. far as it puts a. premium on inefficiency, and causes superiority in skill, pr care, or industry to be regarded as a matter for reproach rather than of pride. If evidence is required that this spirit has at least thriven and developed amazingly "under our arbitration system, even if it is not charged that it has been bred by it, I have only to refer the Committee to the report of the discussions of the Trades and;. Labour Councils, and Conferences, and, dn the other hand, to the addresses recently • delivered. by.-the-.Hon. >tho Attorney-General. You would perhaps 1 ask me what special features of the arbitration system I think should mainly bear the blame i'for this state of affairs, and to that T would reply that' v I regard the : ' ''minimumwage system — however creditable to our humanitarianism—as essentially immoral from the point of view of industrial economy. Nature has decreed, and there is Biblical sanction for the idea too, that if a man doeg not work neither shall he eat. It surely follows that the more efficient a man's work is the more ho should b.c entitled to eat, or drink, or wear, or otherwise enjoybut tjie minimum wage plan decrees that a man only needs to work enough to hold his job," Iu another part of his evidence ho said:— "After all, strikes-do not seem to me to be such a terrible bugbear as some people would have us believe. The loss that falls upon a country, by reason of strikes is the loss consequent upon the withdrawal from active work of a certain number of men, the idleness of a certain amount Of machinery, an 4 the paralysiis of a certain amount bf business x organisation. Such a loss has never, so far as I am aware, been a very serious thing in the Dominion, and I am quite sure that the cost of the arbitration system has resulted in a loss of industrial eflicienoy far'greater than ever resulted from'strikes, or, than was likely to result, during the period the arbitra- : tion system has been in existence. I, may, ' perhaps, be a'little pessimistic in my views ■is to the industrial situation, but with the experience of the past' fifteen years of Stats regulation of labour, and in the light of cur-? rent events, I must confess that I am yory doubtful of the wisdom of trying to maintain and bolster up a compulsory' system of arbitration which, it seems, to me, must inevitably lead to the decay iof industrial efficiency, and in consequence'must work harm to the industrial interests of the Dominion." In examination Mr. Bo.bth said ho be-> lieved the arbitration system had cost the country a great deal more during the last fifteen years than.any strikes would have cost it in the same., tifiie,-' ,',' and I do not see why you should prevent men having the right to strike." • ' ' Do you mean to say (he was asked) that the moral fibre of workmen generally has, deteriorated?— Yes, it has been deteriorating • for many years past. ■ Before the arbitration - system come into force?—l cannot say that. You speak from your own knowledge and experience?— Yes: I do not say that every , man has deteriorated, but I ;tako the arej* age. • . ■ ■ . ;; Are there any causes outside" df ,'what you have been discussing?— Yes. 1 ■''' Can you .name -them? —I think, some of, the false social ideals which are being preached have a consitjerable amount to do with it; •• * Do you think"there is a broadfast feeling... amoug'the .workers that labour is 'dishonour-: able and discreditable ?—There is ai.&nsiderT able change in the way in which they regard their work compared with'my recollection of twenty years ago. V Do'you mean that it is Hot executed with the same cheerfulness and readiness?— They have come to regard their work-in a'-differeiif - light-and spirit. ' . You would not call that a better..spirit?— - No", distinctlythe. reverse.' , Are you of opinion t'>M, a Conpilintion Board with the least piv..:' !-• ! ;-.•>» formality would-be the best sohiti-.. ; flijTeult-v? —I believe it is about ih- riiin« '<W ' Government can do. Uui ! not'say'it is going to get over 0.!! imhutri-:! trouble. With regard to. Clause 9., in view of Wii combining to strike;, <!o -you tlii.uk •it is a. wise provision to make it imperative for striker ami employer to ;:i- •> i vs* . notice before striking or Inching out?-That refers only to rertain. industries. But do you thiiik it ir. .a wife pro\ that twenty-one days' notim stall !js> j.'ivon? ■ ' —I really have not thouirbl of tlirt. Inn I' should say _it is a reaf(irr'-1.-> provtYion to make. It is very undexivr i tSt. I hero - should be a stoppage in any industry :mic!i as is referred to. 111 view of a strike taking place', would you mako it a necessity that- the strikers should forfeit the obligations and privileges of the Arbitration Act?--That is prorided for. . . Do you think that would be a deterrent?— I do not think you can establish any provision that would be a deterrent. Do. you not think it would cause soma employees to hesitate before taking the step? —Yes, it would have that effect.