THE ARBITRATION PRINCIPLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 98, 22 October 1904, Page 9

THE ARBITRATION PRINCIPLE.

« The opinions of several prominent unionists wers obtained by a. Sydney Daily Telegraph representative on the relative merits of the Wages Board system as it obtains in Victoria and the principle of arbitration as provided for by statute in New South Wales. It was pointed oufc by some of the unionists that the Victorian Wages Board was a replica of the New Zealand Act, and that the Board stood iv the same position to employer and employed as the Conciliation Board did in New Zealand. It is admitted that the principle works smoothly in Victoria, there having been only one strike in^seven years, although the worker down south is not prevented by law from "downing tools." The great recommendation of the Victorian system lies in fche fact that Government inspectors periodically visit the factories and see that the conditions imposed by the Wages Board are carried oufc, while in New South Wales awards are held to be inoperative owing to union officials being prohibited by th© factory proprietors from going through the establishments and seeing that conditions are maintained. If the Victorian Wages Board had the "preference to unionist" ' clause incorporated it would be- a system that left nothing to be desired by the most extravagant worker. There would be both the principle of conciliation and the preferential rights of unionists acknowledged — and these would mean perfection. The Arbitration Act is considered to be cumbersome, and unionists agree with the Judge, that only five points— wages, overtime, hours of work, preference to unionists, and common rules —should be brought before the Court with a view to economising time. They agree that all other matters should be settled between the parties on the lines of the Victorian system. There is a smouldering soreness over the embargo placed 'upon the union officer going through a factory in this Slate, while in New Zealand and Victoria the Government inspector is untrammelled. If New South Wales had a feature of this kind dovetailed into the Arbitration Act the measure would ibe complete. Unionism was claimed to be the basic- principle in all matters relating to labour. Without it neither the Arbitration Court nor the VTages Board would have any real being. Although "they did nofc recognise unionism in Victoria, stress was laid upon the fact that no Isolated person could cite a case before tho Wages Board.

The proposal to set aside a national park on the West Coast- has (says the Otago Daily Times) resulted in some alterations being made in the, boundaries of the Otagn and Southland laud districts. As the boundaries, were formerly defined .part of the park was in Otago district and part was in the Southland district, and in order to 'bring the whole of the reserve under the control of one authority an area of about 960 square miles, or roughly 600,000 acres, has been taken out of the Otago district and added to the Southland district. Sir George Turner, P. 0., K.C.M.G., the well-known Federal politician, recently had his watcli stolen from him, and the members of the Federal Parliament, through Mr. George Reid, K.C., presented him with an open-faced gold chronograph to take its place, and also as an expression of goodwill. All parties in the House contributed. "Can't you wait a year before marrying my daughter?" "I can, but my creditors can't."