The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1907. The First Shot.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 288, 11 June 1907, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1907. The First Shot.

Tjib telegram from Masterton yesday is undoubtedly tho first shot in a campaign which will never end until the menace to the country districts, which looms large on the horizon, is swept aside by the force of commonsense. We are not amongst those who belive that no good can come out of such a law as that laid down by the Arbitration Act, or that there are no grievances under which the workers in some parts of the colony labor— but we do say that the system of Conciliation and Arbitration is being ridden to death for the advantage of a few demagogic agitators. The ground of the Masterton petition— that the disputes in the country districts are the outcome of want of employment on the part of a few agitators in the towns — is undoubtedly a correct summary of the position, and what might otherwise be a beneficial measure is rendered an instrument of tyranny utterly opposed to all ideas of freedom and liberty. Then we believe there is good ground of complaint against the Arbitration Court itself. Instead of slight breaches of conditions which are entirely a new feature in business in any part of the world being treated in accordance with the merits of the case, heavy penalties are inflcted — we were almost going to say vindictive penalties — which in many cases represent more than a week's profits, and the leniency with which first offenders against our criminal laws are treated is denied to unfortunate employers. In regard to the complaint against agitators from the towns, there is no doubt on that point, and we are surprised at intelligent men in the country being led by the nose by such creatures as control many of the town unions. Take a case we are immediately connected with, for instance, the linotype dispute. The Wellington Union formulated a number of demands which they got the country employees to assent to, and then, without consulting tho country employees in any way, they made a compromise with the employers in Wellington City, and put the onus on the country employees of proving the justice of demands that they were unwilling to face themselves. Then another matter deserving attention is the part the Government employees, who are not subject to the conditions imposed on those working in private offices are working under in the Arbitration Court awards, are taking in harassing employers. They attend the Union meetings, take a prominent part in the formulating of conditions upon which disputes are initiated, and vote in favor of appeals to the Arbitration Court — by the other fellow. It is pleasant to see that there is an awakening going on which may lead to the true position of affairs being brought prominently before the country, and we have no hesitation in saying that the evils attaching to the present method of utilising the Arbitration Act a*re a greater menace to the stability and prosperity of the country than the Government's Land Bill, and that is saying a good deal.