CAPITAL AND LABOR.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIV, Issue 295, 16 December 1899, Page 4

CAPITAL AND LABOR.

INTERESTING EXPL AN TION . [TJHITBO PBB'B ASSOCIATION 1 Wkllington, December 15 Mr Quick, chairman of the Conciliation Bourd, speaking wi h reference to ihe qupfit on of preference to CTmrnists, said there was one point .overlooked by th se who argred mosv strongly against thf granting of pieference. The Aot itself ws passed m order to prevent friction between labor and capital, and to prevent strikes. The unionist, it should be remembered, existed before that tin c. The Court of Arbitration, when it first sat under the presidency of Justice Williams, took into consideration that the Union — being strong enough to rule the labor market, and, by striking, to bring about a catastrophe m one and perhaps many branches of labor, inasmuch as the Aot took away the power to Etrike— the Union should be given some compensation. That compensation took the form of this so-called preference. That was an argument which was never taken into consideration at all. The Act was passed to protect employers as well as men, and the general public. Mr Quick hoped that ere long ail employers would form an association, and then committees from' both sides would deal with many of these disputes m camera, without that publicity being given which was sometimes not desirable. The Wellington Employers' Association decided to give finanoial support to the Canterbury Association m the proceedings that had been started to obtain an order from the Supieme Court prohibiting the granting of preference to Unionists m the awards made by the Arbitration Court. A revision of the votes recorded at the election of two employers' representatives on the Board of Conciliation has resulted m the displacement of Mr Earnshaw, m favor of Mr Flookton, the sitting member.