The Marlborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1908. THE LABOUR PROBLEM.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 93, 21 April 1908, Page 4

The Marlborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1908. THE LABOUR PROBLEM.

Mi" Hornsby, M.P., in addressing electors at Carterton recently, referred to the labour troubles at present afflicting New Zealand. He thought they had come to a state of affairs in New Zealand when the whole industrial fabric was threatened with, disaster. This he considered was because a lot of hot-headed and stupid blunderers were plunging them into danger and ruin. The employer should give his men the highest [wages that he could afford to give them; but the men should give in return the very best of their hands and brains. The Conciliation and Arbitration law was passed for the protection of workmen, and he gave instances of | its beneficial working; and yet they .had at Blackball a few hot-headed fools trying to tear down the whole thing to the detriment of the workers. He personally would vote for the repeal of this Act. if striking continued. \ It was, he said, "a disgraceful thing that these men were standing around loafing while others were subscribing £300 a week to keep them there in idleness. The speaker went on to express the opinion that the labour laws were too inelastic. If business was bad an employee should be at liberty to yield a little in the matter of pay, just as wages should go up m prosperous times; but the law did not allow this. Furthermore, labour should be graded. There should be first, second and third" grades of workers. No inducement was offered to the bright, intelligent boy at present to become an expert tradesman. Ahe wasters were paid the same as the pest men. The practice was not right, because it was not honest. If they had first, second and third grade men how many third grade men 7 £> 8mv p with that position i Ihese remarks were frequently punctuated by the cheers of the audieiJ.ce- ™ e£ e is undoubtedly much in what Mr Hornsby said that has the right "ring" m it, but some of it bespeaks merely superficial reasoning. JJ-or instance, the reference to grading the workmen into three classes, and paying each according to the value of work performed, sounds very well in theory, but how is it to be practically applied? Does Mr Hornsby suppose that the Conciliation Court is to classify the workmen? Certainly it is neither right nor honest to pay the waster" as much as the best men, but who does do so? Who employs "wasters" ? We feel sure Mr Hornsby does not in his own business. The law certainly does not require everyone to be reduced to the dead level of mediocrity. The Court fibres a wage below which it shall not be lawful to employ a man, but there is nothing whatever to prevent employers from paying more, and they frequently do so. Some men are not worth more than the minimum, but others again are worthy of a higher rate of pay, and where the employer recognises this fact, as he occasionally does do, he pays accordingly. Itis not the law that reduces workmen to a level, but this unfortunate result is due to the action of many employers who fail to recognise special merit in a workman, and who make the mistake of regarding th»

minimum rate of wage as the maximum, beyond which they will not go. It is quite within the powers of employers to make the grades referred to, starting with the legal rate as the minimum. They, and not a Court of Conciliation, are the best judges of the capabilities of their workmen; arid they should treat them accordingly. It is this Unfortunate tendency ;upon the part of employers to 'riiake the minimum wage the maximum that is responsible for so much of the trouble. In order to counteract this tendency men who are worth more, and feel th^ they should get it, unite iii dean increased award. The minimum is thus unduly raised, whereas if men were fairly treated by being paid according to their merits, the demands for increased awards would not be so pressing. It would be as well if Courts of Arbitration were to consider this aspect of the question, and in fixing a wage were to simply regard it as a minimum. They would not then attempt to meet both parties by an average wage which would involve levelling up in the interests of the men, to prevent the employers from levelling down. It is this attempt to compromise between the parties that is responsible for so much dissatisfaction, and for the "dead level" which pleases no one.