MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily SATURDAY, DEC. 5th, 1903. THE LABOUR LAWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7713, 5 December 1903, Page 4

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily SATURDAY, DEC. sth, 1903. THE LABOUR LAWS.

In a speech delivered at the meeting of the Employers' Association in Christchurch last week, the President (Mr Gilbert Anderson), dealt at length with the labour laws of New Zealand, which he plainly showed were, to a great extent, crude and unworkable. Mr Anderson commenced by pointing out the many advantages derived by the workers through organisation, the^ employer, on the other hand, being too timid or too indifferent to take action in bis own interests, and for want of sombination he was allowing things to drift. How great the drift which had taken place in the short apace of time since the passing of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, was scarcely realised. It was considered then," said Mr Anderson, " that if strikes could be prevented a great amount of loss and suffering woald be stopped, not out of consideration to those who caused the strikes, but because of the far-reaching effects ou those who were in no way parties to them. Anything farther than this would not have been heard of, nor would anyone have dreamt that'an apparently well-meaning Act could have resulted in the present state of affairs. In place of a state of affairs where a man was master of his own enterprise, where he could devote his energies to the development of that enterprise in which he sunk his capital ond ability, entering into an open agreement with such free members of the State as' chose to enter his employ, where everyone was free to carry on his own business according to his own individual effort, and where man met man either as an employer or employee on the ground of his own naturalj rights and freedom to do and act his best, the colony had got to such a state of affairs that in each year there was an average of ioo cases of dispute before the Conciliation and Arbitration Courts of the colony. The Arbitration Courts, were in constant session, and some trades were in constant ferment, not because there were any disputes, but because the union of workers would not recognise the general principles on which the Court had given its decision. At every sitting oE the Court some employers had to appear at great loss to defend some attempt at a claim, and the manner, method and time of work were controlled, not by those who had all at stake, but by those who had everything to gain. The recognised and accepted doctrine was the least possible work, tlie shortest possible hours and the highest possible wages, and instead ot the doc; trme that " whatsoever thou findeth to do, do it with all thy might," there was the cry of reduced output and limitation of work. Where tho young and the aged were considered the objects of special attention and care, there were limitation of apprentices and neglect of the less capable, and where kindness and helpful consideration were valued and re' cognised, there were the cast iron rules of Court and Department. The unions of workers were eager to make class distinctions, workers declaring that labour was an indignity and a suit of overalls a disgrace.'1

Mr Anderson contended thafc'.since its inception the constant aim of the special Government Department established, by

tbe State had been to multiply' laws'; all the lines of restriction of the liberty, of the employers, and its constant aim' was devoted to assist labour to extend, its claims on the boldest socialistic lines. These were some of the changes which had taken place in the few years of the working of the Act. Mr Anderson made a" point of the fact that no matter what our individual opinions are on the various labour laws of the colony, employers must recognise the factthat they or some modi'ficationg have come to stay. He admits that some change was necessary in our, social policy, and that it has been taken up and developed by the Unionist and Socialist is the fault of employers. But for the sake of the worker as well as for the employer an effort must be made to prevent it developing into " Administrative Nihilism."

This tendency, continued Mr Anderson, could be corrected by the various associations of employers and farmers combiningto work in several directions. There should be no advantage given to unions of workers over unions of employers. An agreement between a union of workers and a union of employers should be registered and bs binding without the present necessity of all parties appearing before the' Court. All unions should be compelled to classify their members and to confine their membership to persons actively interested in the respective trades. The, Concilia, tion Board should be altered so that in cases of dispute assessors actively engaged in the trade involved should take general evidence as to whether there was a case to i send to the Arbitration Court. Then, where no agreement was possible, the case should go to the Arbitration Court on its merits, and not after it had been prejudged. In conclusion, Mr Anderson said that the colony was in danger between its labour laws and compensation for accidents, of placing a premium on idleness. So far the effect of the laws had been felt in the towns only, but the farmers would, feel their influence shortly. He hoped, therefore, that the farmers would join the Fmployers' Associations in meeting a danger ! common to town and country. ■■■-■■<■ • :