Manawatu Evening Standard. Circulation, 3,800 Copies Daily THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1911. "THERE'S BOUND TO BE A ROW."

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9632, 5 October 1911, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. Circulation, 3,800 Copies Daily THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1911. "THERE'S BOUND TO BE A ROW."

The above illuminating remark was made during a little discussion 011 the Arbitration Court in tlie small hours of yesterday morning when members of the House of Representatives should have been in bed, but were making up for time lost in the earlier part of the session. It fell from tlio lips of Mr Luke, a big employer of labour, and may be taken as a rather good indication of the fears entertained by many other members, but judiciously left unexpressed. Altogether the whole debate, though carried on before no admiring gallery and to the accompaniment of not a few snores from, the sleepier portion of the legislators, was valuable as an indication of the uneasy feeling which porvades tlio whole of Parliament on the question of the arbitration laws of this Dominion. The, Minister for Labour'made what his colleagues of Cabinet will no doubt regard as a very- awkward and injudicious admission when he very frankly criticised the Court. While other members ofthe Ministry are going about telling the electors that the Arbitration Court is tlio best possible means of solving the industrial problem and could not be better constituted, . Mr Millar

makes a frank admission that he is not altogether satisfied. He. wants a Court composed of experts in which , technicalities of law will not be allowed to overrule equity. Ho pointed out very definitely that liowei'cr con'stitutcd no Court oi Arbitration could gjivo workers an increase of, wages | 'every time a trade union came befoi'O: it—a point wliicli might well bo boi'ne, in mind. The whole trend of the debate showed that there was considerable uneasiness in the minds of members as to the outcome of the present movement of a section of workers away from the Court and the consequent powerlessness of the authorities in compelling them to abide by the decisions. Mr Millar expressed regret at the fact that so many unions had given notice of cancellation of registration, and added that if that sort of thing went on for twelve months they would have to consider the question of reconstituting the Court or wiping it out altogether. On the whole the debate reads very much like an inquest on the much advertised solution of the world's labour troubles. It cannot be said, however, that the prospect of sweeping away the Arbitration Act can. be hailed with any great satisfaction if it means a return to the old order of chaos and costly labour wars. Clumsy as is the system of compulsdjry arbitration it is better than what it replaced, but a .small section of the workers appear to bo bent on discrediting it at every possible opportunity. Altogether the whole position at present is very unsatisfactory and is not calculated to produce a feeling of security iu the industries of the Dominion. One or two minor alterations were suggested as tending towards a better method of carrying out the Court's functions, but on the whole the Government itself appears to be quite devoid of any ideas on the matter, It will be a very damaging thing for the Administration if its carefully-built structure comes tumbling to the ground. If we had in our Cabinet any men of real constructive ability we might have now before the people a scheme for making the position a little more secure, but as things are it seems hopeless to expect anything but a policy ol drift. If the drift policy is carried out with the same enthusiasm as is shown, say, in land legislation, then Mr Luke's prophesy will be fulfilled with interest: "There's bound to bo a row!"