Will Compulsory Arbitration Prevail?

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 67, 28 June 1912, Page 9

Will Compulsory Arbitration Prevail?

The Crown Law Officers have laid ifc down Miat if any Union cancels its registration trader tho Conciliation and Arbitration Act, there is nothing whatever to prevent a sniali group of traitors, l."> in number, from Forming another union, effecting registration under the Act, nnd dragging back, willy-nilly, within its jurisdiction hundreds, indeed thousands, of men—men who are dissatisfied with legalised arbitration Tho full measure of the possibilities for evil in tho decision, from a work-ing-class viewpoint, may not bo apparent- at tho first glance, but its practical effect will bo to put every worker absolutely in tho power of the Arbitration; Court. There is no escape. In othor words, cancellation of registration under the Act is to a great extent a farce. Escape from its jurisdiction is impossible, providing a small bimcli of working-class traitors can be found to do tho bidding of the boss. Compulsory arbitration exists. Another delusion of the workers regarding liberty has vanished. It may not have been tho intention .of the crafty-minded who first inaugurated our hypocritical conciliation and arbitration system to so absolutely bind and gag the workers. It may have been the dosire of those wily gentlemen to give to the toilers the right to »;\y whether they were prepared to ae<vpt v..- :, lt<T nf n-f, ]. aw ; n m . dustrial disputes or n«t But cm-w.v, it is that the satanic ingenuity of later politicians made that impossible, and to-day the wealth-producers of New Zealand, with the boast of their country's progress upon tlieir lips, are confronted with the fact that if the master-clase cares to invoke the existing law, the right of tho workers to knock-off work when they see fit has legally ceased to exist in God's belated country. Not a very exhilarating prospect to the rational-minded, but true nevertheless. Needless to say, tlie press oF tho country is loud in support of such a law. The prospect pleases. This is what can be expected from that source. Unfortunately, however, there exist members of the working-class who are quite in accord with such legislation. Their minds are still saturated with tho spirit of tlhe Stone Age. They rovel in their bondage. The hardwon right of tho strike is surrendered by these cave-dwellers, gladly. A law which says to the worker, you yhall not leave work when it suits you, r.o matter how base the conditions, is not regarded as an unjust law. A law that cripples combination and mass action is eyed with equanimity. A law which says to the boss, you can close your works, victimise and lock-out yo\ir wage-slaves, and denies to those v.ageslaves the right t» rebel is welcomed by wage-slaves. It seems incredible, but is so. This, in effect, is tho logical outcome of the Crown Law Officers' recent opinions. So stealthily has the york been accomplished that it is only during the past few weeks that the realisation of the infamy perpetrated upon tho wagcoarnora had been generally recognised. If against the tying of Iho workers' hands any protection were given them against the employers, there might bo some small argument advanced lo support the law. But there isn't. lU'oent decisions and official opinions serve to forcibly demonstrate that fact. In support of all this legal tyranny tho only argument advanced is that strikes are barbarous-. Is that the reason tho employers lovo Arbitration Courts s.O? Are they so delicately constituted that tho slightest sign of revolt sots their gentle n.'ive:.; a-c;uivcr-ing? They would scorn anything barbaric, crudo or cruel, would they not, these genlle people? Tl;eir v,hole history proves it, does it not? If strikes are barbaric what of the causes which breed them ? Is not the real hostility due to the fact that nothing so serves to ram home the dependence of society upon the despised worker as does a striko? Snobocracy, in all its phasos, is shown to bo entirely parasitical, carried upon the backs of the toilers, ami snobs hate and fear the truth. Whatever tho reason, the majority of those who screech of barbarism are those who savagely fight every movement that tends to end a barbaric social system. Their talk of barbarism i» so much oant. 'Tis. the cry of a cowardly heart. The remedy ha» already beea propouuded in these columns. "Away, with wbitr&tiou ; ifc ie crippling, ua."