THE USE OF THE GAG.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 September 1908, Page 3

THE USE OF THE GAG.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON Tuesday. The second reading and debate on the Arbitration Bill will be taken this week, and may be expected to occupy a day or two of the House's time. Thero is undoubtedly a growing feeling that compulsory arbitration has failed, and that it must be abandoned in the near future. The press of the Dominion is also beginning to realise the futility of the continual patching up of the Act, each patch seemingly being less effective than the former one. The "Posf'r says that the result of legislation after fourteen years' experience of conciliation and arbitration remains uncertain. The Bill of 1907 has been altered to the now Bill of 1908, and the Bill of 1908 has just been altered by the Labour Billg Committee, and the "Post" thinks the radical principle of the law has been 60 far assailed, firstly, by the Government's failure to enforce thfl law, and secondly, by the Arbitration Court's refusals to apply it; that it has become a matter of doubt whether any remnant of the principle can be effectually preserved. The "Dominion" regards the Bill as the last gallant struggle in connection with a dying fallacy. The Ministerial journal, the "New Zealand Times," draws attention to the fact that the Bill contains tho noxious principle of the "gag," which is so striking a feature of the Second Ballot Bill. The "Times" points out that the Labour Bills Committee now seeks to curtail the privilege and the power of tho press by prohibiting the publication of opinions ' ' for or against in reference to an impending strike or lockout. The silencing of views favouring ptjrikes ia consistent with tho law wliich says strikes must not be; but the attempt to stop newspapers assisting to maintain the authority of the statute and the Court can find no justification outsido tho realm of Topsy-turveydom. As already • stated, the opinion is now becoming generally held that compulsory arbitration is practically dead, and it is urged that on the second reading of the Bill an amendment embodying such a pronouncement should bo made. No doubt the great majority of members would still vote against such an amendment, and in favour of compulsion; but the next few years are likely to bring about such changes j that it would be as well to see oxact- | ly where members stand in regard to affirming or objecting to the principle of compulsion. „Labour itself is not united on the subject, and there is a decided split in tho party here; indeed, if all ono hears is true, there have been some particularly lively meetings in trades and labour circles here recently.