OUR LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

Free Lance, Volume X, Issue 500, 29 January 1910, Page 6

OUR LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

The Evidences off Good Work. ONE of the wisest teachers who ever spoke iin this world said to his followers oq one occasion: "Woe unto you when all men speak well of you." The Minister of Labour in New Zealand may take that saying to himself as some unction for his soul after the little disturbance at the Labour Department's little function Last Friday. There was almost a little squall at what should have been a most pleasant function. And it all happened through a charge made by the president of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council. » « e Mr. W. C. Noot, evidently invited as the official representative of the Trades and Labour Council, was asked to speak on the occasion, of the opening of the Labour Bureau's new quarters, in Ghuznee-street. Mr. Noot, always ready to espouse the cause of Labour, arose in his might and laid about him to the great astonishment of those present. Mr. Noot had a good audience. It included the Prime Minister, the Minister of Labour, and several departmental heads. Likely l enough he estimated that his speech would be as hot shot fired into the Government magazine.

Mr. Nbot made the. specific charge' that the Goyernment Labour Department had ib©en guilty of "preferential treatment" in furnishing employment. He stated, in effect, that the department made invidious distinctions in' its work atiid catered for the classes. But Mr. ISToot was unfortunate in one. or two particulars. For one thing, he either .• could. not, or would not, furnish any 1; ; specific evidence' in support of his Consequently, it had no "weighty- Another fact which made againist him was that the employers declare that the Labour laws are driving capital out of the . country. - So the Minister of Labour may be justified in repeating to himiself the sentiment : "Blessed are ye when neither party speak well of ye." The Government Labour Departmentment has done such excellent work so far, and the public have beein so entirely without evidence® of "preferential treatment;," that Mr. Noot's charge will not be seriously taken by the people of the Dominion. The ceremony of Friday last was one which might very reasonably have been allowed to. pass without any explosive remarks or discordant note. But, since that was Mr. Noot's humour on the occasion, he would have served a much better purpose had he urged on the promised system of labour exchange in New Zealand. * * - * That iis an aspect of labour departmental work which, in a young country like ours, will prove of highest value. A system of labour bureaux which furnish from each centre' and country district the industrial barometrical readings at stated periods would g<> far towards relieving such a congestion of labour in the city as was experienced in Wellington during last winter. The fact that the Minister of Labour sorra time since promised the establishment of this useful exchange system is sufficient guarantee of. its merit®. ,We trust that, now the department is fixed up in its commodious new quarters, the matter will be given practical demonstration.