INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14912, 10 February 1912, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM.

THE PREVAILING UNREST. LOOKING FOR A REMEDY. J WHAT IS TO. BE DONE '% A COMMISSION SUGGESTED. The question of the present industrial unrest was referred to by the president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce (Mr. Leo. M. Myers) at a meeting of the council of that body yesterday. Mr. Myers remarked that tho unrest that had been so prevalent of late in the industrial world of New Zealand and Australia had doubtless caused all thoughtful men to give earnest and judicial consideration to the subject of the relations between the employer and the employed. He would touch upon some aspects of this question that appeared worthy of notice. The recent serious strike in Brisbane, resulting in the almost total stagnation of the commercial and industrial life of that large city, and the more recent Wellington tramways strike, with its vast possibilities of development, together with the constant threat of strike and consequent dislocation of business in every part of the Dominion, compelled our immediate and deep attention. (Hear hear.) Tho difficult ties that were continually arising between labour and employers in every part of the civilised world proved conclusively that this problem was not limited to any geographical area, but that it was world-wide, 'and called for our highest efforts in striving for a solution. It must. bo admitted that the strike and lock-out was nothing but a brutal and barbaric method that should be resorted to only in the last extremity, also should be replaced by conciliatory arbitrament wherever possible. (Hear, hear.) Anyone responsible for an avoidable strike, or lock-out must be held to have assumed a very heavy responsibility.•-.:'. Effect of the Arbitration Act.

- The initiation of the. compulsory Conciliation and Arbitration Act nearly 20 years. ago was in his (Mr. Myers's) < opinion wise for that particular time and for the condi-. tions that then ; prevailed. There existed in New i Zealand at that period an amount of sweating ; in certain trades that called for immediate redress, whilst in other industries, even when no sweating;existed, the wages paid were unquestionably low. 'Ay few years, of the compulsory conciliation and arbitration system, however, almost wholly remedied this unsatisfactory condition of affairs from the workers' point of view. The ; tendency of the Arbitration Court was to raise wages, and, in many . cases, to shorten the hours of labour, at the same time effecting certain improvements in the conditions of labour to which, generally, no right-minded "man could ob-, ject. . No sooner,.however, did the judges! of the Arbitration Court begin to check the tendency to increase wages than many unions agitated for a cancellation of their registration to enable them to use the strike as a weapon for obtaining their demands more readily.' As the law now stands, no objection can be taken by employers to the unions cancelling their registration, if; this is done in accordance with the statute, and the existing awards have run their course. He believed that the system of compulsory arbitration had served a most useful purpose in New Zealand since its initiation, inasmuch.as that for many;years we" were justly termed "a land without strikes." This designation, however, could be applied no longer to the Dominion,'"and the time had now arrived for us to reconsider our industrial legislation. He apprehended grave danger to the people of New Zealand if they were to be blindly wedded to any one solution of this problem. A Lead from Canada. After giving some thought and study to the methods obtaining in other countries, he ventured to suggest that New Zealand might do worse than follow Canada's i lead on . this question. The Act embodied in■ the Canadian statute book—for which Mr. McKenzie King, Minister for Labour under the late Laurier Government, was responsible—was based y on the underlying principle that public opinion 'should be the hnal arbiter in the settlement of disputes. In i that ,: prosperous ■ and progressive Do- '■ minion, no strike or lock-out was permit- ■' ted until- the matter in' dispute had been submitted to two arbiters (one appointed by each side) and a president appointed' by i l uch L noi !" nee6 > or, if they, failed to agree, by the Governor of the province. After taking evidence on both : sides V. this Court ! endeavoured to reconcile the conflicting in- j terest on the two parties. If the Court failed in this object then the evidence and the Courts comments i thereon were v pub-1 lished, and this course permitted, the creation of a sound public opinion Abased upon the i true facts of the case. V: If, after the expiration of a : limited period following the publication' of the evidence, a J i settlement was not arrived at, : then either side was at liberty to strike or lock-out, as 'the case might be. It was felt-in Canada— a " d in his opinion, justifiably—that neither side could succeed if its action was opposed to a well-based public opinion. . In case of a breach of the Act by ; employers there was no difficulty i in punishing bv a* substantial fine. :; More difficulty was 'experienced, however/when fines were.levied upon those workmen who ; illegallv struck l f * ho could : not admit y the possibility s : of imprisoning hundreds of men for ; am of. fence that ; society did not • consider crimi-1 nal. It appeared to him that they" would be wise to adopt the principle enunciated by, the .Hon. J. A. Millar aome three years ago, which provided that when a fine was levied on a worker for a breach of the Act his wages could be attached in t small weekly payments until the fine wd« liouidated. * : M Bequest for a Royal Ccm-miaision. . Mr. Myers went on to say that no legislative enactment would work out entirely satisfactory to everybody, but as sensible men they must endeavour to find a solution to this great problem that would best suit the existing circumstances and conditions Of pur Dominion. He had intended asking the Chamber to set up a committee for the purpose of investigating this problem and endeavouring . to find a solution to it, but i recognising the fact that such an investigating committee would necessarily have to devote a very large amount * of time in ![ the performance of its functions, he sW--gested the passing of a resolution asking the Government to set up a Royal i Commission for this purpose— commission ; to consist of leading representative commercial men of the Dominion, together with representative leaders of labour, in j equal numbers, whose decision one could' , reasonably expect would be based- on jusi tice and sound commonsense. ; To that end ! he proposed the following resolution: " That this Chamber of Commerce, havinc regard to the frequency with; which serious I •disputes arise between employers and 1 em-■ ployed, views with alarm the future development of the industrial and commercial Ufa I of New Zealand, and requests the ; Govern- ; ment to set up a Royal Commission, composed of representative commercial men and leaders of labour, whose duty ; it shall be to investigate the problem as it exists in (New Zealand, and to \ endeavour to .find a •> I solution to it; such Commission to take I evidence throughout ; the Dominion, and to report to tho Government within a,f reasonable time." • • Discussion by Members. ■ Mr. L. .T. Bagnall, in seconding the motion, said-that it was- matter of great* importance. There was" no doubt that so far as the general body of " workers were concerned -the Arbitration Act was now

largely a dead letter, although 2T~ ployers still were ■'disposed to 8 i fe , J ' r '< When the Act was R ££] d * £*3 number of employers ignored JJnH some lime refused to annoint l',f d l ** ' tives to ; the : Cowi. %Sr L^ 1 position had changed iKSfißffi ers and not 1 the employers X T& ignoring the Act by refusing, J? in ?' e , recent case, to appoint ' repr4emati4'l* the Conciliation Council. In S? ? the proposed Royal Commiffl £ doubted whether it would justify t pense unless tho best men obtainable £, the position were appointed. or Mr. A. B. Roberton suggested tii - «u question should bo brought before t ' annual meeting of the Chamber the The President said he thought that :•' a Royal Commission were appointed 5' if the men were chosen in regard \ *i • qualifications and not in regard t^t***' considerations a great deal ofgbodS) ! result and and the public would beluS ; inclined to support such a finding iV was a matter that cast a great deal of ; responsibility upon the Government 0 f tU ! day. The question was one fraught wifh'great danger to the industrial and com > mereial life of New Zealand, and t'h« could not sit down calmly without mil mg an effort to solve the problem (hat ' confronted them. , im Mr P. E. N. Gaudin suggested «,*> ■ legislation should be passed prohiMtW stnkes and lock-outs. *■/'■ t The President; Well, .cannot we OMiku in promoting such legislation? * i Mr. Gaudin doubted whether »u* good would como from a Royal Commi-T. sion. ■ -.: , . ■ .•;■ ; . Mr. G. Aickin thought that if a con- ■ mission consisting of the right class M men were appointed it would do a great! : deal of good. °. , Mr. A Burt, jun ~ suggested that thr matter should be referred to the manufacturers' committee for consideration. "fli* majority of strikes, he saifr, ,wye> due . to the unskilled class of lalwtir. , TVsja- ' waymen-y-it did not take long to make a man into a conductor—were practically unskilled workers and it was such men. that caused strikes and not the skilled workmen, who knew better. Most of the recent strikes in New Zealand had been caused by unskilled labour. The president reiterated that the mik ject was one in which the Chamber should endeavour to give a lead. - Mr. S. J. Nathan suggested that tlur other leading chambers of commerce in New Zealand should be asked to co-oper. ate. ' :.:"/» The president agreed, and the motion having been carried unanimously it w« ' resolved to forward copies of it to the < other leading chambers with a request for their co-operation.