WORLD of WORK

NZ Truth, Issue 539, 16 October 1915, Page 3

WORLD of WORK

BY "HON£BTAS."

Last week "Honestas" referred to the fatal accident on board the Koromlko whereby Frank Warefin lost his life. It appears that Warelin was a Dane and had no relatives In New Zealand, and, as there does not yet exist any reciprocity between this dominion, and Denmark, the relatives of Warelin will not be entitled to any compensation, a fact which doubtless is, In a monetary sense, valuable to the directors of the Union Steamship Company. Of course were a New Zealand native killed while employed m Denmark his relatives m this country would be m a like position. But two wrongs do not make a right. One would have fancied that with so much Labor legislation and Labor agitation as has been the case m God's Own for the past quarter of a century, something would have been done to remove such a serious wrong and injustice to the dependents of workers killed on the battlefields of toil. Yet we needn't wonder at no reciprocity existing between this Dominion and Denmark, as the same thing was true concerning the relationship between New Zealand and the States of the Commonwealth only a few years ago. It was not till the present scribe m a series of articles on Workers' Compensation Acts m Britain, New Zealand, and other countries, strongly condemned the omission of such a just provision that Labor leaders here and m the Commonwealth of Australia were induced to move m the matter. When that agitation was on we had the unusual, if not humiliating spectacle of the Prime Minister of the Common- \ wealth confessing his Ignorance that sueh — no reciprocity between British States m. the case of workers' compensation for accident — was the law of the Brltains Beyond the Sea. Such a confession was not only a serious reflection upon Prime Minister Fisher, who, as a Labor member, had battled his way from the mine to the highest position It is m the power of his countrymen to place him, but it was equally a serious reflection on all the other Labor leaders of the Commonwealth and God's Own.

How differently do the commercial cormorants' champions conduct themselves towards the interests of their paymasters bf the Plute push. Questions not only of reciprocity, but of special preference, were brought up m the various Parliaments m season and out of season, so that Fat might be the better functioned to fleece the fools. In the case of reciprocity m the form of preference m matters of trade, It cost the countries granting the same certain financial losa, m the form of customs lowered or foregone altogether, or by increased exploitation of the consumers arising out of tho favored traders' opportunity to charge higher prices owing to restricted competition. On the other hand, In tho case of reciprocity m connection with workers' compensation for accident, there is no cost whatever to tho State. Yet wo flnd overy opportunity of furthering the former seized upon, ay, we flnd even Governments eager to help, securing the most advantageous terms for their particular clients, whereas m the caao of the latter — the worker — nobody moves until he is kicked Into moving.

But, even if reciprocity with Denmark (or Proudiy for that matter) la novcr consummated, why should the Union Steamship Company, ixa m th<* present case, or any other exploiting concern, stand to guln by the absence of the name? Such seems to "Hunestajj" to hold forth an inducement to companies to employ men for dangerous work, who have no relatives m thl«, or some reciprocating, country, ijurely a proper amendment of the existing law would be to make the employer* pay the full penally wherever liable, and m cases where the person killed had no dependents living m Nt-w Zealand or a reciprocating Shite, hand uvvr the money to tin 1 * local public hospital, orphanage, or old men's homo a« agreed upon by thi> Minister of l^ibor and the Minister of Internal A/falra. •'llonestas" hopes our Tradeu Union 81'cretarles and organisers throughout the Dominion will take thla matter up Jind help to the end »U£tft<stcd or proj»o»« something better.