EDITORIAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10043, 11 January 1909, Page 1

EDITORIAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The Hon. Mr J. A. Millar began his public career as the god ef laboh in the proletariat, but his reLABOiti linquishmeiit of .the portfolio" 01 Labor Has. elicited regrets in the ranks of the employers. 'This is not strange. The workers' leaders vainly expected that, when their doughty champion attained to Cabinet distinction he would fulfil all their expectations, which were riot modest. The busy bees of the factories and mines, and, indeed, meu and women in every department of industry, were to be translated into a condition of plenty and contentment by the magician. Mr Miliar had blily to step into office to win all the blessings of Which they had dreamed, and which, as an industrial reformer, he had; in a measure; demanded as the iVorkers' righti Mr .Sejjdoiij. his nredecessoT, had already won something for them. He, with the aid of other sympathisers, had rendered their tasks easier and healthier and had secured them better pay; but that was all. Instead of arbitrarily compelling; employers to perpetually increase their liberality towards their workers till they. h>d divided, their possessions amongst ilieiii, Mi- fseddtiri left the adjustment of relations between employer and employed to a Court consisting of representatives of both classes. Thus, the patron saint of the working man had failed them, but all would be well when Mr Millar, the never-failing friend of Labor, was placed' at the head of the Industrial Department. What then happened everybody kiiows. Mr Millar became soniethiiig more, th'aii the irresponsible "J.A.M." He no longer talked ofthings unattainable with the light-hearted-ness of a mere citizen. He was no longer controlled by sympathy rather than judgment. He became the Hon. Mr Millar, a Minister of the Crown, who was only nominally the advocate of the working man, but intrinsically a custodian of the country's Welfare, bound to attend to iiot only one, but ail its interests. In this capacity;—the only possible .one. —he Bought to hold the balances fairly* betWeeii Ihe workers and their employers, with a care for the well-being of the public. His legislative proposals were in advance of those held by the majority of the legislators, and' aroused the enmity of the capitalists ; but party obligations stood him in good stead, and the beam canted over to the side of the industrial classes. He induced Parliament to go as far as was possible for the 6uke of those whose cause had absorbed Kis most earnest attention during, the best years of his life.. But the union leaders not being Cabinet Ministers, invested; with responsibilities . on behalf of the whole people, demanded more and charged' their prototype and apostle with being a traitor to his professions. They cried for the moon. They demanded for the workers a division of profits, . unlimited pay, and: perpetually diminishing hours, with the privilege of supervising the books of their employers. The good-for-nothing even—the improvident—sots —were to have everything reduced to their own level. This unreason of a few agitators had not the concurrence of the great body of workers, but they remained passive, not objecting, of course, to accept all that came their way. The Legislature and the Arbitration Court shared in the obloquy and abuse which was heaped upon the Minister and the Government. Because the Government would not usurp the Court's authority and the Court had some consideration for employers in mak'ng its awards and giving its decisions—because it administered the laws, for which the Labor, leaders asked, and insisted upon the keeping of contracts to which they were parties—they made the audacious demand that the Judge should .be dismissed, though no Judge had satisfied them. No Minister and no Legislature could have displayed more solicitude for the workers than that which won the day for the last session's amending Arbitration law. It was so favorable to the men that the employers were sorely affronted at what they viewed, as partiality on the part of the Government. The Legislature should have effected equality .of respon- ] sibility by compelling the unions to de- ■ posit a considerable sum prior to the making of an award for which they asked, as an earnest that they would respect it a3 the employers would be compelled to do under severe penalties. i could have been more considerate for the men than this measure, which contained the notorious penalty for dismissal. However, the Labdr leaders have no patience < with evolutionary methods for the improvement of the class whom they profess to serve. Nothing less than concessions < which would be revolutionary will satisfy them. We congratulate Mr Millar on. . being relieved of his thankless task; bat < what of Mr Hosg, whom the Labor ■ leaders are acclaiming and the employers i are viewing with apprehension. . He can- ; not be felicitated on his assumption of du- f ties which have entailed such anxiety \n ] the case of his and 1 which must, it seems, be performed in the midst of bitterness and strife and base ingrati- j tude. • I

The unrest of the counsellors of the discontented miners is r-en-mistakEk dieting the task of the philanthropy. Government exceedingly difficult. The Act which was passed! last session to compensate for illness as well a* accident was the outcome of kindly intentions. It was a natural corollary of a law which was designed to provide for men when, through accident, they were unable to work. This additional provision was requested on behalf of the men when the Workers' Compensation Act was at first m-ought before the Legislature, and was only omitted because it was thought wise to postpone its inclusion till the operation of the principle of compensation for accidents had been tested. The men themselves desired the fuller measure! of protection and no one foresaw that its bestowal would be fraught with such difficulty as that which is now being experienced. It is ungenerous, therefore, to blame the Government because what it has done with the best intentions has produced an awkward crisis. Those who are prompted by a desire to save the men from trouble will do their ! utmost to help the Government to find some solution of the problem which it has been so unexpectedly called upon to face. It is certain that the new provisions which apply to compensation for sickness cannot be ignored. It 6eems that the provisions eannot be suspended, and that any men who are suffering from the diseases mentioned in the Act, if they are incapacitated from working within twelve months from contracting any such-diseases, would be able to claim compensation. It will ._ be seen that such a provision . therefore imposes a- serious responsibility on employers and .that they are only acting within reason when they- demand that; under the circumstances, men in their employment must undergo examination,, so that.? they •may be able to avoid such responsibility in the case of those who are afflicted with the diseases indicated. The Government's proposal that the men shall not be com-; pelled to undergo the' examination which is so obnoxious to them, but that the State Accident- Assurance Department shalLbe indemnified,by, the State for any. risks that it "may accept 7 on account of'" men who may become.-disabled through pneumoconiosis within twelve months of contracting the disease, should! be .accepted with thanks by all concerned, although we consider that the .Government should go further and indemnify any insurance company which takes risks. It is- a courageous move to avert a disastrous deadlock, pendingtherectification of the Act. The proposal appears to compass all the objectionsmade by both the miners and the mine-owners. By means of its operation th-e mm will be protected, and the mine-

owners will be relieved of the additional liability. What more can be reasonably demanded? Mr O'Begail, who is acting for the West Const miners, irt discussing the Government's proposal, points out that, under clause 17, a man must either lose employment, or surrender the rightto compensation. The clause is certainly far-rea.chingj: It provides that no compensation silaii bS paid in respect of incapacity or death due to disease of injury of the worker, if he has in writing represented- to his employer that he was not suffering, or had not previously suffered, from the said disease or injury, and; if the said representation was, to his knowledge, false. It also provides that a worker may, i with the approval of a, magistrate, sign away his right to compensation, if his incapacity, or death, is due to the said disease or injury. It is hard that a worker who has suiKred, or is suffering, from a complaint or injury should be driven by the necessity to will bread to make false representations tO aii employer} but it certainly would not be jusl that ilii employer should be saddled with an obligation to pay him compensation possibly before he had received any benefit from, his labor. It is certain that if workers want compensation for incapacity to wofk, through sickness, they must submit to the ordfcal cif itietiical exflmin-atioji in order that those who accept the obiigatitiri to pay the compensation may be able to estimate the extent of their obligation and) fix the premium to be paid. There is always medical examination where such obligations are accepted, and it has been suffered without complaint. If the workers affected do not choose to undergo am examination), then there- is no option but to repeat the eiau'ses which confer compensation for sickness. In tlie for the- sake of the miners affected, the mine-owners, a vital industry, and the whole country, it is desirable that the Government should; be relied upon for the only possible solution of the difficulty.