THE ARBITRATION ACT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14156, 7 March 1908, Page 14

THE ARBITRATION ACT.

Sib,—A good deal of jour spate has recently been devoted to a consideration of this act. It is a hopeful sign to see this piece of legislation, which the Prime Minister, in'his opaque ignorance of economic laws, contends is the only rational alternative to the anarchy of strikes, subjected to the searchlight of criticism; and, as it is the only sop that the "safe and sane Administration " has to throw to Cerberus, it remains to bo seen how lonjr this piece of stupendous economic folly will stand the test, In his defence of the act at Auckland, Prime Minister claimed that it had not increased prices to the consumer. This assertion is flatly eontradiotcd by the plain fact that the arbitrary increases of nominal (i.e., money) wages granted.- by the court has increased the cost of the services and commodities in every department of industry wherever the' awards of the court apply, and this increased cost of production b» licen met by an increase of rent otitl by. a rise in the sale price of these commodities. It is here, necessary to emphasise- the fact that the real value of is. determined by their purchasing power, and that the ar&itrary increases by the court are more than counterbalanced

by increased rents and cost of living, which have fallen on the consumers, the toilers, and their families, constituting the great mass of this body. The Prima Minister's talk of "it free breakfast table" is sheer nonsense, when everything is at boom prices in the Dominion, and when prime New Zealand mutton and butter are sold at lower prices jn tho ljondon market than in our own. Sir Joseph Ward maintained that prices would have risen even if compulsory arbitration did not exist, but this argument does not prove that I hey would have readied the abnormally high level that they have attained to, and it ignores other causes, such as land speculation and monopolies in trade. When we remember that the Prime Minister, his Cabinet, and tho great bulk of the Government supporters aro high Protectionists, and when wo recall the Prime Minister's strenuous advocacy of tho retention of high import duties, it is manifestly absurd for him to talk of curbing a- power that is a lawmade monopoly, which he himself has created. Sir Joseph' stated that the primary object of the act was to prevent strikes, but strikes have occurred under the act, such as the. recent slaughtermen's 6trike at Petonc and Parcoraj and the minors* strike_ at Denniston ami now at Blackball. It is quite clear that the J'rimc Minister and the Minister of Labour, at Denniston, practically nullified the powers, of the act. Leaving entirely wide the question of tho equity of the men's demands, the Prime Minister usurped tho powers of the court, and effected, liy wnat he terms private intervention, a settlement of art industrial dispute, which the law of tho land expressly stipulates rrrnet be reserved for adjudication by the Arbitration Court. It is also clear that if tho employers and workers can arbitrate their disputes -voluntarily, as at Denriielon, then tho act is unnecessary, l and ought to be repealed; for if once the workers arc convinced that (lie act docs not benefit them, and rannot even touch the fringe of the Labour question, tho cancellation of the industrial union's registration will precipitato a crisis that the political trimmers of the so-called Liberal Administration will have to confront; and in view of the fac-t (■hat Sir Joseph Ward confesses bis incapacity to deal with the matter in what Mr Barclay describes as a "statesmanlike, scientific " method, the prospects for them in the near future are not too roseate.

The Prime Minister intimated his desire to embark on a safe, sane policy if anyone will guide him. This is also a confession of incompetency since a leader ought, to know the safe road himself; but if he is so anxious to euro the social evils which he depicted—though personally I doubt his bona fides, —I will, though a plain commoner, hero indicate, the correct eolut.ion of the Labour problem with economic justice as the objective: the extension of the liberty of the people through the complete freedom .of each, bounded only by the equal' rights of all, the abolition of all restrictive 'laws and ' monopolies. in land, trade, transit,, or privileges of any kind;' equal-opportunity for'all possible by the adoption of a Free-trade and single tax land policy. I tender 1 this programme. in srcod faith to the Prime Minister, though I very much doubt if a-reactionary Tory politician requires it.—l am, etc., ' March 3. ' Francis W. Bukke.