LABOUR AND THE FUTURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15184, 1 July 1911, Page 5

LABOUR AND THE FUTURE

B* the Hon. J. T. Paul, IM.L.C. In this series of articles tho writer outlines some of the immediate industrial difficulties confronting us; examines some 1 of the tendencies, and exposes some of the fallacies of tho times; and all measures the future place of the Arbitration Act as a means of adjusting industrial differences between Labour and Capital. To do this.it has been necessary to review some advantages arbitration has brought the workers. That will enable its to decide whether tho condemnation indulged in by the miners—the leaders of the revolt against arbitration—is wholly justified in the light of the solid advantages gained by them from the system. Incidentally some fallacies that ought to bo pensioned are exposed, and the series will conclude with some remarks an the hopes and difficulties of the morrow. Tho first article of tho series—"A Survey and Some Hints"—appoared in our issue of Saturday, Juno 17; aaid the second— "Tho Logic of the Leaders of Revolt" —on Saturday, June 2*l. 111.-SOME THINGS ARBITRATION HAS DONE. I want a system of arbitration that will make it unnecessary for a map to starve his wife in order to fix the_ price by which ho can live.—William Jennings Bryan.

There are many miners in New Zealand who have serious doubts about the new federation policy. They have lived long and seen both sides of the shield. They have tasted of the alleged humiliation of miners " cringing and crawling" before the Arbitration Court and the real humiliation when the strike is declared off and everybody desires to back to work. There's no humiliation in going back to work after a strike, when you're properly licked! The agricultural implement workers didn't feel it the other day in Victoria when they went back to work on the employers' terms. The Newcastle miners didn't feel it. For a sane man to suggest- that humiliation, crawling, cr cringing is necessary in ap-. proaching the Arbitration Court is screamingly funny when one remembers the stalwarts who represented tho various miners' unions before the Arbitration Court in years past. Yet some of the miners' leaders are now telling grown men that by beiniq; registered under the Arbitration Act they debase their manhood! One never really knows what a high-speed imagination will lead to. I propose to-day to call some evidence. The men whose opinions are quoted in these articles are some of those who bore the heat and burden of the fight for their fellows who digged deep in mines in days igone by, and who may again be at the front of the firing line if a great crisis comes. They aro men of experience, and each one has been trusted in many capacities by his fellows. They have mined coal and gold- in this and other countries and. they know whereof they speak. Here is tho first witness, and I set out his story in his own words :—

" The father of all the present miners' unions in New Zealand is undoubtedly the Dcnniston Miners' Union. Through the disastrous strike of '90—the Maritime strike—the miners became completely disorganised and broken up. In 189.3 an attempt "was made to organise, but the attempt was nipped in the bud and the leaders sent to the right about. In' the beginning of 1895 the'Westport Coal Company reduced the hewing rate—solid or bard rates—from 2s KM to 2s 3d per ton. The standard yardage rates for narrovr places was 2s per yard. Many narrow places were driven by contract at Is, and in some oases 6d per lineal yard. Shift wages were 10s per day. In the same year another attempt was made to organise the men, and, with the aid of Mr (now the Hon.) J. A. Millar and a few 'other members acting- in conjunction with the Knights of Labour, we managed to effect registration under 'The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1894,' passed ,the previous year. Prior to the formation of the uniori the management point blank Tefused to receive a deputation from the miners, and as soo.i as it became known that we had formed a union about 16 of ua were dismissed, but such was the company's fear of the act aforementioned that all were reinstated with the exception of one, who was subsequently appointed check-weigh-inan to the miners. We lost no time in making application to the- C6nciliation Board. The company refused to accept the board's recommendations and the dispuie was referred Arbitration Court, which sat in Uenniaton and Westport in September, 1856. An award .was made early in 1897 which was a considerable improvement on existing conditions. Hewing Tatcs were made 2s 4d per ton for solid or bord workings, and Is 8d for pillars. Yardage rates :5s per yard for 12ft wide, 6s for 9ft wide, and '7s for 6ft wide. Shift wages were increased to 10s 6d and 2d per day for oil, and preference to unionists imd oth-uv advantages came with the award. The last award of the court raised the hewing rate to solid rates from 2s 4d to 3s 6d, according to height; and pillars from h lOd to 2s 3d per ton; and shift wages to miners taken from the face not less than 12s per day.

" Meanwhile successful attempts were mado to organise other parts of the West Coast. Unions sprang up at Mokihinui, lsiunnertou, Granity, and Reeftoh, and there is not a shadow of doubt that had it not been for the protection afforded by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration 'Act each attempt to form a union would have been nipped in the bud and much suffering would have- resulted. At Brunnerton an attempt was made to form ■a union in about 1893, and failed. In 1897 the Allandale miners on the East Coast formed a union, having been first advised as to the course to pursue, and registered under tho Arbitration Act, and the ringleaders were dischaiged. Action was taken against the company in the Arbitration Court for breach of the act in dismissing men while a dispute was pending, and the company was -''rdered to pay something like £70 to 'the men, as well as being ordered to reinstate them. The protection afforded by the act made it possible to form unions at Kaitangita and Green Island. In the two lastnamed places several attempts had been made to organise, and each attempt had ended in failure.

"In Kaitangata the improvements in the conditions of the miners arc numerous, chiefly baliottir.g for places audshifa wages. Prior to the union being formed and award made ib is a notorious fact that the management had favourites who were put to work in the best .places in the mine. Now all places are bailotfced for, and each man stands l.ho chance of a good place.

"Trucking by miners has been practically abolished. Formerly the miners had to truck their own coal distances varying

from a few yards to half a mile. Now the maximum distance is 20 yards. The yardage rato was raised at least Is per yard all round, and shift wages from 3s to 10s per. shift. The miners were in the habit of working 10 and 12 hours per day.

' " In Green Island the conditions were even worse. The prices were practically in tho hands of tho management to fix. The shift wages wero 8s per day. Prices aro now fixed by an award, and the shift wages aro 10s. The average wage is fully lis per day.

"Independent of what has been done for the miners under awards of the court, it is an undeniable fact that through organisation, -protected by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, several amendments to the Coat Mines and Mining Acts have been passed, which have caused very considerable improvement in the lot of the miners. T do not mean for one moment to infer that they aro unnecessary, or that there is no further improvement needed. My purpose is to show the advantages the miners have gained through organisation, and the primary cause of their being banded together is the fact that they have been under the protection of tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Under the first awards the hours of employment were eight at tho face. This meant nine hours underground. Then tho Coal Mines and Mining Acts were amended, fixing the maximum at eight hours and a-half underground. A further amendment was passed in 1908 fixing the hours at eight from bank to ba.ik. This means that whereas men who were paid 8s per shift for nine hours underground now receive 10s for eight hours underground. If two shifts are employed, those employed on the second ?r night shift receive from 6d to Is per shift extra. Further, with reference to the yardage rates paid to pieceworkers, an additional Is to 2s per yard for second and thrid shift respectively is paid. These advantages were quite unknown prior to arbitration. l

" In addition to the places mentioned, awards and agreements have been mado under tho act at Nightcaps, Bannockbum, Alexandra, and other places. In each ef the places mentioned the lot of tho workers has been improved. " To refer again to the Coal Mines and Mining Acts, 1 desire to point out a matter of vital importance to the worker?. I refer to the provisions regarding ventilation. In the good old days that we hear so much about, the miners were compelled to work under frightful conditions in the matter of bad ventilation. The principal gas met with in lignito mines is what is known as black damp. It was no uncemmoh thing to find the men working in flaces where a candle would not,burn if held in an upright position. Now all that has changed, and although the ventilation is not perfect, it is certainly much better than obtained formerly. "It may be deduced from what has been said that the Denniston miners have not yet obtained the old rato ruling before tho year 1894. That is true, and it is easily accounted for. Just prior to the silting of the court new seams were opened out which were on the whole higher laid the coal moro easily gotten. Tho principal evidence adduced by the union was the matter of ' what is a fair day's wage ?' It was held by the union that 12s per day was a fair day's wage for a fair average day's work. The company was able to provo that tho average earnings were more than 12s per day. Yet in the face of that 3; slight increase was granted. "Apart from all that has been said thero is another important side of this question which detractois of the act are constantly losing sight of, and it is this : prior to 1890, when the old order of unionism obtained, it is a well-known fact that the' relations between employers and unions wero almost always strained to breaking point. It was quite a common thing for meetings to be held and certain grievances discussed and resolutions passed that no more work be done until the alleged rjrievauce had been removed, etc. In this way many small strikes took place. From 1895 until lately a period of peace obtained. The mines wero worked more regularly, and I venture to Fay the earnings of the men for the year compare more than favourably with those obtaining in the three or four years before 1890. I have endeavoured to give you a.fail I ,statement of conditions." Thero is a plain, unvarnished, manly recital of things as this sturdy miner knows them. He is dealing with the actual. I doiibt not he is ready to enter the millennium gates at the head of his fellows, but his experience has taught him that many pictures of glorious promise evaporate under keen examination. Ho haa gone out with his fellows, at the head of them, indeed, to vindicate (he unity and tho claims of labour, and attempt to bring unreasonable employers to their knees. He and his fellows have come nearer their knees then the employers in most struggles, unfortunately, and with his'ripened experience he believes the Arbitration Act still holds something rf tangiblo advantage for the miners. Be all that as it may, I am certain that if the Arbitration Act wero repealed tomorrow chaos would reign in many industries where peace and a fair measure of contentment reigns to-day. And, generally speaking, wages would he reduced. If ono will impartially consider the whole question no other conclusion is possible. This is not a time for rhetorical fireworks or prodigal expenditure of hot air. Compare our wages with any part of Australia, and over all you will find them considerably higher. Compare them with those parts of Australia which have not an Arbitration Act, and ihe disparity will bo greater still. And compare them further with the wages ruling before a par ticular calling was organised under the Arbitration Act. Take one of the most recent illustrations : tho workers in hotels and restaurants. In less than three years tho wages havo been increased in tho majority of eases by over 30 per cent., and the hours reduced by at least 10 per cent. Tell these workers that they are debasing their manhood and womanhood because the union to which they belong is registered under the Arbitration Act, and they'll probably conclude that youVe been visiting tho front part of the premises.

Let me put in a table compiled by the late Secretary for Labour in New Zealand, and then answer mo whether progress has not been made in tho decade of Arbitration Act and labour laws :— 1890 1908 Trade. (per week). (per week), sds d s s Tailorcssss ... 0 oto 15 0 sto 25 He si cry workers ... 5 oto 9 0 7to 20 Shirtmakins 00to 18 6 12 to 30 Average wage 10 0 to 12 0 Dressmaking 00to 25 0 sto 30 Millinery— Average wage 12 6 5 to 25 Scores of instances of real and permarent betterment can be quoted. Tho™ cases would cover almost all trades organised. The miners' leaders are not taking the interests of the great majority of the workers into (onsideration. Those interests are entitled to consideration. The miners aro justified in looking after their own interests, but they are not justified in ignoring or prejudicing the interests of others. There is a fable about a fox who V«t his tail.' Tlio fable does not hold in this case. Hut I do hope the miners are net, and never will be, in the position of tho fox.

I propTse to call two other witnesses direct from the mines next week. They, too, have told their tale in their mvn language and in their own way. One has prepared a most interesting and valuable comparative statement of tilings before and after tho Arbitration Act.