THE TRAMWAY JUDGMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 185, 23 December 1912, Page 5

THE TRAMWAY JUDGMENT.

A BENEVOLENT DESPOT. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 23, 1.30 a.m. Melbourne, December 22. In the Arbitration Court, Justice Higgins gave a lengthy statement dealing with the Tramway Employees' Association case against the Brisbane and Adelaide Tramway Companies. He said that the Brisbane' Company refused to even consider the agreement. It objected to everything, and the manager Badger adhered to the time-honored policy of absolute control over its own employees. The existing agreement left the amount of wages payable absolutely at his discretion.

Justice Higgins regretted to have to make an order in regard to the Brisbane Company's men which he always had previously refused to make. Tlrnt was "preference to Unionists." The history of the case was painful, even ghastly, in the eyes of those who fancied there' was a liberty of association in Australia. No doubt,nearly all the men who attempted to resign for the Brisbane Association did so under' ((he intimidation of a man who could «ive or withhold the means of living. Badger knew if the emplovees resented the conditions' of labor they feared unemployment more. In his capacity of benevolent despot, he made ruthless use of the knowledge in play-ing-off the natural desire of the men to support their wives and children against their efforts to unite for improvement of their conditions. ITe did not desire to restrict Badger in the choice of his employee, but the law left him no other means of protecting the members of the Association from Badger's intimidation.