THE WEEK, THE WORLD, AND WELLINGTON.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 28 August 1908, Page 2

THE WEEK, THE WORLD, AND WELLINGTON.

BY FRANK MORTON.

Wasting Time—Farm Labourers and Associated Labour—The Critial Position—A Decrepit Bogey—Cases m ™ u? tration—The "Genealogy of a Word—Buying a Stamp—Gagging Legislators-Pity the Poor Parents—My Correspondents—Pantomime.

If there is one ass I detest worse than the inveterate grumbler, it is tho ineffective prophet who is for ever getting up to cay "I told you so." So that it is a little unpleasant for me to have to record that next to nothing has b°en done in Parliament since members returned from Auckland. The tiling, after all, was inevitable, these legislators bemg very human creatures. Frivolous moods that end in congested livers are not conducive to earnest work. This week possibly something may be done. The' Premier., I notice, reckons that the session will end in mid-October. That means either that Sir Joseph is a man of inveterate simple faith, or -Chat the Government fonsees the dropping of certain promised measures of reform. It will take at least two months to adjust the industrial tangle, if the thing is to be done effectively and courageously. As the latest complication in that tangle, comes the decision of Mr Justice Sim his associate on the Arbitration Court not to make any award in the farm labourers' dispute. The unions are screeching raucously, as usual. Mr MoCullough—who is rather Mr Justice bim s antagonist than his 'associate— has helped the confusion by making one of-the most "indiscreet statements that ever fell from a man misplaced in a judicial- position: The statement is \v.orth glancing at 4.x. "}Y^}le^ haye no desil"<> to suggest that the Court in coming to this decision has been prompted by any ulterior or unworthy motives, yet I feel confident that not one of the reasons adduced, nor all of them combined. ~Are sufficient to justify the Court in their refusal to make an award; nor has this particular case had in my opinion, meted out to it that justice -•which, it has merited. To, be plain, I |m forced to say that the Court has, by its pronouncement, succeeded in disposing temporarily of an important and responsible duty by sheltering behind a number of exaggerated and nnd imaginary arguments that have in one. form or another been .made use of by the fanners for the purpose of • obtaining their object. ~.-'. Further, it appears to me to' be a most extraordinary and despotic proceeding to say that the largest sec-' tnon of the workers in this Dominion should bo denied the right to have the conditions of their livelihood, their - wages and hours of labour fixed by means of that legislation which has been expressly provided for this very purpose. In conclusion, I express the hops that those who have it in their power to prevent a recurrence or wliat I conceive to fee a miscarriagoof justice, will use that power to j obviate and remove a disability that can only be regarded by the workers j as a hindrance to their aspirations "j _ and to their future prosperity." ' You will see that it is plainly Mr McOullough's idea that the Arbitration Act was framed to enable "the workers tn'tms Dominion" to have their wages and hours of labour fixed, not as'seemswell to the Arbitration Court, but as seems well to themselves. Think of what that moans. Try to imagine what the position would be in six oni, 'if the Court consisted of three Mr McCulloughs. Attend to the comments of Mr James Thorn, paid secre-" tary of the Agricultural Labourers' union:— ■ - .:

'>^:( Euring the summing up b afore tEe rCourfc, Mr Justice Sim practically ';..: : ..dowit; on' his jtnees and oegsred farmers and sheepowners to give jiim suggestions oif^hich he could •base ail award. He ar|ued and pleaded and cajoled with Mf- Jones-..and-Mr-iicl^nd to give up their' ' prejudices' - ; and come down and.help the Court:. ''■ ;To\what.;end, if ah; award dealing with farm-workers was visionary and impracticable and undesirable, and unncessary and ruinous as he now alleges? It comes to this: that the Government and the Parliament of this Dominion give- the workers ■.certain legal rights and certain definite promises as to the fulfilment and the r ratification of those rights, and theii it remains with one man—the j udge Of the Arbitration Court—t*> absolutely nullify not only tt^ promises of /■•■/the Government, but the definite ■en--. jaotments of the Parliament of the ■ ;g ; TOuivtry.:' . ■ ■.■' \ • ; . .;..■■/ _..-..■■ This-amazirig flapdoodle amounts tofa deliberate, and wanton slander of Mr Justice Sim, who certainly needs to make na apology for his integrity to Mr •. James. Thorn. The ; plain English; of .ityall, is that Mr Justice Sim went tptinrinite pains to sift the evidence and' settle to his conclusion. :He made rid award .because..he wag unable to discover that.faii award could justly be made. One vcan even conceive him"a little impatieriii of the farce of making an award, as circumstances now stand. Of wha|.good is it? The unions will adhere, to no award that does not : meet their -ownvicieas of their own requirements. It is jstlly: to pretend that the Act was tramed W3th: the intention of forcing any |ane.tribunal to make an award iir any case where, evidence was not adduc-ed-to; show that an; award could justly bo miade; but that pretence is the sum of Mr Thorn's contention. The case cf the farm labourers is admittedly a verY difficult and intricate case. Any boggling of it would immediately endanger onoMof the wholesomest of the etaplo industries of the country. Tliere can b^; httlo hope that the union would havo been- contented with the award, even if the Court could have made ons. Thero can.be no doubt at all that the award would have been disregarded, if it had not contented the union. All the6> unions havei gradually come to regard Arbitration as essentially a one-sided business. They hold that the aim ond end of Arbitration is to give to the "workers' 3 all that their "foolish greed; can suggest or their obstinate rapa-ity secure. The interests of the employers are no longer openly considered by organisations of the workers. Uf what good, then, ia it to mak° en award at all, until such time as Parliament shall arise from slumber and bestir itself? The present Act is constantly stultified by the Government responeiblo for its administration. It is steadily enforced against the employers and constantly disregarded, when it operates against the wishes or prejudices of the employed. TheGovcrnnienf has virtually announced that it Will only administer the- Act in accordance with its own ideas of the necessities and conditions: and there is groat rear in many eobor minds that the necessities and conditions (with an ab-horred-election looming) are largely political. Whatever Parliament docs it should at least make clear its mandate that the Government must admins-t-er the Act in its entirety, without Lear or favour. I realise -perf&dtlv that the task is one that Government' would fain evade, one that Parliament (with that election looming) cannrt '■ cannot find easy or agreeable. But noth- -i mg!. was ever gained by postponing U n- ! pleasant duties; and the country, howover apathetic it may be in most political matters, will take good ca,ro that tins duty is not indefinitely postponed Meantime. Mr Justica Sim, who has ''■■¥-%. - duty, is exposed to the brunt ; k"o:^nom iirirn(^mto":unp;leasari^jif1 s*"l of; elandei;riind : .irbnsei ,;HeV;will:'no£%*-

deterred from his duty by any such virulent clamour of the prejudiced: but he still merits sympathy A SILLY BOGEY. And still, with these great and grave matters crying for settlement, members jjtlTne to waste on tho-trifling arid twaddling of the cranks of their parishes: The old Anti-Vaccination bogey has _ raised its silly whimpering head again. No fewer than nine members of Parliament were found ready to go to the Minister with a demand for the repeal of the compulsory clauses in tha Vaccination Act- and one of the feeble £L ne V? 9 no other than Mr Laurenson me old argument against vaccination— if one can call them argument©—were recited. Next, it was pleaded that as the law was being constantly broken, it should be Tepealed—surely about as silly a plea as was ever laughed at. Ihere are hundreds of cases of theft yearly: Therefore, let us repeal the laws against theft. Drunkenness is frequent • therefore let us do away with the laws against drunkenness. But if Mr Laurenson x figures are accurate, they amount to a damning indictment against the Department of Public xlealth:— -

Year. Birfchg Vaccinated }£•••••••• 18 '733 6;i62" }9°2 20,655 2,611 1906 ........ 24,252 1.810 TK- ?V ■•'••••• 25 '064 i-831----11ns strikes me as one of the most extraordinary tables I have ever seen m this country. If it is accurate," it means that for at least ten years an important department of government has wantonly and disgracefully Shirked its duty. If it is accurate*, it means that for at least ten years the Government -has either been culpably, ignorant of the conduct of its own ■department, or has most improperly connived at and condoned scores of thousands or breaches of a salutary law. Twenty °a ni^J, yea™' ago/ the days of the admittedly bad arm-to-arm vaccination system, the anti-vaibcinationists had at least a sort of colour for their heresy although even arm-to-arm vaccination uas better than no vaccination at all- •"\ 19P8. with' clean lymph: the invariable rule, the heresy is a'quito preposterous foolishness. Listen- to Mr Laurenson:—

i An Act which was a dead letter should not be allowed to remain on the statute book. He knew a member ot Parliament who had lost one of Jiia children through vaccination - After vaccination the child -suffered trom Buoourating cores, \ the arms withered and eventually the unfortunate child died. There was no outstanding danger of an outbreak of small-box ma clean country like this." ' . . ■.■**■■ That. is precisely the sort of faJk one heard in Tasmania a, few years ago. out something happened. > Tliere fe 1! ■ upon the city, of Lauuceston a meet beastly, vile, and 'abominable epidemic ot small-pox. .; Many of the anti-vac-cinationists proved, the -purity "of their convictions by, being vaccinated without delay. Many others were detected and vaccinated by force. The children of ■all tho schools in the colony were vaccinated. But iii Lauiiceston the epidemic:- took "root and -grew vicious and ?£ ong< m, * Saw :■'abominable 'things cl£'-'- J - n 9rror and sheer wickedness or this dread disease can barely be suggested, in a decent newspaper.- Launcecton trifled with it, "making concessions"' to influential and fashionable persons; Weeks. passed, ,deaths niultiplied,v and still the epidemic kept arid extended its' grip. . : Then;, the : Government, irivdespenition, sent to Australia for a inari, arid the man came.". He "was a modern man,- and when people talked • ariti- ■ vaccination" to /him,, or :sought to awe mm wifch their conscieritipus.scruples" I"Sa' v, our 9 f mediaeyalism arid thegrey BJ.lm'^ heorily grinned in his. beard, and ! did his duty. ; The fashionable and^iiinuentialj persons, were turned out of their icomfpi-tablei burrows and sent to recover or die: in a'; isolation-hospital, vyhicK was;-not- comfortable. Vaccination i '■ was carried on wholesale. Ihfeetad quaiteris were dreriched with disinfectants. Ittfestecl. houses fwere •destroyed. ■.'., In an alnicst • incredibly^ short time, the. modern :man got his foot on the neck of the' epidemic/and choked it; J^iere .;.'are":' istill anti-yacciriationists'. in Launcestpii; ';> but" '■most-: 'pf vthem have been yaccimit^d. % I ■■'. .; was • vaccinated two or threii'.times, ; because. &. defect, in a: by-law: made;, it necessary every Ttime I went to. Launceston during the first vveeks. -.. >My I'cliildreri,"'"who had been vaccinated . before v :were \ vacciriateel 'againr v Thousands: of ; people "of all ages and conditions /were, vaccinated. Hero then,. is. a. t-est case for the cranks. ilere,' in'_one: colony/ at one time, all, tho : 9cb.<>ol; children and many,:, of" the ,ad(ilts:wer<? vaccinated, si never hfiard of .trouble arising from any one of those Jniutitudinous vaccinations. If trouble did: arise;.in certain cases, it would be .unfortunate;-but it would in .rio^way effect 'the:'main issued; It is better 'that ,oue .should.die'than -that a thousand should .be'endarigered.' Cafes relied on by tlie cranks, .never, have any cdnyincing quality; i anyhow. ; If a vaccinated child :dies;of ariyithing,-f torn croup to a railway;accrdeut:,;the scranks invariable blairie yaccination. .1 knew i.orie' nian who;died. afterJvaccination in Hpbatt, and?©heHy. compels riie to admit: the facts.; ;> But he never comnlairied of rtheivaccination,..he was eighty-years of inge, ' and." during sixty years'he had : drunk every day more w rhisky than *is good for any man. ■ When a man exceeds his proper allowance by a quart a day, hemust take" the risks, even m a country like Tasmania. * ;