Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1911. LABOUR LEGISLATION CRITICISED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 9980, 4 May 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1911. LABOUR LEGISLATION CRITICISED.

The statements made by Mr William Fryor, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, at Wanganui on Monday evening, deserve more than passing notice. In the past, the various branches of the Employers' Federation held their meetings in private, and, whatever sharp and hostile criticism of Labour legislation,present and prospective, was indulged in was not published in the newspapers. The fact that the Wanganui meeting was held in public, and that Mr Pryor's free and frank comments were evidently designed to catch the attention of the reporters, suggests that the Federation is about to adopt fighting tactics in the open Mr Pryor dealt fully with the Labour legislation of New Zealaud, adducing arguments to show how lamentably it has failed in securing its purpose, and then made some interesting references to the political outlook. He stated that interest iv parfcy politics was not a feature of the Employers' Federation ; but the trend of events and the proximity of the General Election made it very necessary that the Federation should be alert, and, if necessary, very active. And if it found that the Labour-Socialist element was able, for the time being, to overcome the internal dissension and petty jealousies that now keep iis organisation imperfect, and could make a serious attempt co capture an influential position in the next Parliament, the employers should secure their own protection by adopting an aggressive attitude. There is no doubc that the thing to be feared is that organised Labour will return a small Radical Socialist party of, say, a ciozeu men, which, holding the balance of power, could do more harm than a Labour Government by making the present Government and the Opposition bid against each other. The Labour Party in New Zealand now frankly expresses the opinion that with twelve men in the House it could do more ror the workers than could a Labour administration, and we think that, on the evo of election, an analysis of the partieaj_represented at the

polls will disclose, oheek by jowl with raw Labour candidates, whose ohanoes of election are few, many politicians* of ripe experienoe who, holding the confidence of eleotors, are making their debut as straight-out candidates for the suffrages of Labour; in other words, we believe that the New Zealand Federation or Labour, incomplete as it is, is already laying careful plans and seeking to take advantage of what it imagines is a uuique opportunity of securing a measure of power in New Zealand. Mr Pryor said without hesitation that he considered the success of such a scheme would prove a disaster for the Dominion as a whole, and he urged that the wisest heads of both Government and Opposition parties should be brought together to carefully study the situation, and promptly forestall such an attempt by Labour. "The interests of the country should be put before party uiterents," he said.

The speaker declared that the country has had to bear too much experimental Labour and Socialistic legislation, aud that, did such a policy continue, the most important interests cf the country would not only be further harrassed, but a season of more acute depression would be rendered inevitable. Sixteen years' experience of tho New Zealand Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act has shown that the measure, instead of securing comparative calm, has made easy the road to a field of industrial strife and chaos. Today, iußtead of employer and employed working happily together and amicably settling their difference by arbitration, we tiud employers embarrassed and industries smothered by a tangled mass of laws and regulations which is supposed to form the basis of employment, aud tho employes bound to trades uujoun which, in their turn, are largely controlled by implacable and untutored Socialists. While the authorities have done their utmost to mako their Arbitration Court a useful institution and not a moans; of stirring up strife, tho utmost tact and delicacy have been oxorcisod iv certain quarters to avert tho commencement of bitter and probably protracted strikes; ami tho appointment of Conciliation Oommirsionors by the Government has boeu followed by the activity and seeming prosperity of a so-called federation of Labour. Tho hitter body openly states its purposo :to get as mauy unions as possible under its control and secure the cancellation of their rogistraiou, and then, when the

time seems opportune aud the occasion desirable, to make certain demands and eufore them by calling a general strike. It can be truly said that the Arbitration Act is little more than a dead letter now. that ill-balanced Labour legislation has already .created false values in the economic world and stifled many lnanutacturiug industries, that the demands of Labour are louder aud more insistent than ever, aud that, if ignorant, irresponsible agitators are permitted to carry on the work unchecked, New Zealand will presently reach a very disastrous period of industrial storm aud stress. Our main hope lies in tho fact that here the great majority of voters are neither quite ignorant nor given to hysterics, and they, while seeking absolute justice for all. will put the interests of the community before the claims of the individual. But these calm and reasonable voters want to hear both sides before they arrive at a decision—and here is tho opportunity of the Employers' Federation, which already iias a membership of twenty thousand.