LABOUR QUESTION AND THE N.Z. ARBITRATION ACT.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16854, 7 June 1920, Page 7

LABOUR QUESTION AND THE N.Z. ARBITRATION ACT.

(Bv tl. Br.o.Minr.'.n, author of "State Regulation of Labour iu New Zealand." >

1: was inevitable tli.;: many of our public men should apply themselves to the subject of ifconstruction after the war. and it was ;i:<-vitable, also, that their attention should b<> largely confine: 1 . to the industrial problem. This problem ii now a.gitating tho whole cirUi.-ed world, and a striking fact is that, the labour troubles that arise in one f)'.tarter of the globe are prcciseiy identical with those occurring in every ether. I; would appear thai for the present the most the various Governments can do is to tac ido each labour upheaval as it arises, and, where neeessarv, put it down with a strong han<.. No one dreams, no matter how much concession has been given each time, of * arriving anything like finality. but although this is unfortunately tho position. it is impossible that the present condition of tilings can go on indefunte]v. We cannot always travel in tho "vicious circle, ' and tile sooner employers and employed come together and unitedly face the serious economic condition in the world, in a candid and rational spirit, the better it will be for everyone. It" will be rendiiv admitted that numerous valuable schc-mcs have been put into operation in various parts of the world —notably in Great Britain and Australasia—f or the settlement of industrial disputes, and for tho promotion and maintenance of a peaceful relationship between employers and workers. Tn Great Britain the Private Trade Hoards and the Conciliation Act were tne means of preventing many strikes, and. on the whole, worked very smoothIv for many years. Then iust about two vears before the war broke out a new 'departure was made bv the English authorities by the establishment of an Industrial Council, at the head of which were Sir George Askwith and Sir Chas. Macara, but. doubtless owing to the war, the scheme never obtained a fair trial. Prior to this, it may bo mentioned, the principle of compulsory arbitration was fully considered and rejected. Even now compulsory arbitration finds no place in the industrial councils in process of formation in various parts of England. It was loft to New Zealand to make the bold experiment of introducing a compulsory measure, concerning which its author bad high hones. Even when tho Arbitration Act has suffered partial failure Mr Reeves has put up a vigorous defence, and has claimed for it a large measure of success. To a limited extent only has Mr Reeves's Act been a success. Tho Act enmo into active operation in 1806, arid during the subsequent four or five years both employers and workers appeared to be settling down to industrial peace. The advent of this "industrial millennium" was soon noised abroad, and in the course of a few vears more the shores of New Zealand were visited by numerous industrial experts from Europe and America. One enthusiastic visitor, as tho result of his' enquiries, published a book entitled, "A Land Without Strikes." It may be mentioned, m passing, that the waiter remembers seeing this book displayed in a Wellington shop window, the title-page being visible, at the time that the strike of 1913 was at its hqiglit! So Jong as the awards of tho Court were given in favour of the workers, hardlv a whisper of dissatisfaction with the Arbitration Act was heard, but c when, here and there, the unions were 1 the unsuccessful litigants, loud protests Began to be noured into the ears of the Court. This went on till 1907. when the first big strike under the Act occurred. This was the slaughtermen's strike, and tho only other labour upheaval of serious conseonence was that which took place in 1913. The slaughtermen, after various legal proceedings of a technical nature, were fined, but the Government apparently found the task of prosecuting the law-breakers ol 1913 too formidable to undertake, and the law still remains unvindicatod. Despite this breakdown, Mr Reeves will no doubt say that the country enjoyed a. record period of prosperity during the operation of his Act, and that it is not possible absolutely to prevent strikes, no matter whjit labour laws are in force. I think it is correct to say tnat tlie Labour Party have shown more dissatisfaction with the Arbitration Act than the employers have ever done. They still clamour for the repeal of the Act, and this notwithstanding the facv that for the past year or two the Court has increased the workers' wages by leaps and bounds. This only shows, ot course, that the condition of the workers is by no means necessarily improved l>y continuous increases being made with a view to meet the increases in the cost of living. The Arbitration Court is not .the Court it was some years ago. A socalled industrial dispute is no longer heard and determined as it used to be. It is useless now t6 ask the Court to consider the condition of the trade in dispute, the cost of material, etc. All .that tho Court has to do is to fix the wages in each case according to tho latest returns of "the Government Statistician regarding the cost of living. The process is so simple and mechanical that the adjustment of each dispute may. he just as satisfactorily performed bv tho Government Statistician himself. It, is no doubt because of the curious and remarkable position in which the Arbitration Court now finds itself that many employers think that tlie_ time has arrived when tho whole question of devising some now scheme of dealing with and determining industrial disputes—probably on some voluntary oasis—which will be acceptable to both parties, should be considered as a substitute for a system which many think has now outlived its usefulness. At the conference of employers to be held next Wednesday at Wellington, the whole labour pro Diem, it is understood, will be discussed, and there will be ample scope for tho exercise, of the best brains at their command. The employers will probably prepare some scheme which will, in due cotirse, be submitted to the representatives of tho workers, and the latter on their part will almost certainly have some counterproposals to present to the employers. This is assuming, of course, that both sides will eventually meet, and, if possible, agree upon some workable scheme of settling disputes without interference on tho part of the Legislature. The improvement in the relations between employers and employed will also be tho subject of consideration at Wednesday's conference, and probably this will require more delicate handling than the question of the regulation of wages. Hitherto both sides have gone to tlie Court- as litigants: in the near future ■ it is hoped that they will meet round a table as friends, each feeling that the interests of the one are necessarily bound up with those of the other. The initial step taken by tho employers 13 in the right direction (already in England schemes based on the Whitley Report are in operation), and the outcome will be watched with the keen--esr; interest by tlio general public.

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