STRIKE ECHOES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 209, 28 May 1908, Page 9

STRIKE ECHOES.

, THE LESSON OF BLACKBALL. LONDON " OPINION. / Tho London "Times'? of April 14 Inst has . tlio -following .'.comments' on the 1 Blackball strike :—' 1 '" . :-.v "1 .labour troubles,-~wh]ch-;havo recently :'cccurr«l 111 -.■ ; New- Smith ;N6w 'Zealand," cannot • '.the former colony ,and,,at, tlio Blackball Mine 111 Neiv : ■v Zealand./aro-nifc,' indeod, uncommon/incidents their thero lies: in ; '.-tho -faefc-.-feat' bqth'Jarovcolbnies which 'havo ;.,-j; -■: bo'eri; •experiment 'of compulsory , Arbitration Acts..-The facts appear to bo as follow:—The directors of!.the Blackball Clo.'s ' Mine dismissed of 'their,■■workmen who ■ .^. 6r q: the. rest struck-'y.-y;.":'.' ...■ work?!',^q.i-disp'utp:'wasjawangod without re-: .". ■\:^.;i'f6renc6.lw7.tha^Ai:biir&ti6n,VGourti em 7 ployors-agreeing ( to"'rfeinstate-the-men who: ;.had ybefen dismissed','- andj.thb 1 other men to re-.' sumo worlv. Meanwhile, however, an action had'been ■brou|h't;against; theimeri..fol': s \ i instwdiof:submitting" ' . ; i • of tho law .their'-Union was fined £75 by the Arbitration;Gour.t. On receiving news of this ■ decision . tho!--men--not only refused-to'pay, ' ' - but cxptess<jd'-their : dissatisfaction-by again goitijifMni<r*bn' ! > . Tho position'is'.evidently'regarded :as serious • v by .the; - ■Pi%mier/--Sir Joseph* Ward, ;who, whilej-;rqcognimng that' the 'law ijiust. 'bo enforcod.as 'lorigvas :it'is J on tho Statute Book,: also como to ■ the' conclusion that 'it re-' ■ ■!. quires'amendment./ The experiment of. com- - pulsory .arbitration/in. trade disputes -has now ■ Zcay . viand.- iMr}-:^PenibeiflEfievcs'i./^its,'.originator,. ]»ss^-^til.'A^&riß^^«^Dbtihrng-Cbncilia- : . t , tion Courts.;■ to ;yhich\'oithor party, in a disr• .. //•ypute^ : composed' of ar'.High Court Judge and two ...y.,'. iass'essbrs,"W kliom-;the'.award '..of tho Cbncilia;■^^\tioli l^.GpllrtyMuld ; bß' , ,referred for confirmation. ■ <7, ; has a : binding; offset. -In,certain particulars -the '.law- .. V-.;"' . has been! amended and-'icodified sWce- 1894,y y;-':. but.nbt'-apparantly, changed to. any material .; .es^t'-.be7ond{fiirmgtlieiung;ais..' ; oompiilßoi7<' ;.; ' y powors.yi -Tliq' objeev bf-thpyAct, '.as,.': Mr. iteeyes j;has;jhimself.; stated;; was "to puti aii; •: . ; has cer- , t-ainiy-inot-.entirely; succeeded, :. , r '•; v not' apjrear.'to'Hate' peea" .- . j '. , any'. with : 'its ■ I. ■ .vl^-butrrace^thw^'tiiMet^liayeSb^^.sextouf: -; ■ strikes; on - tho .part of . men • either unwilling 1: • - to resort to'arbitration oiv: dissatisfied with ; . '■,-:.ytho: , Jndge'sawaxd;'' ; whilo there is.imdbubtcdly i : . . a : ;strong'.'feeling .'among;,sections.'of-bo'tli men : ' . i .-/;' ; .'.vahd,'.6m^lp^erf ,, :agaijistiWioysystem of/ com;-, : ■ pulsory arbitration altogether.', • .. ; : <c' > lt'*h^ii|^me'iiiii|rHe-sa^g' ; .tlut'.:oiw. col-' : ".on\es''-'areV/becpmjln'g 'laboratories.'-for.-ex- ■ •" -.^^perimenfa fl in4egislatibnH'aiid'social ideals', : and?, no ' better -.-illustration-, 'of. this • truth-. can :■ - -y bo found "than in tho attempts 'mad-o in. Aus- ; ... 'tralasia'to ororconie labour With- . in the.'last thirt^fin 1 ypars New Zealand. New 7 ■ South :.WaleS,;- ; and/,est;Australia have tried ■ m.:'.compulsory and' ' w-'. -i- -; . ; . r.; . are; ! raucli j reducea;jj*;r'to|i;rea%)it- ■' ; brancn'' pf^dealmg-'iwith ■ . ; ciyiiiscd : ; . easijy r atenpted .in*ithe;^\cplonies'rthpn, ; with' •' "■ ' -. us is that ilie machinery of society is far ; less coTnplida'b^lf 'is made ? it';is/ ~/y ' easier,'to,. rectify'itj-.''a,s'-.the y ini'erests concernecl ■ ; aro'--much/.smaller,: :and;Me^.involved v. more-. ;i •T°TP r < ; -I-.V.."i ; , , niake.tlio succcss 'or failurb' of such esperi- •; Wents-.'necoss'arily;;'an-Jiidicati^'/o£ c thbir.'rei ' , in-.:a^bburi^ry-;liKo;.jßhglaiidi' r a]thouigli witlu : "' : • -. .prpperjdMiJctions' ! iriiibHiniay*bP-learned from; ,i ' .\<r them. : Zealand 'Arbitration Act •is ' a SMialistip .: end .o'ne. from which profit may be* drawn by . ns -. ; 'tho; first: ; ;placOj : its inception was re-' ' i. niark'able; ' « : Its ..authorrsomewhatl:naively "i ; states in-his ihteresting "book'on ."Stato Ex- ' periments. in 'Australia .-arid"New"Zealand. ' '..:.' that : nobody; paid vory much attention to the proposal .until .it..had' becomo. law,, and .that v : -)t. : was;.,in;;fact)i,the* i ;pfFspring''' : 6fftheory.' ,-Thb-. ' ■■■ ;'v circuinstancpS r 4-t^hasLb6eiiX4n-{i . , ■ .forced; ■-■ haye| ;:^^farj,'been> ; pepuliarly■ 1 'faypvir-.. / ; .-;;■ perinjg';);henco'J of; {0f... / ;tha '.most*/prpvbc'ative of.-:'^labbur;.disV putes,: has'..been' largely absent.- Even so, / , :hoWever,. less likedas'it ; is ; . .; . 'better, known; '-for' thef 'feeling - of." employers .is ; of set- . ■.r/<markef/ -l .- ; but\ ; in;!'accoWaiicp p v,-with>:thVvdecision'. ! of-a' : Judge whosoknowledgo of ' business methods ■ ; y•;Js,ihptvri?(j^qlysjitit'- -o ': ■/; Bometimeiicwlent^amQiigiitho-meii-when-.a ; \' decision is given against tthbin' 'reoalls'/Mr. 1 ...- Punch's remark, "Call that arbitration? . Why; theylvoigiven.it agili.us!-! <Mr.lleeves- : 'may,:_be;,nght .in .hi^.pontehtion,; though, it :is ; certainly''a. mtt^r.'of-doubt;, tliat expressions i ; V ;' of dissatisfaction' with tlip;, awards of; tho 'j Court/aijdl^•;.tlfej :^rJkes: -V-that'r/have'l'.tourrcd'! ,j < i - ' since the hayo .been .'oxcep- i •" : 'tional. f '.,-B utjv ! so/;,tlie. : x ijgls'',!spirit' of critic ] . ! cism : against particular Judges for/an : un-: ( . palatabTe judginentj'^v/hich 1 is somctimes ex- ! ; , ; pressed 'in.. a'-pleaW.'."! / ant ; sign ,m: a-community. .Moreover, all the ) -. ' dissatisfaction j yhitherto ' i has "" been during'.a' \ ' ■ " liftjit-3rb|ii4*beMji'-iaHijiie'df, ] . real deprcssipnJ.'SyhehSyages.-hav-eHo-be- cut' -] -••;,."', down,validmeii' ; turne(i-away,-; hakvliibt : -'yct' \ . ' ;.'■ , beeni although, the! indications, are not- < promising.; V J As wo; hav'e iiircady.- 'statcd, Now, South 'j ••;''W^es;h'^:s6^sM^'.-;to|. : m6dify:h"er' ! «cponT I , tr,Z'. ment': with\'regardyto : ] . a . n .d ' likelfc ¥ that''N.pW' Zealand' will'' jc ; ■ ''d&ang^:-H^,yn^hi()tls;'-:^lt'--Is' 'E . presb'iiti'jiot-'ceftamiwhat { Joseplr;AVard deems .necessary ; in order to j make ;tbb'-- Act" Wore''effective; Vibut "His' reporr' c ted retn'ark that''Strikes;'aridl arbitration-can-" 'c not be co-existent is a'sevoro criticism of its ] ) . whole. ii'rincipje; and'in his'spoech summai'ised ( t .-. in our cojumns.>to-day;.,hp .appears; -.to: con-- ; i I template'the'possibility of repealing itaa- t | : together.;. As long-as, both : *sides are willing t f" without, demur...to .accept ,ari arbitrator's t ;. ' of State,-arbitration can j ' . havo jittlp,to,"'be/said against it'.'-.But the '- t moment.' 'di^atisfactioh^iarises, asirit h'asi.'in f ;the : BlackballVancl'several:previous cases:.both. j tho' ,' s mere fact that ' tho State: has given the de-. J ;cision?intrQducos : '.a now/element 'of. difficulty! J ihtd.;tlijO-: since ~it:': m ak6s "tho Stato". f seem :to'be'a'party on one side. or. the othbr £ in a matter'wh jre it is for good.gov-' J ernmcnt that.'it.should preseb'b ah ; attitudo j - of impartiality. .'"lt. is difficult enough'in -any \ ;. " ( case f,br the State ;.to.keep order,and to se'o t , that economic dispute's arc settled without in-. e fringements of. jthcj law;' biit when it has also .<] pronpiinced>ajildgnient pn .tlio merits of tho j . dispute-}t loses much of>the prestige required ; c for' Standing, see fair play/.: Already in ■ c New- Zealand, Judges who have given nil- / ; popular'."decisions'. m labour , disputes have been .'trpatod' with .contempt, . and attempts g havo beqii '.made »to induce' ,tho Government to c supersede them.Whpth'er a ; Government .j yields "or-not jin-.'.siich. a-matter, the law .'is ' s apt" by'sunli attempts to lose much, of: the re- - .. i spect which is s its'duo. 'jThe .experiment of .i theso; compjilspry Arbitration Acts has evi- : j delitly not yet been/prbv'od to be of .'value/' s It is, however, well worth our whilo carci'iillv e •- to study their development as well as that of . Wages.Boards in'other neighbouring colonies, ■- J ■ . sinno both .metlioda find favour'among some i of our ,Ptt-n ': political- theorists as a means of. n - avoiding'strikes, aild creating permanent liar-- + - . mony'between masters, and ; men.. -, ,' i