JOIN, OR STARVE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 459, 18 March 1909, Page 5

JOIN, OR STARVE.

JUDGE SIM'S VIEWS ON UNIONISM. EMPLOYERS WILL PROTEST. - LABOUR CIRCLES PLEASED. Much discussion has taken pl&co in industrial circloa consequent on Mr. Judge Sim's suggestion to omployers that it would bo in their own interest if they engaged only members of a workers' union. Yesterday a spetinl meeting of the oxecutivo of tho New Zealand Employers' Fcdoration was held to consider tho matter. It was ultimately resolved that affiliated bodies bo written to on tho subject with a view to formulating a united protest. As might bo expected, tho views of his Honour havo met with tho unqualified approval of trades unionists. WHAT THE EMPLOYERS THINK. "More is sure to be heard 011 this matter," remarked Mr. l'ryor, general secretary of tho Now Zealand Employers 1 ' Federation, in reply to a question put to him by a Dominion reporter yesterday. Employers, ho continued, felt that tho suggestion amounted to compulGory prei'ercnco to unionists. Ho was of ppinion that the Employers' Federation would objcct very strongly to adopting the proposal mado by Mr. Judge Sim.' Anything in tho way of compulsory profcronco had always been strenuously opposed by tho federation. Members held that a worker's fitness for tho particular work which ho was required-to perform should bo the only qualification. which needed to bo taken into consideration. Under tho preferenco clauses inserted in awards, if a unionist had tho samo qualifications as a non-unionist tho employer was compelled to give preference to tho unionist. But to say that a worker's right to work should depend upon him being a member of a union was a principlo which' ho felt sure tho federation would oppose as far as lay in its power.

Dictum of a Former President. The Court of Arbitration had, Mr. Pryor continued, always upheld tho principle that ail employer should have tho right to cmploy tlio most suitablo worker availablo, irrespective of whether ho belonged to a union or not. When Mr. Justice Chapman waa president of tho Court ho laid that down very clearly in \his judguii.flt on the enforcement case, Inspector of Factories v. tho Banks Co-opera-tiro Meat Company, which was delivered on November 13,100G, and wa3 reported in Book of Awards, volume 7, page 535. Among other important remarks made by Mr. Justice Chapman were tho following:— "It li«s always been recognised as a V cardinal rule that the giving of preference of employment to unionists is not intended to force unsuitablo men upon tin employer to the detriment of his business,_ and it is consequently tho duty of a union .to show tho employer, by moans of tlio employment) book, what ho is to look for in tho case of unemployed men, in order that lie may pursue his inquiries as to their suitability without delay or inconvenience." Grant of Preference Will Bo Opposed. ' In the coursc of further conversation, Mr. Pryor remarked that, despite anything- that might bo said to the contrary, there was jio question but that many good workers had strong and sound objections to joining a union. In tho first place, a. first-class worker felt that ho did not require tho' assistance of a union to secure him employment at tho highest rate of wages. Others objected to tho way tlio business of unions in their particular trade was conducted, and therefore would refnso to bo connected with it. To compel theso, workers to become unionists was to tako away from them their freedom in a manner which employers felt neither Parliament nor tho Court of Arbitration had any right to do. "Altogether," he.concluded, "tho position is looked upon as being a very serious one. I feel suro that members of tlio federation will resent any action which will tend to mako preference clauses in. awards more restrictive than they aro at present, or to cause employers to tako into consideration anything elso than tlio ability of tho worker whom.it is sought to employ. What is suro to happen is that action will bo taken throughout tho Dominion to oppose preference in any form in future awards. To adopt Mr. Justice Sim's suggestion would mean compulsory unionism and nothing else, nild they naturally object to bo placed in tlio position of having to say to a worker, 'You must join a union or starve.'"

THROUGH LABOUR SPECTACLES. The views held in Labour circles regarding Mr. Judge Sim's suggestion to the employers may bo cathercd from the remarks which Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P., made to a Dominion rojMrtor yesterday. There was no doubt, lio said, that tho opinion held by his Honour is absolutely right. In the first placo tlio Act was brought into existence for the purpose of allaying industrial strife or trouble, and as a means to that end it was set out in it that the statuto was for \he purpose of encouraging the formation of unions. Tho conception which such men as the late Charles Kingston, of South Australia, and Mr. W. P. lTeeves, of New Zealand, had was the ono which was held by tlio loading mcn_ who had given careful consideration to the industrial side of economic problems. That wan to say —the creation of large organisations stimulated a sense of responsibility and made do- ( mands on the exercise of reason oil both sides. ' Coed Effect of Large Unions, Tbo idea given utterance to by his Honour was, Mr. M'Laren c;OHnued, exactly what had beon carried out ill practice in connection with the waterside workers in many of the ports of Australia for a number of years past. When lie was in Australia recently, he found that that policy had been effective in creating large unions and a federation of these unions which federation was able to deal with industrial conditions ill a nomewliat broad and comprehensive way. Quito recently, at one sitting of-.the federation in Australia, there was framed all agreement which 'governed' the wholo of tho : working conditions at some eight largo ports. Another cll'oct of the completion of the organisation was that the federation received more authority from tho workers to act on their behalf, and was thereby able to prevent • many minor disputes from developing into what might become serious trouble.. The Waterside Workers' Federation in Australia was really doing a great deal of their own conciliation ami arbitration, without resort to any tribunal being necessary.

Employers Gliould Aoco.it tha sucsestlon. According to lit'. M'Laren, t)io method of applying this preference clnuso at the various ports of tho Dominion, hud been found to Ijo somewhat easy, as employers found it to their advhntago as well as to tho advantage of tho, workers to have a central authority to deal with instead of probably various factions. It was fouud, ho said, that, generally, tho employers simply insisted that tho workers should join tho union beforo they engaged them, and, of courso, it becamo tho custom which everybody entering tho occupation' must observe. It seemed to him that tho sanio method ought to be applied more generally in connection with "other callings. "I know," added Mr M'Lnren, "that in regard to several trados, the preferenco clause is not properly applied, and a continual feeling of unrest is thereby engendered between employers and. workers. Further, I thjnlc that Mr. Judge Sim was merely advising employers in their own interest, when lie sail? that thoy should insist oil workers joining a union."