THE LABOUR LAWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 725, 26 January 1910, Page 5

THE LABOUR LAWS.

'Sir,—ln to-day's .paper I note a defence of the Labour Department methods by ; ttie'.Hoh. Hr'.VMiUamn' reply to: "a- . well-merited ' criticism; o£ the Trades- and' Labour Council's- president; 'Mr;VW. C. :.Noot.'i'; It'J'is. notorious . that, since:the advent'.'of 'the Ward-Government, to: power,' the Executive has been .discred-:, iting v . tteir , own; labour legislation ' and it y into;;C.ontempt and. ridicule by. the. .'thorough : ineffibiehcy ''6£ . its, enforcement. . Of : what'utility: is i'itfor" organised labouri-t0( and money. .ih' : obtaining .-.'imeliorativei legislation; .' to' beimmediately, nullified; by. ;tHe: non-en-.foroement; of - a -hostile .Government.* With Mr. :■ Millar ; as ; .its ; labour-,cliief,'-it is 'no exaggeration to say/; that ' the .entire, bulk ■ of itheselaws are.more kept.iu. the.breach than in;' the observance.;: case—the; Shearers' Accommodation Act. This law is : repeeatedly violated," but where are MrlMillar's' inspectors? > No doubt : hobnobbing? with; their '• confreres, : the! rabbit-;and.lioxious, weed sinecurists. In -consequence '.of ;:the/; 'retrenchment •scheme, o£ the. Government, r the Labour. Department; is; completely crippled. The Department is ; understaffed .awl . over : worked, and consequently it cannot-per-form its. duties.. Mr. Millar' claims , the entire credit for. tho industrial expansion of the Dominion.; According to "him 1 there Woiild havo' : been, no factories or operatives if the. fcneflcent, half>baked Socialist; Government, of which he 'is. a member wereinct in ; power. "-'We are familiar with such drivel, and: when we consider that■■'.tho'; Government assumes credit .for, the.'soil, climate, rainfall/.'and .then . the' ,people's, energy,''we are not surprised, atMr. ;Millar.'s-modesty. In comparing; the' present .state, with .past. conditions, 'Millar -mentioned 1 , the;, emigration :, to .Australia.,from New,-Zealand ' :«£ thouof . tlio, workers. . He ..carefully, refrained from stating that Inst year nearly 18,000 workers left .Now Zealand .for Australia/land that the . Commonwealth gained over. 5000 immigrants by excess of arrivals over .departures. ' Regarding Mr; Millar's wild talk about "bribing" .trade union - representatives, ■ there is no: such, accusation made.- It is; perfectly true, .however, -'.that :; tho. Government. has. nobbled..the .pliable men in.■>the labour movement with, billets in" tho. Labour Department and. appointment'to .the Upper House. ..As;- a -result,"capable energetic trade ; union, secretaries are; taken ' from militant unionism and tied down; to formal .routine work , hv the red fcapo ofli-

sialism of- the Labour, Department ...They are a,total . loss, to ' the labour pause, and. in /their new' positions'they , are .' utterly unable .to ,assist their 'fellows because of the Damoclean sword that/the Government holds' over their heads.. . In . conclusion/ as to 'the. "sympathy" - of the Government 'with ; organised labour, I;'- have before 1 me . two' copies of , "labour. Journal,"; the .September and October issues of. a booklet issued-under, the 1 direction of: Hon. John A. Millar and edited by Mr. Ed. Tregear. They contain articles: from, the pen "of.Prof. H. Stanley Jevons on; unemployment. , Prof. 'Jevons claims' that "trade ..unions are responsible for unemployment by demandng. • high, wages.". If this is Mr. Millar's methods of expressing his sympathy for the labour cause,-by circulating such slanders broadcast all over the Dominion ' in -a/Government publication, paid for. by public money, then ho>must<have a.queer way: of dissembling his . affection - for' his' love.—l am, etc., .FBANK TV. BUKKE Ashburton, January 22.-'.' -/;.:,/.:/';