RIGHT TO COMBINE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2700, 21 February 1916, Page 6

RIGHT TO COMBINE

INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATION SOME CURIOUS ANOMALIES (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) London, February 18. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, High Commissioner for New Zealand, presided at a lecture given by tho Hon. B. R. Wise, Agent-General for New South Wales, at the School of Economics, on the subject of industrial organisation. Mr. Wise said, that, although the workmen's right to combine for trade purposes was recognised, there wero curious anomalies. Traders and companies were . permitted to do things which the law forbade the unions to do;' yet the latter were empowered to take collcetive action, for example, to strike, without incurring collective liability. Power without authority was likely to create danger in a State; also to create weakness for tho workers themselves. The most pressing industrial problem to-day was to turn trade unions from a mere weapon of attack into a constructive instrument with a view to rebuilding our industrial society.. Australia had given a lead by boldly declaring that an industry that' was unable to pay a living wage ought not to be permitted ■to continue. Tariff revision w6uld be urgently needed after the war; nothing would miito tho Empire more.