INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 21, 19 October 1917, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK IN AUSTRALIA

CONFERENCE OF EMPLOYERS

PROFIT-SHARING AS [REMEDY FOR TROUBLES

The annual conference of representatives of the Employers' Federation from eaoh Australian State opened its sittings in the board room of the Victorian Employers' Federation some days ago. Sonator Fairbairn (president of tbo Contral Counoil of the Employers of Australia) was in the chair. In'his opening address the chairman said that during the two years under review the central counoil had been called on to do vory little work of importance. That was accounted for by the fact that tho old struggle between employers and employees had beconio a fight between the employees and tho various Governments. The employers had practically stood by. and -matched tho struggle with interested and anxious eyes. It was hoped that during the war at least a time of industrial peace might have prevailed. Labour unions might protest as they liked, but the fact remained that strikes during war time were desperately disloyal aots; Sir Rooort Best stated six months ago that from October 1, 1914, to December 31, 1916, there had been no fewer than 944 strikes in tho Commonwealth, involving 2558 establishments, and affecting 195,141 workers directly ana 71,607 indirectly, resulting in a loss '.of wages of ,£1,344,162. Those strikes, it must be remembered, had taken placo notwithstanding that in the Federal and State Arbitration Court and wages board they had far more abundant machinery for dealing with- industrial trouble than existed in all other parts of the world put together. (Hear, near.) During w.ar time all must suffer, and; the workers of Australia had felt its effects less than any class in any part of the world. Mr. Justice Higgins had said "that the™ is no breach or tho award in a man refusing his services in loading wheat unless the employer pay him more than the minimum. It is all a matter for contract." That meant that a number of individuals having formed a union, and having_ received an award from tho Court, might immediately strike, as individuals, for a higher' wags or bettor conditions than thoso awarded by the Court. What then, he asked, in all humility, was the use of the Court? In what way did it prevont strikes? The present industrial position was intolerable. Industry was stagnant, enterprise v:as stifled, and ruin stared their country in the face. He sug1. There should be a return to State wages boards or round-table councils wherever practicable, as it is impossible for one man, however able, to regulate the wages, hours, and conditions for the wholo of a continent.

2. Strikes should be made illegal, as is done under the South Australian Act.

8. It should be an offence for any individual or union to in any way assist strikers, and it should bo also illegal for any storekeeper or shopkeeper to sell any goods on credit to strikers who are defying the law. 4. Every union of employers or em?loyees- should be obliged to pay a cerain part of their annual subscriptions into a fund, to be held by either the State or Federal Government—the Government to pay interest on such funds,' and to have the right to forfeit tbeni in case of a lock-out or strike.

In addition, unions of loyalists should be formed and encouraged, for in the past the loyalists had been most cruolly treated by both Government and private employers. (Hear, hear.)' The financial situation was disquieting, and an end must be put to all borrowing except for the war, otherwise there would be no possibility of getting money even for wur work and repatriation v of the soldiers. (Applause.) The following loans matured during the next five years, and he feared their renewal would involve a largo increase in their annual interest eharge:-1918, ; 1910, .£19,886,421; 1920, .£39,871,809; 1921, je50.583,524 ,- 1922, .£19,609,U2-or a total of .£136,263,491. Without industrial peace and some remedy for the slowing down evil the huge financial load of Australia could hot be borno. He had indicated some ohange in the arbitration laws, but he felt that they could only be palliative, and did not reach the root of the trouble. Co-partnership and profit-sharing he believed to be the ultimate remedy of the industrial troubles. It abolished class distinctions, for under it all became employers, and the levelling was upwards. It would destroy "slowing down," for it gave to all an interest in producing to their fullest capacity, as they would share in the result. This 6ystem had been largely tried in other countries, especially among the gas companies of London, where 24,697 employees were now co-partners, and there was in every case nothing but peace and harmony and efficient production. It would be particularly suitable to the State railways, and also to municipal enterprises. (Hear; hear.)

Big Protective Combine Projected. There is everywhere in evidence a movement on the part of the Australian employers towards a now movement. The individual trade associations that have been in existence for years ara seeking further to solidify their internal cohesion, and.are at the same time) moving towards a general amalgamation. At a recent session of the Federated Master Builders' Convention, the fact was revealed that in South Australia such a soheme was already in operation, and that in Victoria progress was being made towards a complete system of employers' solf-defonce. The general idea is that tho various sectional associations should combine to produce a financially stable organisation which would secure tho enjoyment of certain privileges as between members of that body, iogother with a guarantee of combined authority in the protection and assurance of individual rights as against cutsido influences. The spirit of collective bargaining, which is tho fundamental cssonco of trades-unionism, is thus finding parallel expression in the ranks of tho other party. The report of tho sub-com-mittee appointed by tho Victorian suppliers on a nroposed constitution for tho projected CHamber of Building in that State conveys the root idea of tho move, inent. "With regard to the formation of a chamber such as suggested," it soys,

"wo think that attention might lie nioro particularly dTawn to tho remarks of Mr. H. M. Murphy (Secretary for Labour) in his lecture on 'National Efficiency' as representing the trend of public opinion, the .following excerpts of which' more pertinently apply:—'Ho thought it would be a good thing if employers, as well as employees, were forced to join a union. A complete body of employers or employees would speak with a corporate voice. It would do away with preference ot unionists, which had been the cause of much bickering and ill-feeling. There had been no real cohesion amongst the employers, who wero unable to depend on one another. If the employers established, a fighting fund, to tho extent of £1 for every .8100 paid in wages, ' it would amount in twelve months to> ,£1,300,000. If such a weapon were forged by tho employers, would it be improperly used? Would thoy make a corner that would be a danger to the community? He thought tho omplqyers could bo depended .upon just as<well as tho workers.'" In South Australia, the Employer*' Mutual Association, Limited, is a company with an authorised capital of .£106,000, to which the subscribers embody a wido variety of employers. These organisations subscribe for a period of four years at the rate of half per cenl. on their wages bill. After that the subscriptions are practically nominal. Tho present estimated wages bill of all the subscribers 's approximately .£1,500,000, and the annual subscriptions roughly ,£20,000. Where any one organisation is involved in some industrial trouble the weight of the whole body is thrown into the scale, and m case, of monetary loss adequate reimbursements aro made by tho company.

The deepest mine in tho world is tho Moro Velho gold mine, near Ouro Preto, Brazil, with a depth of more than 5900 feet. This mine has been in course of exploitation since the. eighteenth century. Its depth exceeds by 700 foct that of No. 3 shaft of the Tamarnck mine, in Houghton County, Mich., -which has commonly been cited as the dotpcat in tho world.