LABOR AND CAPITAL.

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 February 1909, Page 2

LABOR AND CAPITAL.

Tub-present are troublous times m industrial circles in this dominion. .lust within the List fortnight two disputes which threatened to culminate in a general strike were "patched up and for the time there is peace. How lone the present quiescence will remain no one can foretell, but of one thin« most people seem certain and tlnTis thai sooner or biter Labor and Capita] will engage in a desperate struggle which will be felt .in every nook'ami corner in the dominion. it is apprehension of an event such as this—which we hope will never occurthat has prompted the formation oi an "Employer's Defence Fund," s project whirh is being eagerly canvassed amongst employers in Auckland and Wellington. The idea seems to have met with general approval. For instance. Mr 11. 11. Seaton (president oj

the Xew Zealand Shopkeeper's Association) is an enthusiastic supporter. "Generally speaking," he said to a Wellington reporter, "employers are only too glad to keep out of industrial troubles ami acquiesce with any fair demands of the workers, but unless the proposed fund is 'nursed' certain employers might become too prone to allow cases to be brought againsl them. Losses of profits and damage .to property arising through strikes and the cost of necessary legislation ought (Mr Seaton thinks) to be covered by a guarantee insurance fund, towards which each employer should contribute in proportion to the amount of his wages bill. That should be a separate fund, out of which the money should be found to recognise loyalty on the part of workers to their employers. Any worker who stuck to his employer in case of emergency and who upheld Ihc law was deserving of some recognition." If was his opinion that the average employer was very apathetic hi.iil the shoe pinched him personally. | As a consequence the burden of fightI ing restrictive legislation had to be ' shouldered by a Few employers. In \other words, the minority pulled the J mils mil of the fire for the majority. I Mr Seaton significantly added thai a I more tolerant feeling on the part of I Labor executives was now apparent. due he thought, to the slighj depression that was prevalent. Mr 11. Innis ex-president of the Employer's Federation) in expressing approval of the scheme, thought that the fund should be established, if it were only to compensate employers for losses caused through strikes when the trouble

had iii-1 arisen owing to tho direct ac

\'v nof ill" individual employer. "Undoubtedly u step in -the right direction," was how Mr Lloberf Uannnh, hoot importer rind manufacturer, viewed (ho -proposal. Mr Hannah said that, it should have been brought forward at ;ii! earlier date as Labour had become a one-sided question. if the awards made by the Arbitration Court suited the workers they accepted thrtii, hul if they did no) they ignored them. He considered that the Government should compel both the employers and the workers to enter into a

! hoiid in each particular trade to secure j the carrying out of awards. If that J were done it would put an end to in- | dustrial strife. Mr G. Shirtdiffo | (late president of the Chamber of Comi niorco ami a city councillor) was found ji" be another supporter. "It is the j first step the employers have taken," ] he said, '-and I Itopc'ihey'll go through I with it. I could never understand | why the industrial associations and

thing of the sort long ago. The demands -if Labour are killing the place. Why, eight or ten years ago (lax-millers: were delighted 1., gel £l3 10s a ton !•■!■ hemp, and now thai i 1 is £2l » ton there is little or nothing in is for them. I use I to finance men in the business

| when it was £l3 10s, but 1 wouldn't jno nnylhinn; of (he sort while ii is I £2l a ton." With such a chorus of J unanimous .approval as this, it is I probable that the fund will bo brought into existence, but the initial I difficulties appear to bo somewhat disj conn ted by the commercial representsI fives interviewed. In any case, further ! movements connected with the proposal will be watched with keen interest.