The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, NOV. 19, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1936, 19 November 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, NOV. 19, 1906.

‘ Whex doctors differ, who shall decide?” There is a distinct difference between the doctors of labor law as to whether tho labor laws of this colony have operated to the advantage of the workers, and'no one hi'3 bean found yet who can decide the question to the satisfaction of tiny but themselves* Wnen Mr J. Ramsay MacDonald, Chau man of the Independent Labor Party in the British Rouse of Commons, we.s entertained at Wellington a foinight ago, ho said “ ho found two aeiious problems in the colonies. In the lest thirteen years wages hud gone up slightly - about St per cent—while the cc*3t of living had increased by anything from 20 to 40 per cent.” And at another time ho expressed the opinion that the Arbitration Court awards were responsible for tho increased cost of living. If that is the true position of the matter one may wonder what becomes ot all tho boast ing of tlio late Premier and his colleagues about what they had doao for tho working man in the way of labor legislation which inerocssd his wages about 8A- per cent, or about an average of Os per week, and saddled him with a set-off in tho way of expenses of living of three times tho amount or ovor. The Hon John Rigg, however, cornea to the rescue of the Government and denios Mr MacDonald’s conclusions, and as Mr Rigg is the fouudor, and was until a few weeks ago the President of the Independent Labor party in this colony, it ia not easy to set up a tribunal that can decide the mattor in dispute botwoon them. Mr Bigg’s denial, however, is a qualified one, for he says that while he does not agree with Mr McDonald's deductions he is “ strongly of opinion that the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act has not appreciably increased the cost of living, nor has it generally raised the standard of wages.” Well, if the Act, according to Mr Eigg, has not “ increased the standard of wages” while it has, though not “appreciably,” increased tho cost of living, there is not much after all for the Government to brag about as the champions of the working man. Our own opinion is that the Act has both lowered and increased the standard of wage3 —that is, it has lowered the wages of the best workmen while it has increasod the wages of those who do not ready earn the minimum fixed by the Arbitration Court:. It has been the means I of ranking all workers of a trade or class on the same level, whereas there is as muoh difference between turn carpenters, two or two laborers as there is between the quality of two pairs of blankets sold by a draper, one pair of which could not be bought for double tho price of the other ; but the Act treats all men as of equal value, though they could not if they tried do an exactly equal amount of work unless they were watching each other all day long. It prevents

tho good man from earning move than the man who cannot do as much work and therefore injures tho best men by preventing them from making tho most of their time. And if to this disadvantage is added the further one of evon slightly increasing the cost of living, as it admitted by both the labor leaders mentioned, its advantages from a labor point of view aro very small indeed, and these ODly are in favor of

the weaker men, But the Act has served its purpose and ha 3 been an immense advantage to a sot of men who are not workers but talkers in the cause of labor, for it has kept them in positions that command very high wages for very Rtla work. Tlieso

gentlemen, too, form their own Arbitration Court, and when it came to a question of increasing their own wages they did not hesitate to do it

without consulting their employers, o;

whom tho workors themselves form no

neonsidorable part, and out of whoso

hard-earned wages a very large portion of their salariee are drawn The Con-

ciliation and Arbitration Act need not be blamed for tbe whole of the increase that has taken place in the cost of living, becaiiso it is easy to traco a

very great deal of it to other causes,

and it is just as easy to find out where and how it could, be reduced by the

very men who profess to bo bursting with anxiety to serve tho workers of this colony. For instance, the “ free

breakfast table,” so long talked about when votes are wanted but never beard

of until elections are in view, might well bo arranged for, and the lots to

revenue easily balanced by curtailing grants to political partisans, free trip s to footballers, expenditure on Ministerial billiard saloons, increases ia

ealaricH ovor £SOO a your, ami a huu died othor things that cost tho colony many thousands of pounds annually and do no good to anyone but tho select few who roved, in tho luxury o! public expenditure. Or it might bo arranged to run tho business of tho county at a

vory much loss cost by compelling some of those who draw b'g salaries to return a quid pro quo in tho form of work for tho money they got instead of paying a host of others to do it for them, and no inconeidorablo sums co rid bo saved in tho writing of alleged history und tho printing ot boohs that are of no int. ro rt or use to anyone below tho rank of Uabinot Minister If those things were submitted to an ■ rbitration Court empowered to do justice to everybody eoncornod, it

would bo quite sal'o to guarautoo that the cost ot living would bo reduced and workers would have a bettor olutiioo of putting by a few shillings tor a rainy day which they now have to sholl out to tlio grocer and the draper, who m turn has to pay the Customs officers before tho necessaries of life can bo supplied at present cost Tho woilcor is rnoro deeply interested in other laws than thoso directly affect ing labor conditions iliau the average worker troubles himself to find out, but ho would do well to intorest him

self in the matter and help to pu firings straight for his own benefit.

There were no cases iu the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday,

Tho ainnmiK Xaruwr.rß had a rough imp {coin tbo 0 pe yo'-tseday. Lauds in the town of J'aLutalii and village of Molu will bo offered for sale at tlio Land Oflice on Wednesday,

Several charges against persons for alleged breaches of the Licensing Act will come on for hearing in the Magistrate’s Court this morning. Tho Lev. D. Party lcoiufoi at tho baptist Tabernacle to night on Diokons’ eolebrated story, 11 The Old Ouiioaisy Bbop,’'

Mr J. A. Caesar having declined rc-olcetion as Chairman of Directors of the Kia Ora Dairy Company, Mr E. Knight lias been elected to the position Tho Superintendent of Jnvenilo Tontn in tbo Now Zealand Ccnlral District of the Ueohabito O.dtr (Bro. T. Fathers) arrives in Gitboruo on Wednesday next on his official visit to tho lcoai Toots. A meeting of the shareholders in the Gisborne Co-operative Buildiug Society will bo hold to-night, when loans totalling £llOO will bo disposed of. The annual meeting of shareholders in tho Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ Frozen Meat Company will bo bold at 11 a.m. on Saturday next. The Hon. ,T. Carroll anived from Wellington oil Saturday. Ho is slowly recovering from his recent serious illness and yesterday was able to sit out on the verandah in the sun. His medical adviser rocommends a complete rest for some weeks. Mr Carroll still looks far from well, but it is hoped that the change to Gisborne climate will prove of geeat benefit in restoring biui to health, The Kaiti school committee have been vory fortunate in the high-class of teachers offering their services. Out of many applicants they have recommended Mr J. LL Bull as headmaster, Miss Lewis mistress, Miss Dorothy Fyson and Mr John Hogg pupil teachers. In accordance with the regulations second applications of a high order were submitted to tho Board for the main positions. The following is a list of unclaimed letters lying at the Gisborne Post Office, and received during the month of October : Barker and Martin, Miss X. Clayton,’ J. Cochrane, C. F. Cross, C. F. Graham, 11. Gunn, 8. Hamilton (2), J. Matheson, M. Moengaroa, M. O’ Keane, Mrs A. O. Pickersgill, J. Quinnery, T. A. Lodgers, Miss Sullivan, Mrs J. Sullivan, J, Taylor, and J, Webb.

A small muster of the Gisborne Rifles rocoivcd instructions in field firing from Sergeant Major Williams on Saturday. The wet weather was responsible for the small attendance. The shooting taken on the whole was good, At the meeting of the Gisborne Farmers' Union held on Saturday, Mr Tuohy gave vent to his feelings on the Land Bill. Mr Tuohy’s strong point was, that ho objected to sons of townspeople being allowed to select land while working for their parents, settler's sous being debarred from the same privelego. He thought farmers’ and settlers’ sons should be treated with the same fairness as sons of townspeople. lie considered if this became law, great injustice would bo done to men who had settled on the laud and wore bringing up families. A great attraction on S isurday night was the new business premises opened by Messrs Burton and Gciiliies, in (be band" some two storied brick struoiure rcplocing the old Beehive building. Tho aew shop was visited by a great many people, all of whom admired the flue display, everything being in keeping with the evideDoa of industrial progress. Tho members of the firm have had the best of experience, and with their large and up-to-date stock should aoon establish a popular and flourishing business in Gisborne. Among the congratulatory telegrams received by the parents of the triplets born on Wednesday last was the following from the Premier :—“ Congratulate you and Mrs Middleton npoa tho groat domestic event in your family. I sincerely hope Mrs Middleton and tho new arrivals are all doiDg well, —J. G. Ward.”

Mr George Foster (who was for rnaoy yo9rs in business in Gisborno ns a chemist and removed to Waaogarei) arrived from tha North Inst ovaning, owiog to the serious illness of his sister, Mrs J. Morgan. Aboct one p.m. on November 6 (reports tho Timaru Pos‘) a olond burst over Uaogiora, discharging a quantity of ioa ia small conical sharpos, the szo of thimble s , but not with any degree of foroe. Damage was done to some glass verandahs. After the first patter of iccstanes there oame a fall of small snowballs, wbioh (ay in dabs on the footpaths and meltsd in (.ho sun. Tho fall barely lasted a minute. A singular aooident happened at Hamilton last weolr. A young man named Began wa> riding a poay at a alow oanic-r along the River road. Without any apparent oauss the animal suddonly fell, brer king both its hind legs. M; Stone, jun., who wilnsssed the ac-cidant, procured a gua aad put the animal out of its miscrv,

Flags wero flying at half-mast yesterday cn the belfry, Government oflioos, and from o; her buildings in ooai'equeae3 of tha death of the Hou. Albert Put, AttorneyGsneral and Minister of Drfeuoe. Tho God- A Pitt was bora in Tasmaaia, whore ho studied law. Arriving in New Z ■ aland in tho “ sixties,” ho gravitated to Nelson, where he practised for many years as head of the firm of Pitt and Moore, soiioiiora. Ho always took a deep interest in vo'unteeriug, and commanded the Nelson voluutoers for a number of years. He I went to England in charge of the Jubilee Contingent, being promoted to Lieut - Oolouel. He contested the Nelson seat on several occasions, but was defeated. Ho was given,a teat in the Ltgislative Ooun cil on 28. d December, 1899, and on the death of Hcd. Mr Walker, Colonel Pitt was appointed Government representative in the Council,

Last night a number oi' people assembled

in Tuwnlcy’s Hull under the auspices of the Gisborne Spiritualist Society to hear one Henry E. Howes, who describes himself as a clairvoyant, psvchoinctrist, and mental healer from England. One of tho members of the Society in introducing the lecturer, described him as a clairvoyant “ with remarkable visions,” also great on

11 magnetic healing,” and hoped those who came to the lecture would profit much thereby. The speaker was also careful to accentuate, “ and profit to Mr Howes.” The lecturer who has a strong nasal accent, preached a sermon on

“ Man’s Pilgrimages here and hereafter,” which was only remarkable for ' the dramatic and grotesque attitudes he assumed and the “ mystic ” whisper ho occasionally fell into. At the conclusion of the address Mr Howes gave some demonstrations of his power as a spiritualist,,