The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, APRIL. 9, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2049, 9 April 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, APRIL. 9, 1907.

“A battered old machine” is the uncomplimentary description applied by the Secretary of the Wellington ! Trades and nabor Council to the I Arbitration and Conciliation Act, ! a description which hardly fits. : It would in our opinion have been more apropos to call it ' a rusty old machine than a battered one, for its wheels have been allow;ed to rust by those who have had tho care of it. That is to say, they have not been kept going at a sufficiently rapid .rale to have brightened tliom up. When the machine was first made both the makers and the workers poured enough oil upon it to keep it from corroding for a very long time, and until quite lately they never ceased to pour on more oil, but tho bosses of tho legislative factory never did apply enough powor to it to keep it from corroding in its work. It was at one time the idol of tho great Liberal party ivlio sat and watched its slow movement with evident gusto, and prated about its enormous capacity for grinding industrial disputes into pulp and making them plastic enough to be moulded into monuments of industrial amity. But tho supply of the raw material has long ago increased beyond its capacity at the rate that was set it by the legislative bosses, and tho natural result is that there is an accumulation of work for it to do, and which it cannot overtake at tho present rate of progress. Now the bosses are talking of adding more steam power to it, and the reason they did not do so before was that they found tho machine rather an expensive one to work even at the slow rate of speed. They preferred to squander public money in other directions, and to allow the machine to dawdle along at its snail’s pace. They kept on adding annual sums to already high salaries in the Government' service which the machine could not touch, and which, if it did, it would not have sanctioned, while the lower order of workers (if we might term them such for want of a better description) waited for the machine to come along and help them to make both ends meet. Let it not be forgotten that this is the action of the so-called Liberal Government and that while the workers were kept waiting for arbitration the employers, who were supposed to be the enemies of Labor, according to the so-called Liberal bosses, were found willing to grant increased wages pending the arrival of the machine. The position is an instructive one and one that should not soon be forgotten by the workers themselves, for it shows beyond all doubt who it is that the workers can best rely upon in their hour of difficulty. Surely it cannot be the set of politicians who rule the position and who could grant them instant relief without expense to themselves by tho appointment of an extra judge of the Arbitration Court. Contrast their action with those employers who were willing to pay the extra cost out of their own pockets, and there w r ill be no difficulty in determiifljng who are the “friends of Labor.” But perhaps it would be better to put the matter somewhat differently, although the same conclusion is inevitable. On the one hand we have a set of men who owe their positions, their personal comforts, and their influence to the workers, and to whom the workers have naturally looked for that measure of fairplay which the law allows them, and who yet deny them that measure of fair play for no explainable reason save absolute neglect to administer the law as it should be administered ; that is, promjrtly. While on tho other hand the alleged enemies of Labor have held out the hand of friendship which was not an empty one even though it did not come quite up to the demands made upon it. Under the circumstances it was not reasonable to expect that it should have contained all that was demanded, for no man can be expected to pay more than what he considers reasonable, and in all bargains there must bo two ways of looking at the matter. It would have been quite extraordinary —a transcending of human nature, in fact —if tho employers had conceded the full demands. At anyrate, their action showed that they were not antagonistic to a fair settlement, and the»only obstruction to ascertaining what was a fair settlement was caused by the very men who alone had tho legal power to do so without personal cost except the trouble which a little more diligence would have entailed, and for which 'they were getting well paid. Instead of exercising that diligence in return for their salaries and what else they owe to the people . who placed them in position to obtain those privileges, they preferred _ to divert the money that would place an extra judge on the bench to the enlargement of salaries already too large for the services rendered. Under tho circumstances the Secretary of the Trades and Labor Council should hasten to amend his description of the old machine, and indent a fitting one for the bosses who have failed to permit it to do its work to the fullest extent of its capacity.

Tho salo is reported through Mi • \V. Lissant Clayton’s agency of Mr. A. W. L. Kidd’s Motu property to Mrs. Anderson, and Mr. J. It. linker's Pouawa proporty, AVhungara, to Mr. J. A. McDonell, at pricos satisfactory to vondors and purchasers. The season of tho Gisborno Tennis Club was brought to a close on Saturday, when the final gamo in tho combined doubles competition was played. After a good game Miss Bright and H. Bennett (receive 15) beat Miss McCrodie and W. J. Hawley (owe 40) by nine gnmos to eight. After the conclusion of play Mr. 1. A. Coleman presented trophies to the winners. Constable Irwin rode to Malcarori beach yesterday afternoon to investigate a reported discovery of human remains. A comploto skeleton was found, but apparently had boon buried there many years ago, and had been disclosed by the action of the sea. Identification was of course impossible^

Mr. Rowley, headmaster of the Gisborno School, has received the following letter from tho At ellmgton representative of the Associated Board of tho Royal Academy oi Music and the Royal College of Music -- “1 am advised by the London of ice I that one of tho exhibitions oflered annually by the Board to candidates in Australasia who showed, in the examiner’s opinion, exceptional musical promise, has been awarded to Miss Phyllis Fell, of Nelson. Those exhibitions are tenable for two years with a possible extension to three years at the Royal Academy of Music or the Royal College of Music in London, and consist of a full course oi musical tuition at either institution, free of charge.” At tho Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr Barton, S.M., William Clias. Whitfield was charged with stealing a wooden case containing four dozen bottles of English beer, tho value of £2 Cs, tho property of Common, Shelton and Co. Mr Bright appeared' for the accused. Constable McLeod, of Tolaga Bay, who conducted tho prosecution, in tho absence of Detective Maddern, applied for a remand till next Monday, in order to give the police timo for investigation. The application was granted, with bail of one surety of £25 and one of £SO. Henry Dixon appeared at the Police Court yesterday morning, to answer a’chargo of assaulting Geo. Smith with his clenched fist. He pleaded not guilty, stating that lie acted in self-defence. Constable McLeod asked for a remand, as the police had not had sufficient time to work up the case, and His Worship accordingly granted the remand till next Monday, bail being allowed ■ f one for £lO and two sureties of £lO each. Tho debate set down for last night it tho Gisborno Society’s meeting, in which the Rev. F. W. Cliatterton and Mr. E. H. Mann were to take part, was unavoidably postponed at the last moment, and on the vote of the members it was decided to hold a mock trial by jury. Mr. T. Alston Coleman acted as Crown prosecutor, uul Mr. C. F. Lewis as counsel for the defence. The jury was empanelled with all tho solemnity of the law. The indictment was read and forcibly supported by the evidence of jevoral witnesses for the prosecution and controverted by several other witnesses. As is usual in such cases, the charge being one of murder, the evidence was very contradictory and purely of a circumstantial nature. A verdict of “Not guilty” was returned, whereupon the judge heaved a sigh of relief at not having to don the black cap. The debate fixed for last night was postponed until Monday -week. Next Monday night a lecture on “Bacteriology,” which cannot, fail to be interesting, will be delivered. Members have the privilege of inviting their friends, and it is hoped a large number will be present. The society has been unfortunate in the weather, nevertheless the attendance shows a steady improvement. Three new members were elected, including one lady, and this addition brings the membership up to 72, which is considered highly satisfactory.