THE GOSPEL OF PRUSSIANISE!.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1920, Page 4

THE GOSPEL OF PRUSSIANISE!.

MR JUSTICE HIGGINS STATES

HIS CASE

Mr Justice Higgins, President of the Federal Arbitration Court, having failed to get the parties # in the gas dispute to settle matters by a compulsory conference, said, in the course of a statement in Court, that he thought it his duty to state for the public benefit the position of the dispute in which the gas workers had ceased work in Melbourne. Since April last, His Honour said, the union had served on the company and other gas undertakings in several States a very lengthy log of do. inands, and insisted on certain concessions before arbitration. At last the company offered to increase the wages »f all adults by Is a day as from May Ist. This, in addition to Is a day grant, ed in December, meant an increase of 12s per week within five months. The union, however, insisted on an addition of 2s a day as from May Ist, week. ]y rates instead of daily, and a special additional increase in the secondary wage of stokers, skilled men, etc.; from 6d °to Is a day. At the compulsory conference the company offered to make a weekly instead of daily payments, and agreed to increase the secondary wage of stokers by 6d per day, and of skilled men by 20 per cent., on condition that there would he no stoppage of work uu- • til the award. The company would not grant a third shilling per day, and the union would not accept less. The rate now offered for unskilled labourers is 13s per day. “It is only fair to say,” said His Honour, “that if I bad to award now on the latest returns of the Commonwealth Statistician, I should net feel justified in prescribing as much as 135.” His Honour, referring to the strike, said no workers were in a better position to force their demands at the present juncture than the gas workers. That wa s probably why the gas workers were chosen. This as the very gospel of Prussianism —“Might is Right!” Meantime it had to he recognised that to yield to demands because pf strikes encouraged more strikes hereafter. The people of Australia desired that those in employment should have fair conditions. He acted upon that theory, and he would continue to act upon it..