The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 18th, 1926. LABOR EXCESSES.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 18th, 1926. LABOR EXCESSES.

SiuiAoc.'Nd the wheels of production is the particular excess which labor organisation.'- result to far too frequently "I late years. Loss and disorganisation result, and everybody suffers. If there were some scientific instrument b.v which the measure of the suffering could he ganged, we believe it would be the workmen or those dependent on them, who in the end, suffer the greatest loss by the tactics which aim at foisting the loss on their employers, but which boomerang-like fall back upon themselves. The position is growing more or less acute from the frequency with which the excess is

practiced. There are .signs, from time to time that public opinion is shaping itself- for after all it is the community ns a whole which feels the pinch ''arising from these .industrial disputes. Trading and commerce are affected, and the effect of a strike or go-slow period extends far ho.vond the scene of the immediate strife. Public opinion is now asserting itself on the subject, and the trend is towards some legislature act on the' part of the Oovornment to deal once and for al ivith the menace to general prosperity—under which all might flourish. The feeling seems to be that the Arhi (ration Act should be overhauled, il not revised, with the object of keeping labor organisations to their part of the bargain made under the Arbitration Act. This would not affect the principle of conciliation and arbitration as it stands on the statute hook, hnt rather would it add a penal clause, as it were, to ensure the terms of legal contracts being observed or otherwise enforced without the possibility of production being dislocated. The unions have derived great benefits from the Act, the privileges and concessions won building up the strong union position as we see it to-day. But the Act does not control strikes, though it regards strikes as illegal. The strike weapon is used all too frequently, yet nothing is done to check that dissolute spirit. The feeling amongst the unions is to take all "hich can he secured under the labor la"s, and give nothing tangible hack in rejftirn. Indeed, [the unions go further, and if they cannot get what they want for the time lieing, they 'esort to punishing tactics outside the law in the endeavour to enforce tlieii demands. It has come to he regarded that there is a serious defect in the arbiteation law—the lack of a lenalty— to meet those who sc. openlv out the law. The suggestion which ~ns , n "'ode i„ the past, and is now being repeated in different quarters, is that unions should incur the penalty of deregistration in the event ’* any combined illegal act contrary to the award under the law of arbitraPerhaps the amendment to be ,mdo might go further, and include a monetarv penalty on the leaders who I’ 1 tf !° ° ftCn a,e the Penary cause of the (l,sn, l , t.on. How often has it been apparent that the men have been badly

<■< and wore victims of circumstances '' ' Vl " ( ' h "* mem, 'ew <>f a anion they > cl no control. There is no doubt I" 1 ,n >iendnient to the labor laws hear"Vt on the subject referred to, will Ik? pressed f or under the new Govern"H‘nt. and looking to the national impoi tanee of the question, there is no issue of graeter moment to the Dominion than that industrial peace Should reign throughout New Zeal"nd, and production, more production ' still more production, should become the slogan of the country to meet the great difficulties which are to ho faced in the days to come.