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Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1929, Page 4

Tin l timin'! - industry in New South Wiilos appears to he involved in auotlier of these interruptions of indusfrv of '.vhicli the Commonwealth hits lnul more tliun its share. Tin* employees in tin l timber mills have taken offences id an award of the Arbitration Court which increases their working week to IS hours, 'they have decided to defy the court and to disohev its award, 'they refuse one of their spokesmen, who happens to he a notorious Communist. Ims said to work for more than ‘l4 hours a week. The principle of the eight-hour day is involved. and it innv he regarded as certain that the other issues, immensely important though they are. that are raised will, upon one side at least he obscured through the prominence that will he given to this principle. Tt is a principle that is worthy of every respect, and sympathy may he I’reelv expressed with any section of workers that is in danger of having to submit to tin l sacrifice ol it. If can only he maintained, however: where economic considerations do not demand that it should he relaxed or suspended. And this is what seems to Inv. happened in the timber milling industry in Australia. Kigures that were submitted io the Arbitration (mut showed that between 1 !)-■! and HH’i the hush mills of Now South Wales made an average profit of 1.0 l*' 1 ' ( ' ollt 1,11,1

the provincial Liuvher-yarils an average pro.it of 1.7 per cent., while in Victoria there as an average loss on hush mills of 1d.2 per cent, in 1927 and an average profit of only 1.7 per cent since 1923. The timber-yards in .Melbourne made profits up to 25.6 per cent, in hut these dec-lined to 2.8 per cent in 1927. The profits in South Australia have ranged between a modest and a. negligible amount. Tn these circumstances the Full Court decided that the working hours in tlie industry must be brought into accord with economic facts. Til coming to this conclusion it was guided by the provision of law that “the Court shall before making any award or certifying any agreement lake into consideration tlie probable economic effect thereof upon the industry or industries concerned,” with the limitation—a concession to labour—that the existing basic wage should not he distributed. The matter resolved itself into a question whether the industry should he closed down or the workers should in order to preserve their employment, submit to an extension of the working week. The cnArhitration Court considered that the depression in the industry justified an exension of the working week..Tlie om plovees have apparently been influenced to the decision that, however depressed the industry may be. they shall not case its condition by working four hours extra in the yeek. Rather than do that, they will throw up their employment and defy the Arbitration Cqiirt into tlie bargain. Their attitudo is that an award of the court should he obeyed only if it is favourable to them. Obviously the arbitration system is reduced to a mockery if an award of the Court may be either accented or disregarded at the pleasure of any one of the parties that should he hound l>v it.