The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1907. N.Z. AS AN OBJECT LESSON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3739, 8 January 1907, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1907. N.Z. AS AN OBJECT L ESSON.

It really seems as if New Zealand has attracted considerable attention in the old world. It has been possible in a sparsely populated country, peopled with a healthy independant race to experiment largely on socialistic lines. On this account countries whose conditions are widely different on account of denseness of population, vastness of poverty and other con-

ditions, have shown a desire to enquire into the working of our socialistic legislation, our conditions of life and so on. We haVe had in late years delegates from Russia, France, China, Japan America, and many visits from Australian politicians: They all claim to have learnt from us something about the way to run a country. Perhaps the legislative piece of work foreigners are most interested in is the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, an Act of such importance in this colony that its administration keeps a Judge of the Supreme Court and other members of C:e Arbitration Court busy the whole of their time. The British Home Secretary is sending to this country a distinguished person to examine working of our Arbitration Act, with, we suppose, the intention, if he finds the working satisfactory, of introducing such a measure in the Old Country. It is a remarkable thing that although the workers of New Zealand have themselyes been re-

sponsible for placing the Act oh the Statute Book, they are not always satisfied with the findings of the Court that administers the Act. For instance, the Ironmoulders’ Union protestedvigourously that the minimum wage of nine shillings per day for ironmoulders, fixed by the Arbitration Court, was not enough. Very likely it is not, but the fact remains that the Ironmoulders need not have brought a case before the Court and that had they not done so there would have been no question of a minimum wage at all. That is to say the best ironmoulder would have had the best wage. As long as the Arbitration Court keeps on conceding higher wages so long will it be favoured by organised labour. The Preference to Unionists clause demanded by most organised labour is going in Hie future to kill the Arbitration Act. Human nature isn’t built for preference to unionists. Whatever man may say abiml it man will never concede that eveiy other man of his trade is as good a man as he is and theiefoie entitled to the same wage. In theory its all right, but in

practice it won’t work very long. Dissent ion will conic from within and it will burst up the Arbitration Ad so much that there wont be any Act for foreigners to examine.