SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1908. THE NEW ARBITRATION ACT.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43378, 26 September 1908, Page 2

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1908. THE NEW ARBITRATION ACT.

There is no doubt about it that the Hoq. the Minister for Labour has both a tedious and unfortunately a somewhat thankless task, in his “ honest endeavour to put the Arbitration Act in working order. ” But whatever those immediately affected by the multitudinous clauses and sub clauses may think about this point or that, there can be no doubt that the doing away with the paid agitator wi'l bea distinct gain. The whole object and aim of all successful labour legislation is without doubt to obviate obstruction, to avert strikes, to promote confidence between employer and employed. Experience has to be our guide in all matters affecting our industrial relations, and experience has abundantly proved that to have the general body of labour swayed by one man, a man who has had no training in nearly all trades in which from time to time he conducts disputes, is to allow the Act no chance of success. How can a man who does not understand the requirements of the confectionery trade for instance, be in a position to know what the men engaged in that trade may at a given time, and under given circumstances demand ? The same applies to all trades, and unfortunately, where a union with funds in hand to conduct a dispute, is approached by an agitator, who feels that he must be doing something to earn his salary, with the suggestion that a higher wage should be demanded, or some other concession nought, such a union is too apt to accept the agitator’s advice without stopping to find out whether such a concession can be gained. It is clear to everyone who reflects for a moment that to leave disputes to arise by a sort of spontaneous generation, that is to leave the men in a given industry to discover for themselves when they have a grievance, is much wiser than to allow the combined body of labour to employ one man to devote his time to going round and interraedd-

ling in industries which he would have to be as old Metheuselah to practically know all about. The fact is that men can no more pay one man and set him apart to do their thinking, and promote their causes, to work them up into agita- ( tions fruitless or otherwise, with any hope of satisfaction, than they can pay one man to eat or sleep for them. The only chance then for the workers is to be left to themselves, each union for itself to find out its needs, and its chances of advancement, to agitate or rather ventilate its grievances, to meet the employers in a reasonable spirit, and be met by them in the same spirit, to talk matters over, frankly and intelligently* 8 ating a case which they have thoroughly thought out for themselves. As to the participants in such councils being marked men, would they be more marked than the many men who have been called to give evidence in cases in times past ? Ignorant agitation is the very curse of labourer and employer alike, ignorant agitation is the last thing we want- What we do want, is that participation in disputes shall be limited to men from both sides who have a practical grasp of the question involved, with an independent ma« to preside. That this independent “ commissioner ” should be a man of a practical turn of mind, and not likely to be misled by weighing mere technicalities too nicely, we would submit. In view of the needless disputes which have been fomented in the pas*, leading to misunderstanding and loss of faith between employer and employee, it is high time that the disputes when they do arise should be lifted altogether out of reach of those who do not fully understand the ins and outs of the industry affected.