Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1909. THE THIRD PARTY IN INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4364, 23 January 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1909. THE THIRD PARTY IN INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

I his above all—to thine own self be true , Ind it must follow as the night the day Jhou canst not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

It may appear to the general onlooker upon a dispute between capital and labour that he is himself somewhat of an outsider. But he is by no means such. His share in the effects of the disagreement is paramount, and when reviewing the history of the Dominion strikes during the last year we cannot help seeing that the third party associated with the results at least of a strike immediately affecting the public convenience, is entitled to much more consideration than it usually commands. If when labour legislation is before the house, more imagination were exercised and a consideration as to whether intricate and delicate points in new laws would bo likely to bring employers and employees into conflict to the disorganisation of city and country industries, it would be much better for the Dominion. To make it penal to strike where a public utility is involved, and yet to create conditions which make work impossible, is a most unfortunate mismanagement of state affairs.

The suggestion that there should be somewhat less of legislation is perhaps a timely one. for a chance

to chew lhe cud of political experiment would doubtless benefit all classes of the community. To pass a law for the benefit of the one side, yet overlook the possible means of safeguarding its interests which will be resorted to by the other side, while the hapless public has to endure the arrest of its industries, indicates grave want of reflection. We are ripe for a more reflective era in onr political development. However fair the intentions of the Government, they have certainly presented the aspect of an organisation for the promotion of the interests of one party in industrial matters at the expense of the other party. It appears time that both sides of the industrial position should receive equal conconsideration, and also that the general public, in the form of the dependent industries, those industrses not involved in the question under dispute, should be better safeguarded against the results of un-thought-out schemes of compensation. It is obviously desirable that we should pursue our policy for improving the general social and economic conditions of the bulk of the population, without interfering any more than can no be avoided with the pursuance of our industrial development. This is a point which requires to be borne in mind by our Government. If the statejguarantee of the risk is the inevitable outcome of this piece of legislature, which is at the bottom of the mining trouble, it ought to have been thought of, and dealt with thoroughly before the new compensation enactments were passed. We trust that this object lessen will suffice to teach our legislators more forethought.