Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1909. AN EX-MINISTER OF THE CROWN’S OPINION.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4459, 7 September 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,1909. AN EX-MINISTER OF THE CROWN’S OPINION.

Uis above all—to thine own eel/be true, hnd *t mutt follow at the night the day Thou canet not then be fake to any man Shakespeare.

When the Hon. James McGowan was before the Royal Commission now inquiring into the real condition of the New Zealand Police Force, he gave expression to an opinion on work and wages, well worth consideration. What he said, opens up a very wide and important question. The report says

'< Mr McGowan was asked the question that has been put to almost every witness that has attended before the Commission, viz., the reason why there is such a great difficulty in obtaining recruits for the police force. He replied . The formation of so many unions and the Arbitration Court awards has given to men engaged in manual labour, and gome of the trades a much higher rate of wage than previously obtained. Thus men who might otherwiso join the police iorce find that they can do much better by taking up a trade. The principle of increasing wages by Arbitration Court awards, in my opinion is an unsound one. Every person is a seller of something—hi* services, his labour, or his advice. If the Arbitration Court puts the price of labour or services of any kind above its economic value, the country and that particular trade is in danger. Wages keep on going up, and whilst the country can *tand it so long as it is prosperous, when depression comes we must suffer”

Of course that principle of fixing wages is an unsound one. If it be right to fix by law the wages of particular workers, why not fix also the wages of general workers, such as clergymen, doctors, editors,

authors, surveyors, engineers, agn culturists, agents, bankers, insurance managers, and others ? Why not ? Because it is wrong and unsound in principle and utterly unworkable ra practice, although Socialists claim that when they overthrow the present Industrial system and replace it with a Social Democracy, that is the principle by which they will pay labour. A central authority will fix all rates of pay. Now if we go to the root of the matter we find that the principle, which Mr McGowan says is an unsound one, is embodied in a law of the land which may be called hasty legislation. . It was due to the inexperienced men getting into Parliament—men who had little or no knowledge of political philosophy, political economy, or political history. They had too ltttle knowledge of the world and its past doings, or present real requirements, to know what was best for existing society in general, and the manual toilers in particular. Hasty legislation has done much harm in Germany, England, and Australia, and it is the bane of New Zealand. What we want is not more legislation, but better administration and political rest. If we had our will we would give our members of Parliament a holiday fora very long rest after they had amended some existing laws to make them less injurious. In the natural world we see that evolution is gradual. Nature s best and most admirable work is slow and silent. The durable oak and kauri are a long time attaining to maturity, and we find that the longlived animals and man are slow in growth. The earth assumed its present form slowly; and. only gradually became a fit habitation for man. Man’s physical, intellectual, and moral growth are gradual. The best books, laws, and scientific achievements have been the result of patient thought, close and consistent reasoning, and the judicial judging of past history, natures methods, and future probabilities j and possibilities. The day has arrived and the clock has given warning of striking the hour, when in New Zealand our legislators must adhere more closely to nature’s methods in Government. Natural laws are inflexible, wise, and beneficial to all, not to a small section of the people. It is everybody s interest to obey them. They were made for all. But many of the political laws on the Statute Book are made for a few. We hold no brief for rich or poor \ but we do hold one for the people. We want justice for all. We want to see the wise and good Government of the people, by the people, for the people through the best and wisest re 1 * presentatives of the people that can be got to undertake the supremely important work of law making and administration. If a law be passed only for workers, or only for employers, then we are dead against it Class legislation is a wrong inflicted on the people. Parliament muat be unjust to pone, “He’s true to Gti who’s true to man. Where’er a wrong is done, To the humblest, or the weakest ’neath the All Beholding SunJ That wrong is also done to us ; and they are slaves most base. Whosp love of right is for themselves and pot for pll the rape."