The Daily News. UNKNOWN CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81844, 11 September 1906, Page 2

The Daily News. UNKNOWN CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION.

Conciliation Hoards have never done this country much good, mi'icly b'cau-«• they haven't conciliated. See ing that in the past industrial disputes have been laid before these Boaids, the Boards have not settled them, and they have then been taken to the Arbitration Court, it seems al most unnecessary that even so small a sum as £3BB for a year's working of "Conciliation" should be spen'i. It was formerly a usual thing for a man who might be expected to know the least about industrial life to act as chairman of a Conciliation Hoard. As a matter of fact, both in Wellington and Auckland, the gently men who led the other gen tiemen, who were paid one guinea per day—or part of a day—were e'ergymen. Whether the clerical mind is more capab e of grasping the intricacies of Labour problems than the average ilay mind, is not clear, but the fact remains that the last two chairmen who preceded Mr I'. J. O'Kegan in the Wellington "Conciliation' 1 chair were the Rev. Crewes and the l<ev. Thomas.

* * # * The Conciliation Boards of the colony have not a great deal of power. They are unable to decide anything. They can merely suggest. Nothing they can say is final. They are, however, a distinct help to either party in a dispute if that party desires delay. They harass the course of justice by hearing a case at all, merely because the Arbitration Court is so rushed with work. Parties to a dis pute might go straight to the Court and get the case dealt with. On the other hand, they might dike to allow the conciliators a few honest guineas, be delayed a long time by "conciliatory" proceedings that have never—except in a few instancesbeen at all conciliatory, and eventually get fixed up by the Judge now, or next year, or the year after.

IT has been distinctly stated by the Minister for Labour that the Con ciliation Boards were incompetent. In fact, jt is now seen that it is foo.ish to give a carpenter blacksmith's work to do, not reasonable lu allow a navvy the repairing of your watch, and hup\o|'Giis to aii'ow a pertwn whose duty is I lie guidance of men spiritually to have charge of men whose business is the guidance of master Z. n '' nKUI ' is certain that up to litjW Conciliation ]* na 'ds have been woise than use Jess, that tiieyhavc not conciliated and have been the cause of delay, but it is not sug gested that they should be abolished. This would be too simple. Anything simple will not do in New Zealand, and, anyhow, in this particular instance, simplification would save guineas to the country, which is an other reascn why it should not be thought cf.

The futility of Conciliation Boards lies in the f ict that they have nu power of decision. They may talk for a week, but, not having- conciliated. their taik lias been of not the slightest value. If any suggestion or recommendation of a Conciliation Hoard were final until the Arbitralion Court had revived it, a great deal of injustice to parties to a dispute, wou'd be avoided. As it it, the Concilia tion Boards are merely trying- to fi'l a -ievc with wind at a guinea a day. Mr Millar, the Minister for Labour, in making a few remarks about the imperfections of the Conciliation and Arbitration Acts lately, showed a distinct leaning towards preference of employment to Unionists. There aie in New Zealand only zS.XGy trades' unionists, It is suggested by the said unionists and by the Mmiso, for Labour that because these nun are, in the words of the Minis ter. "Like a man paying money into a private company in the hope of getting a dividend," that 110 i.ut<ider should share." That is to say, be c.iuse a very >ntal! proportion of tht we.kers in New Zealand pay a small sum of money to band together for their own advantage, they a'one are entitled to ntake a living. It means that a Judge of the Aibilfation Court in the future may have to decide that John Jones, carpenter, with a wile and eight children, is breaking the law if lie, not being a unionist, takes a job that John Brown, single, and a unionist, wants. It may sound fair to you. It does not strike us that way.

The Arbitration Act. as you will see by the figures showing the number of unionist workers in New Zealand, is on tile Statute Books only for a small proportion of the people of New Zea'and. It is clear, by the neverending demand of this small proportion for preference, that the minority desire all the fat and wh'.l gladly allow the majority what is lelt. They want all the take, and are prepared in turn to give nothing themselves. Tile "other fellow" can go hang; he is not to be considered. In very many cases indeed workeis join unions and h'-nce get .ionic advantages the pon unionist does not obtain, merely because the union tag takes the pt'ace ot a certificate ol competency, which may be—and frequently is—missing. One cannot be 100 emphatic in say ing that preference to unionists in any trade whatever is going to be the death-knell of competency.

At (lie present moment the colonial worker, although lie is as capable as the 11' xt man if lie chooses. does not (house. There is the statuloi ywage limit tor competent or incompetent aiike. Thi-ru is 110 spur fur cither to do good work, and frequently he does work as perfunctorily and as s ovenly as he is able. The people nf New Zealand should be proud uf the skill of their workers, but tiny are going- lo have no reason to he if the standard of work is brought down lo the standard ot the Least Lumpetent, which is exactly tile effect preference to unionists will baV-

We have nothing against unionism when it exists nierelr to further the benefits of unionists but there is a distinct difference between furthering one's own ends and trying to push die other fellow down because he does not agree with yoti. If the unionist plan of gauging all men's capabilities by the capabilities of one man were followed in those walk-; of 1111• in which something more than mere mechanical si;i-'I is required, the d r aih of ambni"ii would come po-uy quickly. As it is. the lack of g lading amongst workers in media nica! trades has aheady had a bad effect' on their work. Anyone who is jealous of the reputation of New Zealand and the \"c« Zea'and worker canniii agree to any system thai will ki'l ambition. Preference to any class of men will kill ambition as dead as tin- Oue'n of Sheba.