WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1916, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE ARBITRATION* SYSTEM. (Prom Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, November IS. Mr. Harold Beauchamp, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank of New Zealand, is .in observant and communicative traveller, and when he goes abroad the newspaper men flock to him for information and opinions. During his recent visit to America he was consulted by one of these gentlemen about the operation of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act in this country, and spoke rather disparagingly of the measure, holding that it was proving of less value than was expected on account of the impossibility of enforcing | penalties incurred by offending workers. Somehow liis remarks escaped the notice of the representatives of Labor at the time and were allowed to pass without comment by the local newspapers, Now, however, Mr. V. W. Eowley, the secretary of the -Labor Department, -has protested against their sweeping assumptions. He says bluntly that Mr Beauchamp "did not know what he was talking about," and goes on to show that from the inception of the arbitration system down to March 31 bis department had collected 95 ,per cent, of the penalties inflicted upon employers and 81 1 /. per cent,, of those inflicted upon workers. Remembering that t£e workers include in their ranlcs a certain number of irresponsible men without means, in no way typical of the morals of their class, this does not seem at all a bad record. WOMEN WORKERS. The question of the municipality employing women workers was brought before the Wellington City Council last night by a letter from the Women's National Reserve addressed to the -Reserves Committee, ofl'ering to supply women to relieve men of military ago who are now employed about the city gardens and plantations. The offer did not receive a very favorable reception from the Council, which had been advised by the committee that there was plenty of male labor available, but the National Reserve is not discouraged, and it is allowing no avenue of employment to remain unexplored. It is not seeking to put any man out of his job, but it wishes to satisfy the authorities that there are plenty of women ready to undertake any class of work suited to their sex and their strength. The I women do not place narrow limits upon themselves in this respect. They would not plough or shovel gravel from choice, but they would do any ordinary work about a farm or would drive horses in the city or in the country if they had the chance. What they want is work, at wages representing their worth, wliile the men are fighting at the front.