THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7945, 22 January 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1906.

The fight for the "opea shop" is making eood progress in America. From the employer's point of view the "open shop' means "the right of any individual to work where and how he pleases without restriction or domination; from the union man's point of view it is—so says a writer in the "World's Work"—a "weapon for the destruction of the union -a step to the non-union shop." We are told that the fight for the "open shop" was preoipitated by the restriction of output, able-bodied men being limited to a certain amount of work by union rules, the limitaton of apprentices, interference with by walking delegates, the sympathetic strike, which forced thousands of employers into a oontest in which they bad no interest, and the boycott, which black-listed goods made in shops where union labour had been deposed. The establishment of a labour bureau follows a victory for the ' open shop" in a strike. Any man of good oharaoter wanting a job applies to these, and in most cases secures work free' of charge. Ho must give a complete

record of this career, stating why he left the places at which he was previously employed. The secretary of the agency enquires into the record, aud if it is found to be correct, the mpn is given a card to an employer needing men. In this way the employers find out who the disturbers are, and they are kept out of the factories. Further, the labour bureaus keep iu touch with one another, and if a strike is threatened, for instance, in Now York trades, the New York secretary can send telegrams to all the labour bureau secretaries, asking them to send men quickly toNew York. The bureaus, in fact, have proved to the unions that the employers are no longer at their mercy, and that there is always a force of effloient men ready to be rushed to the union vacancies. It has made leaders cautious about "calling men out." The beginning of 190(3 see 3 a sharp contest for the "open shop" extending to nearly every State. The power of the walking delegate as a disturber of peace and industry is passing, and the non-union worker now knows that he can be proteoted in his right to work as be pleases.

It is interesting to note, says the Hawke'a Bay Herald, the relief with which foreign countries have learnt the defeat of the tariff reform party in Great Britain. Especially is this trie case in Germany and the United States. These two countries are the two chief rivals of the Motherland in the manufacturing way, and the latter is also a great exporter of foodstuffs—grain and cattle—to the English markets. They were the countries who stood to lose if Mr Chamberlain's policy bud been successful, and anyone who has watched the utterances of the foreign press will know quite well" how keenly Interested tbey were <n the struggle. They are now experiencing a feeling of relief. For some time to come they will not be hindered in exploiting the English markets and in competing with British manufacturers and British workers, without giving a similar privilege in return. No doubt tbia feeling of uncertainty as to the polioy of Great Britain was a large faotor in the movement lately proceeding in the United States for a revision of the tariff. Now that Mr Chamberlain has been beaten, it will bp interesting to see how tho tariff . reform movement in Americans affected. While Germany can supply Great Britain with railway material cheaper than'the British rnanuafcturer can, th« latter is not permitted to compete on even terms in the Continental markets. We printed a cablegram recently stating that Messrs Thornoyroft and Vickera Sons and Maxim, two of the Ifigest British engineering firms, had been compelled to get their work undertaken for the Italian Government carried out in Italy, by reason of prohibitive tariffs. This, no doubt, looks like enterprise,on the part of the Britisher, and in one sense it is. The firms will make a handsome profit out of their contract*, we may hope. But the British worker will not. Be must look on while the firms' contracts are executed by Italian workers. We- do not hear of German firms coming to England and employing British workers. Their contracts are carried out at home, and their own people reap the benefit. We have been a good object lesson—one of a great number—in the effects of foreign Protective tariffs on a Freetrade country.