THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1908. A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9056, 3 April 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1908. A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

During a speech at Onehunga, a few days ago, tlva Premier, referring to the question of strikes and arbitration, said it would be necessary to consider a scheme whereby the dead level of court awards would be obviated and a system provided that would give an incentive to those prepared to work harder and more scientifically than their fellows. This is a move in the right direction, and if the Premier can devise such a scheme, and has the courage of his convictions, he will have earned the regard of his fellow colonists, even though he should fail through lack of support to carry out his intent. It is a question involved in difficulties, though in theory the idea is good and embodies just what is essential to make the Conciliation and Arbitration law effective. The trouble is that legislation upon such a subject must involve hard and fast rules, and what is required in the matter is elasticity to deal with ever-varying conditions. That the present system under which all in a trade or occupation are placed on a dead level of pay j has a downward instead of an upward levelling tendency, needs no argument in affirmation, and he will indeed be an appreciated as well as a wise legislator who can devise vvsys and means of overcoming the difficulty ' by statute law. Classification may appear to be a means to this end, but classification offers apparently insurmountable obstacles. In many instances employers endeavour, with mo"e or less success, to find a way out of the trouble by offering bonuses for special expertness shown by their employees. But there is this drawback to this via media: If a specially good man receives more than his fellows, it sometimes happens that this i is made an excuse on the part of his Union to fix the higher rate of re-

numeration as the minimum wage, and a new award is sought upon that basis. There is another obstacle. Some Unions object to the bonus system, and so prevent any chance of the workers getting out of the ruck of mediocrity. An example of this shortsightedness on the part of Unions may be given in connection with the boot-manufacturing business of Mr J. A. Frostick, of Christchurch. Feeling the per-

niciousness "f paying good workers and incompetent workers the same wage, he had established the bonus system, which, for a time, worked admirably; but the Unions stepped in and stopped this method of encouragement, and so once more equality of pay with equality of work obtained. This much he told a press interviewer in Christchurch. Of course the law might legalise, but it cannot compel bonuses or special consideration to be given for work above the normal; and so long as a minimum wage is fixed, how an enactment can be passed that will regulate trade matters so that the worker shr.il get his value whatever it may be, is a problem which will be hard of solution by any statesman. It is, however, gratifying to know that the Premier is willing to make the effort.