The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, JUNE 30, 1890.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3549, 30 June 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, JUNE 30, 1890.

A Wellington merchant who owns three coasting steamers recently responded to a demand of the Maritime Union for increased wages by laying up his boats. This occurrence illustrates a certain law. of trade under which a. contraction of business follows

upon an increase ef expenses, and on the other hand an expansion of business ensues upon a reduced cost of production. In the particular instance to which we refer, the owner of the

boats was disbursing a thousand pounds per month, in manning and maintaining them. This money has been spent in Wellington for many years, but is henceforth lost to tlm Empire City. 'As Jar as. we can gather the result of the change will cause a certain amount of temporary inconvenience to coaafc settlers, who have been accustomed to find cargo

for these boats,,.but the trade wil

readily be diverted anil land carriage will supersede it. Tho trade may be said to be lost to Wellington, for once diverted it is Unlikely to be regained. Land carriage may be slightly dearer than sea 'freight, but it is', more certain and punctual, and once stationholders have airanged their contracts with carriers they are unlikely to disturb, them unless "uprcountry teaoißtors' become unreasonable in their charges, ' The direot effect of the action of the Maritime Council in this instance is to take a valuable £lice,'of business from the. toilers of i the sea and divide it between tho

bullock drivers of Wairarapa Worth and the district railway. It is aii illwind that blows nobody any good, and we in this district have some reason to feel grateful to the Maritime Council for putting a little business in our way which will help us along. Labor troubles' in Wellington. mean

the divergence of trado from the | Empire City'in this instance,, sod probably in' others, Here, without any strike, we see Wellington losing a very ojmiorlable nest egg. It. does not take much to divert trade, If

from any source the cost of conducting a .private business . be increased,; it matters not whether it be that of a butcher, a baker, a tailor, or a diaper, the. result is,; assuming thai the business will not stand tbe additional charge,'*; tint.the shop has to bo. shut and lb* trade connection is lost. It is much the me-with jiublio companies and large 'labor establishments ;any iriterferoncQ withtlieii';ordinar/ course of business 1) followed ,by n fieri mancnt injury 'andloosofionneotion; Io the special case to which we have ■ referred, the ownetof the'boats is ho; a loser, because at the time lie laid them np they were not paying expenses,' but the joss will be felt: by the labor party in. the Empire oity

Before tlie labol question iS hoiked out in typ shall probably obtain fuller nnjj stronger evidence as:, .to ,the. injury to telocal mduauiea which--is inseparable from mcrtßsed demands for - wages,' more especially, where tlioy are enforced with threats of strikes, The example we lirao qiiotedjvboweveiv ougbl to be sullioient to decide thoughtful menl to lather bear tho ills they havo than i to fly.to.othorsthat thoy■ know not of. If . those who employ labor id New Zealnnd.find it necessary to nwlte astand; against demands whioh my become intolerable,- the edilico whioh the Unions are so - busily engagod 'in building up wilj. full to pieces like.a - unemployed hand created by their actions recruits a brigade : of i unfortnnates, already becoming numerous, Which will inevitably .turn againsVlho power which deprived them of their employment. At present unionists are the masters of the situation; but both' above and below they are. menaced with loss,An organisation of employers on the one side, or au organisation of the unemployed on the other would.make the position they ' have taken up untenable. In England public opinion hijS- supported strikes. in many instances because, current wages' there have been less than tnen could live upon, Thfy however, is not, aud has not been the case in New Zealand; and as far as we can gather there, is, apart from 'politW. considerations, less publio sympathy here with unionism than is manifested in the Mother Country. ;'''