| Show PICTURES CONDITIONS IN A COUNTRY WRITING tAI to l paper says says a aSt Iy St Louis dispatch to the New NewYork NewYork York Herald Thomas Clarkson or of New gives an account of the effect or of compulsory ar in abolishing strikes and In obtaining pece peace between employer and Mr Mi Clarkson says eay years ago strikes were not uncommon In New Zealand Early In Inthe Inthe the the history of this far of oft Isle the conOd conflict betwee between capital and labor be became factor and threatened came a to blight the future of a country those natural advantages to have predestined for it a an Important place among th the nations Thing Things came to toa toa a head when a maritime strike ted tied up the shIpping and stopped trade be between between tween the Cast toast and also with N New r Australia The Th boycott lasted wees weeks In that brIef period the small colony clony suffered to ta te the extent t ot of nI It was to ta precept n a repetition of oh a catastrophe that the legislature hoh has alWayS displayed e remark remarkable remarkable able courage In grappling wih with big of t the e ec the con cl ton and arbitration act In refer reer once to this an and other laws laws relating to labor it should be pointed out that New Zealand the Working casses classes direct Influence e on the legis legislation lation of th the country This 1 Ie i exerted not bY a sit in the l but b by Un a at l meetings at a liberal use open in the newspaper ard mid at the ballot banot box In the frt first In Inet et nce the act wa was dawn drawn up un in such suchS sucha S a vay as to proVIde for for ahen tway ren the the parties partes to a dispute agreed I to this method of adjustment The re rc suIt was a failure and n te the ture then went a a step and p ed the act which ha has now been on n trial for tor teh years The New Zealand conciliation and arbitration act deals generally wih with S the wages hours a of labor and d general of oC employment I It provides S fth the he ot of unions of work and 10 ot of employers in eon coh wih any trade e or ind industry U S 1 In Inthe the Ithe of the country Thus In 11 lie n a t fj o R popl J are s separate e el l Q r t an c Ick r V plasters butchbaker irn iron work workers workers ers tobacconists forth and anji so There is nothing to o compel a work workman ork man to join one ot of these unions but he usually doeS so for hi his ow Inte t The act stipulates cearly clearly tat that te the con I of these UnIOns must be such as to i easy for t te join I The almost invarIably bly make I It a cl Use In their demands I that the industrial wards sial shall lat laW that employers thIngs I being preference of em employment to unionists When Ten this Is conceded as it usually is i It materially ly lyas as assists to bring outsiders InI Into the fold and ana under these circumstances i It is not surprising that al all the of New Nev Zealand are 01 or org g d unde under the provisions ot of the concIliation and act There here are re not so unions of I employers as a nany union fully I ts in all the rades employers i al te connected wih with building I I In Christchurch as I hi other indus industrial t I trial distrIcts created under the act there is a conciliation bord board which j comprises three gentlemen nominated by the whole of the employer employers unions 11 in the di thre three nominate nominated by the union and In additon addition a a elected by the six The mern bers rs o ot these bo boards are Invariably men of high and nd ae are usually selected be because ause of theIr busl busi knowledge They have Power lOWer t summon paries parties to al ag industrial dis I witnesses and hay haying ing ing considered the case before required to give an award rd which h If ac the partes concerned concerned be pm s binding ding for the ten term specified II In award usually three years There Is one arbitration court for whole of Nev Ne I It consIst consists three rte selected by the associations throughout the lony one by thE ns the third thid who sits as chairman Is jU judge ge of the supreme court In this it Is well to observe that the of New Zealand from the highest official to the lowest lovest Is above aboe and nd a judge of the supreme court therefore Is ig a man commands implIcit trust from all S SIT n IT the n rs ot of Christchurch come td the cOnclusion that they are their thel hours of Ia hot bar are unreasonably nn an un undue undue due Or 01 boy apprentices are I being employed or that in an any other way they are being treated unfairly they cite a cas case against one or more employers to the local conciliation bo beard rd The board notifies the thc other to the dispute and In due care is heard both bath sides being g given en opportunity to ta state their case and sup support port it by evIdence Frequently this threshing out of a case results In an amicable arrangement and there the matter ends Ordinarily however the board makes its award and the parties to the dispute are given a specified time within which they may appeal failing which the ward becomes law lawIn lawIn In case of appeal the case goes to the arbitration court which has full power to hear additional witnesses or parties to the dispute to produce bust busi business bustness ness books documents or such other matter as may be considered red necessary for the information ot of the court Such Information is not made pU public lic an and is only made available to the Court ourt The arbitration court gives the final award which has the law ot of the coun country country try behInd It with substantial pen penalties upon either workmen or employers who should violate it The maximum fine Is 2500 Generally speaking the awards are received with satisfaction by both parties and any breaches of the awards are usually of a trivial nature Either employer or unions can invoke the aid or of the conciliation board In iii remedying a grievance but hitherto It has been practically nn an in invariable Invariable variable rule that the workmen have b begun gun cases The exceptional l prosper rasper prosperIty ity o of the colony since the act has hils been In force with the Increased cost of lIving may be a f factor in this thi direction direction tion Up to the present the employerS l lb practically stood on the defensive and I only such a contingency as a wave waYe r of depression striking the colony would be I lIkel lIkely l to change their attitude Opponents of the system say that when that time comes its weaknesses will become apparent lut t there ere seems no suppose that it will not nol be equally as effective in solvIng labor whether these be Introduced by worK worKmen workmen men men applying for or by em employers employers seeking to reduce wages It would be fOolish to say that the conciliation and arbitratIon act has solved the labor problem forever ln America it is problematical whether Influx of alien population does not cOQ coat a peculiar set of conditions with which such an act would be unable to toc c cOpe pc In New Zealand it has by no means settled the conflict between labor and capital Disputes o occupy cupy fully funy the time of the conciliation boards and the arbi arbitration arbitration court an and the tates men are Its operations so lS as to make Improvements from time timeto to time But the act has undoubtedly taken out of the hands of either em employer employer or employee the power to drag a third party into the dispute Neither can compel the unwilling public through the medium of the boy boycott boycott cott to take sIdes and since the a act t came Into force there has be been n no strike in New Zealand nor fear o of one one Sure this If not a complete triumph Is at least a long st step p toward Industrial h harmony and sh shOuld uld be fruitful of s suggestions for the con consideration of political economists in America eo The New Zeala Zealander der removes removes his J disputes from the Jabor boss armed picket and state militia to the calm atmosphere of R a court which ex cx examines amines lUs claim sees if the employer is getting unfaIr profits o o t of his men and gives the workman for a fixed time a minimum wage for far his work while he can earn as much more as s hIs employer likes to give Ive him The man need not work wark nor his employer pay the minimum wage or any wage but if he works at an all at that trade he must not be nor nar may he undercut his mates in salary There are scores on the New Zealand Zealan statute books dl di directly affecting labor Interests The factory act lays down the conditions under which factory work can be car carried ned ried on Children Un Under er 14 years of age are not all allowed w d to be employ d and the hours of labor h hOlidays and the em empl pl ment of women and youths under 16 years of age are regulated Good ventilation and sanitary are points dwelt upon while ma machinery chinery has to be properly guar guarded ed fire escapes provided and dangerous occupations specifically cl classified In order ordet I Ito to assist the system o of free general compulsory edu eduCation atlon which prevails in inthe Inthe the colony young persons are not al allowed allowed lowed to work in factories until they have passed the fourth standard of the state schools To ro prevent the introduction of sweating into commercial centers ar tides made in private orun or an registered workshops have to be labeled when offered for sale so that goods so manufactured often in unsanitary premises may not be placed on the market In competition with work done in inspected The factory in inspectors Inspectors also exercIse s over the sleeping accommodations provided for o in the country distrIcts The shops and ancl shop assistant act provides tot the closing clasing of aU all shOps in towns and suburbs for or one a holIday 1 it each week A fe few shops such as those of restaurants etc are exempted fi m but as assistants In such in the tha thears bars ars of hotels and andIn store stOre hae half hal a on some da day of the weck e l J 1 1 n Q h rd pary da aJi 1 pie else at aft while the banks a and d Warehouses aU all close Satur atur Saturday d day y att This act stipulatE young Woman ornan employed In a shop must be provided with sitting acom com so that she may rest occa acca Thel labor bor dei department has an employ employment ment branch with offices In aU all the prin principal principal cipal towns At these men seeking I work are supplied wIth information as ast astO t tO the condition of labor in any trade in I Ian an any part of the colony and at the same time arranges for employment on gov I work for those who desire it The labor laws or of Nt New w Zealand have not had the demoralizing effect on in l stry th that t many predicted Year Tear by year the country progresses more mora and more The hands in factories have nearly doubted In eight years years and the prIvate wealth of the people rose from ron In 1892 to in 1902 a gain of in ten yearn ears There arp are no na unemployed red in New Zealand an and the workingman has constant work at high wages The New Z Zealand aland workingman lives in a six or viii m in ina Ina a quarter acre cre of land with lawn and flower garden in front frant Sometimes he her r rents this property more often he owns awns it The half hair holiday hollday and the general conditions under which he works give hIm opportunity to retaIn his best health and also to take an active inter eat In an all that is going on in ill th tile world The influence he Is able to exert on the polItics or of the day Inspires him to take the keenest interest in nt of his country In brief he feels eels hm self to be a nan sees that he Is recognized d as s ch and lives is Ute life in the very highes sense |
