Show COMPULSORY ARBITRATION In a description of the compulsory arbitration ar-bitration law of New Zealand Henry D Lloyd says that Its compulsion is threefold three-fold It compels publicity reference ton to-n disinterested arbiter In case the disputants dis-putants will not arbitrate voluntarily and finally obedience to the award of the arbitrating tribunal Thc last feature Is of ciourse essential essen-tial to make the law operative and the first requres no argument In Its support sup-port even In countries less advanced than that South Pacific colony which Mr Lloyd has called tho experiment station of social science Wo all belIe be-lIe e at least that publicity is the simplest sim-plest and most natural check upon sinister sin-ister I scheming and underhanded methods meth-ods But it Js often 1Cld that compulsory compul-sory reference to anarbiter which is the Inner principle of compulsory arbitration arbi-tration Involves a contradiction in terms The recourse toa third person or persons It is said should always be voluntary If the absolute rights of the individual are to be preserved and this Is necessary to the very idea of conciliation concilia-tion and compromise If a disputant may not stand upon his rights and Is driven to arbitration under duress the situation becomes ironical I There are however certain limitations limita-tions in the New 7calard law which jnako It less arbitrary than a general statement of JtsImportiAVould Indicate I No disputes can be considered except In trades where there are trade unions I and only where those trade unions have I registered under the law Again private pri-vate conciliation or arbitration is always al-ways permissible and the state Itself I attempts conciliation before arbitration I To promote the former local boards of conciliation are established in each In I I I dust rial district while above them is I ltho general arbitration board for the I whole country In the composition L I the boards lubor and capital arc equally t represented by their nominees and the I balance ol power is held by an Impartial I impar-tial and disinterested judge Such is the machinery of the law and I it Is provided furthermore that the Initiative In-itiative In matters of uibltration shall not be with the state Before the I boards take any action there must bean be-an appeal from ono of the disputants I But the moment either side with a II grievance or any apprehension of a strike or lockout summons the other before the board or court it becomes u punishable oftcnse for the workmen to I stop work or the employer to shut down Both must keep on until the board or I court has come to a final decision j I The effect would naturally be to dis i courage vexatious tlhlal and unreasonable unrea-sonable controversies and It seems that I In practice the law has worked well I There has been but one strike and I that an Insignificant one since it went into operation five years ago It still I remains an experiment however like other radical reforms of the experiment I station and communities which have larger and more complicated Industrial I Interests will regard It critically until it has been thoroughly tried In New 1 Zealand Chicago TimesHerald I |