The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-30
A POLITICAL EXPERIMENT
NEW MITH
ALL PHASES Oh LABOR QUESTIONS.
Manufacturers Are Protesting Against
Extremes tn which Industrial
Legislation Has Gone.

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the world TO a remarkable degree Had she
nothing to offer but the curious things in
the natural world that are described by
every traveller 10 the antipodes she would
rank among the most interesting places on
the globe. But stranger than all these are
the social conditions we find, and, because
OF her remarkable legislation OF recent
years and the political experiments she is
daring enough TO try, New Zealand finds
the eyes of the world focused upon her.
I went to New Zealand fresh from the
study of newest England and was pre-
pared to find nothing less than Utopia. 1
came away feeling that the New Zealand
government is far from the ideal and was
disappointed at the practical demonstration
OF the workings of the laws which have
been held up as models TO be followed in
England and the United States.
New Zealand seems 70 be justly called "a
| political experiment station her expert
ments are many and OF intense interest to
students Of sociology.
The government runs a life insurance and
a government fire insurance is under con-
sideration. The government owns public
works and has public works constructed by
? a cooperative system. There are progress
sive land and income taxes, so that the
richer a man becomes the more heavily IS
he taxed in proportions; thus there is every
encouragement placed in the way of the
accumulation of large fortunes, and New
Zealand has fewer milliOnaires and paupers
than any other country. There were no
signs Of street-begging and 30 per cent.
OF the people one meets on the streets Of
the town seem to belong TO the great mid
Ole class. No great poverty or SqualOr
was seen and no city slums were discov-
cred.
1t is we'll known that New Zealand was
the nrst to grant old-age pensions out Of
the proceeds Of general taxation TO all its
citizens, men and women. who have not
laid by a competence sufficient for their
support.
OLD-AGE PENSIONS.
The government is much more liberal in
the granting of these pensions than is Den
mark. In Denmark no one can receive a
pension who has ever been under sentence
for a misdmeanor or who has been q
spendthrift or received poor relief. But the
New Zealand government forgives all these
in the course of years and the sins of the
past are blotted out. One may have a pen
sion who has been free from drunkenness
for five years., who has not been I'm prison
for a serious crime for twenty-five years
or for d small offense for twelve years.
The full pension is els a year and the PEN
sioners are not disfranchised as are those
who receive poor relief in England.
This pension law came into force on
Nov. !. 1898, and is TO last till 1902. The
people will then decide whether or not it
shall be renewed. The disbursement has
increased to such an extent as to create
some alarm and Is one of the subjects at
present ventilated in the colonial papers.
People who are liable at any moment to
find everything at a standstill while the
thousand wheels on which the community
depends in its daily life are suddenly
blocked by a strike, look with interest to a
country where the laws make it utterly
impossible for a strike TO occur.
Ten years ago New Zealand was in a
great ferment with its labor troubles and
harassed by strikes, and the colonial
statesmen sought d remedy. A compulsory
arbitration law was the result, the most
famous of New Zealand's political novel
ties, and heralded throughout the world as
a sure panacea for all labor troubles. This
law was debated through three sessions of
Parliament and finally enacted in 1894 and
went into effect in 1895. Ii has now been
working long enough to have a fair test,
and we look with interest to see how it
really works and what New Zealanders
themselves think of il. The nearest ap-
proach 20 this is probably the Massachu-
sets Board of Cancellation, but as the lat
ter is voluntary while the former is COM
pplsory, there is really a wide difference.
putes must first be submitted TO a board Of
Cancellation If employer and employe fail
TO come To an understanding under this
BOARD, the matter is submitted 10 the board
Of arbitration, from whose decision there
is no appeal.
WORKINGS OF ARBITRATION.
The author Of the bill claimed that few
cases would 90 beyond the Cancellation
board, but as a matter OF fact. nearly every
case has to be settled by the arbitration
board. These are sitting all over the col
ony at a great expense, and are frequently
conducted in such a way as 10 call out
strong expressions Of disapproval from dis
gusted citizens. One cannot take up a
New Zealand daily paper without finding
considerable space devoted to the proceed
ings OF the arbitration boards, and the
country seems to be getting into a decidedly
unsettled condition as regards labor affairs.
The leading Auckland daily is strongly
opposed TO the arbitration act as Well as
to much of the recent labor legislation. II
an editorial OF Aug. l6 we find this THE
whole working Of the arbitration act has
turned out quite differently from what its
authors anticipated" " . THE act. &C
cOrding TO its authors, was TO usher i'm ar
era of industrial peace. There never has
been such a period of industrial turmoil in
any community . "All attempts &c
fix these things by act of Parliament hith-
erto have proved abortive, and New Zeal
and will add another instance of disastrous
failure
a large percentage of the intelligent PEG.
/ Pr ~ N1 1NAAAhAAAH It's WIN lidNA nMAAl
up the cOuntry and can be relied upon e
further its interests, echo these sentiments
It was a surprise 10 find the tide setting
so strongly in the direction opposite Il
that which l had expected to find. The
manufacturers, who have been liberal Il
employees and have given hearty support
TO reforms of the past, are coming to the
point where patience is exhausted. for the
most trivial matters are brought before
the arbitration boards and no sooner l.
one affair settled and the business adjusted
to the new conditions than the manufacture
or Is to meet some new de-
mand instigated by the labor union. L.
presenting this side OF the story. ! am
simply showing the sentiment that is on the
Zealand, and giving a plain statement OF
facts L actually saw during the months
OF July and August last.
CURIOUS LABOR LAWS.
Jt is true that the country, in common
with other parts OF the world, has enjoyed
some years of great prosperity which the
friends Of the present governments declare
to be the result OF the labor legislation.
while the opposition declares as strongly
that the good times are in spite OF their
remarkable labor laws, asserting that tht
prosperity of the colony is due 20 its pro-
duction from its lands, and this depart
ment has been but slightly affected by tn,
labor legislation. But the farmers are he
ginning 10 feel the shoe pinch and farm.
ors' unions are now forming all over tho
country. These viii undoubtedly count foI
much in The future among the pOlitica.
forces.
They have enacted some curious labor