The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-12
THE TIMES COMPANY.
sIAIiIEs AND TRADE LAWS.

7
Ia Sundays paper We referred "
the report of Judge BaclSiionse. VIZ
was sent by the government OF -Ne"
South Wales 10 New Zealand 10 III
nuire into the operation OF the cohii'ti7
sorry arbitration law OF that conh''s'
We are now told that the COMMISSION
pr also inquired into the operation OF
Tho Shops and Factories Act OF Vie
ta,.;a Dassed in 1896 Under this act
board was created consisting edaaiiS
nj EMPLOYERS and cmploycs HAVING
power TO fix a minimum wage III all
industries. The Commissioner says
that to a large extent The act has put
a stop TO the 'swcading system hut
aDpears 10 have brought about 4 state
of things quite as manifestations lie
saws that in a few trades the increase
of wages has been slight, but IN otl-
crs it amounts to ten or twenty per
cent. and in order To avoid paving me
higher wage the members practice
t1ickary. evasion and falsehood. IN
many cases employer and elapioSe
agreed upon an illegal rate and While
the legal minimum is paid the excess
is returned 10 the employer. In other
trades the workers are made TO reside
in the shop or factory and are charged
exorbitant rates for board. Inside
workers are paid for fewer hours than
they work and outside workers for
fewer articles than they produce.
Slow, or less competent, workers
are thrown out Of employment, or are
working at lower than the minimum
rate. Old or incompetent worhnla1
set up for themselves. work at pro-
Inhibited hours and undersell legitimate
manufacturers.
The consumer says that the general
effect on the industries of the State
has been disastrous; that almost ali
the large employers have lost money;
that many factories have been closed;
that extensions of existing establish
ments are deferred: and, finally, that
some manufacturers contemplate NOV
ing their plants away where the laws
are not so restrictive 1t is further as
serted That New Zealand is suffering
in the same way. Eellmongers who
are living in daily and hourly dread
Of being summoned before the court
for increased wages which the indus
try cannot afford to pay announce thaS
they Will close their works The Can
terbury Farmers Association intimate
that, in consequence Of the high wares
demanded by the wool-Scourers aud
pelt-workers. they viii be compelled TO
send home their wool in the grease,
unsecured. The Wellington Chamber
of Commerce declares that the con
ditions of labor in addition to the
high price Of land, make it impossible
for the New Zealand wheat-grower to
compete with the United States. Last
ly, financial experts allege that British
capital is being withdrawn from New
Zealand. These are significant facts.
The deadliest enemy Of State Social
ism may prove TO be the financial
check.
These statements. as we said in the
previous article, are obtained from a
correspondent of the New York Even
ing Post, writing from Sydney, \. $.
W.. and are most instructive They
show how utterly absurd it is for tho
Government to attempt TO make hard
and fast rules for the conduct Of bust
ness. The natural laws Of trade are
as sure as the laws of the universe,
and it is is vain for the Government
to attempt to change the one as the
other. 1t is more difficult now than
ever before to do this thing, because
the various nations of the earth and
the various sections Of this country
and that are more in competition with
one another now than in former times.
When the Government attempts 20
regulate trade by artificial laws either
the laws will be violated, or business
will be paralyzed, or men who do bust
ness will pick up and move away.
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