The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-02


dinate prices for the commodities he needs
these same commodities are every day
being shipped and sold in foreign coun-
tries for in many cases less than half
what he has to pay for them.
THE NEW ZEAL1ND EXPERIMENT.
Strife is always destructive. War is
hell, not only in the sense of producing
physical suffering, but also as property
destroyer. The one object of war is to
cripple the enemy. The war principles
| apply to strikes, which are but wars be-
| tween the employer and the employed.
In these, as in the sterner wars between
nations, the destruction of property is
! regarded as one of the means to the end
desired During the last ten years mil
lions of dollars worth of property and mil
lions of dollars worth of wages have been
| sacrificed upon the altar of contention.
! For centuries nations have been at war,
Notwithstanding that it is most I'M
| profitable business. Can war be abolish
ed? Will the theory of universal arbitra-
ton ever obtain? Will the nations ever
| be able to select a universal court of
arbitration to which they will agree to
submit all differences and abide by the
decisions?
Society has advanced to the point where
regular courts of arbitration settle all
differences between individuals. 1t is
compulsory arbitration and it works pass
| ing well, with now and then a miscar-
riage.
The question that is uppermost in the
| minds Of social economists now is, can
the wars between employer and employ
ed be avoided by court of arbitration?
Can these organizations Of capital and
| organizations of labor be compelled to
submit their differences to a tribunal for
adjustment, and then be compelled to ac-
cept the verdict? On it's face such a
proposition seems the pink of plausibility.
1t has the sanction of good sense and
fairness. If individuals must submit their
differences to a court for adjustment, why
| should not a collection of individuals
| be compelled to do the same? The first
| step in the progress toward labor arbitra-
ton must be the Incorporation of the
labor unions, whereby they will be
| brought within the purview Of the law.
When this step has been taken there
should be no difficulty in abolishing labor
wars
About ten years ago New Zealand, dis
gusted with strikes, resolved to apply
the remedy of compulsory arbitration.
The colonial parliament passed an act
providing for a court of arbitration and
boards of Cancellation. The colony was
divided into Industrial districts in each
of which was a board Of Cancellation con-
sisting Of representatives of both en-
! ployers and employed. These boards of
all differences brought before them. 1t
| the decisions were not satisfactory, an
| appeal lay to the court of arbitration
| In the meantime there should be no
| cease. During the last five years ninety
trade disputes have been submitted to
of which were settled by the boards; the
balance were appealed. The defects of
| the system are now becoming apparent,
and as usual are found in the personnel
Of the boards of Cancellation. Politics
creeps in and men with an eye single to
| their own advantage, secure positions as
| arbtrators. Instead of using their eff
forts for peace they stir up strife in
| order to secure their per diem which de-
| ponds upon the length of the sessions of
the boards. So corrupt has been the adj
| ministration of these boards that strong
| sentiment has arisen against the whole
! system and the law creating 1t is in dam
| ger Of being repealed. This would be
unfortunate. The defects which time and
experience have brought out can be rene
| died by the passage of measures which
will prevent agitators from gaining seats
| on the arbitration boards The system
i
must in the end prevail, just as national
| arbitration must in the end prevail
| The enthusiasts with sociaIistic tenden-
| cies have been banking too strongly on
| the success of the various experiments in
| New Zealand. Some of them are bound
| to fail; not because they are not logical,
| but because human nature in New Zea-
| land and elsewhere is not up to the
standard necessary to carry into effect
| the spirit of the reforms
We are inclined to the opinion that
boards of Cancellation formed of repre-
sentatives of both parties are of no value
in the settlement of difficulties They
| will always be composed of men of mar
| row views, special pleaders for special
| theories. The tribunal which passes on
| differences between the great labor in
| terests and the interests of capital should
be of no less dignity than federal court.
| The judges or arbitrator should be be-
| ycnd the reach of suspicion Their de-
| cisions should be final and the arm of