Arizona republican., 1902-01-02
PHoEN1x. ARIZONA. JAN. ?, 1902.

The OptimlStS WnO DelleNe lidl Soiii- pulsory arbitration is the cure-an for
 difficulties between COMPULSORY labor and capital. and ARBITRATION. who are found of
 pointing to the exam pIe of New Zealand, will find much material for careful thought in a repor on the subject just made to the govern rnent of New South Wales. Uponthe whole, there seems to be quite as much promise for good in the native common sense and spirit of justice of the Amer ican people as in the system which pre- vails in the antipodes. Before adopting the principle of compulsory arbitration the legislature of New South Wales commissioned Mir. A P. Backhouse, one of the district judges of the state. to inquire into the working of the system in New Zealand and other Australian states. Judge Backhouse's report goes to show that New South Wales is go- ing to make its experiment in compul- sorry arbitration in spite of, rather than by reason of, the experience of its sis ter states.
 The report condemns almost unquali- fedly the New Zealand conciliation boards. and this part of the system has been wholly discarded by New South Wales. The report upon the working of the New Zealand arbitration court is more favorable. Passing in review the leading industries in which the court has been appealed to, it finds no evi- dence that the awards given have pre- judiced the interests of the trade con cerned. Wages have been increased, without the usual friction, to the point warranted by the conditions of the colony, and a majority Of the employers and workmen interviewed expressed themselves as being generally favora- ble to the principle of the law, though amendments were desired in details of its administration. But, the commits missioner points out, economic conditions in New Zealand have ben so favorable throughout the period during which the arbitration laws have been in force that a degree of general prosperity and contentment was inevitable in any l case Wages must have risen and pro | fits must have been satisfactory had |
  says. when lean years come and when l wages wil be lcut down, instead of be- | ing raised by the awards" that the | laws will be really tested. In fact there | have already been cases in which the | principle has been thus tested, and the | result has been unsatisfactory. If. the report ads, '' the award is to be ac- | cepted only when in favor of one class. | if it is to be fiouted when it is against | that class, the act had better be at | once wiped out of the statute book"
 Passing to Victoria, where there is a | system of special boards with the DOW CT of fixing a minimum wage. the re- port states that the effect has been in some cases to drive men unable to earn the minimum wage out of employment l altogether. in other cases to lead to evasions of the law, the workmen ac- cepting a lower rate of wages than the one fixed by the boards. The natural law of supply and demand has reassert- ed itself in spite of the attempt to check its operation in the matter of the price of labor. In short. Adam Smiths simple rule that where two employers running after one workman wages will be high, and when two workmen are running after one employer wages will be low" has held good in Victoria, notwithstanding the efforts of the boards to check it's operation against the workmen.
 Philanthropy will watch with sympa- thetic interest these manifold Austra- lian efforts to ameliorate by fiat of law the condition of the rank and file of hu- manity. But it may be doubted wheth- CT systems which make over so much to the state, and leave so comparatively little to the individual, would suit the free and enterprising genius of the American people.
 The aditnr nf a lille Ia ,,a,,.Srnn rAaI. 1