Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-03-05
THE ACTUAL FACTS.
THE DISPUTE OVER COMPULSORY
ARBITRATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

Edward Tregear, secretary for labor
of New Zealand, writes as follows to
the New York Post:
My attention has been drawn to an
article in your issue of Oct. 3, 1901,
headed "A Country Without Strikes"
| write a few lines of comment with,
trust, an impartial pen, since have no
personal reason for wishing to influ-
ence the ideas of citizens Of the United
States in one direction or another. l
have, however, some interest in en-
deavoring to prevent the circulation Of
errors concerning New Zealand, and
venture to criticise the value of the
alleged facts on which your leader was
based.
That bright pictures have been drawn
by visitors alluded to as "birds of
passage') in their representations of
the effect of our labor laws and other
progressive legislation is undeniable.
Whether such pictures produced by in
telligent observers from abroad, are to
be preferred before the more gloomy
illustrations of Mr.. ]. Grattan Grey is
moot question. A man like Mr.. Grey
may have lived for forty years in
colony, and at the end Of that time his
opinions or reflections are not necessa-
rily either profound or valuable. Our
politics, politicians, morals, society peo-
pie, economic conditions, industrial po-
sition, etc, may be all that Mr.. Grey
represents; but, on the other hand, they
may not. l respectfully suggest that
Americans should very carefully alb
stain from regarding such pictures as
photographs, but should rather accept
them as amateur sketches, tinted by
the nationality, prejudice and infirmi-
| ties of the painter. Such remark, Of
| course applies equally to the views
presented by the birds of passage"
but in a less degree, since their private
relations to the colony are unlikely to
| be overStrained.
Leaving, however, the personal ques-
tion as to your informant, allow me to
touch upon some of the Industrial and
economic matters involved in your ar
ticle. The assertions, generally, are:
First.-That compulsory arbitration
has turned out a disastrous failure"
Second.-That the general economic
outlook of the colony is far from being
'.roseate in tint"
Third.-That "self seeking men" in
parliament have seriously strained the
relation between employer and en-
ployee."
Fourth-That the farmers are de
manding repeal of the laws from which
they are suffering"
To answer even these few points
with anything like the fullness they
properly require would take up more
space than dare to petition the editor
for. l may say in reference to them:
First.-"Compulsory arbitration" (as
it has been nicknamed is so far from
being disastrous failure that it is
here considered a pronounced success.
| Only a revolution could displace 1t.
Last session an amending act was
passed whereby the boards of concilia-
tion (Which have no power of enforc-
ing their recommendations were prac-
| lltulIN Scl uSluc III luNOI vi tnt NOui
of arbitration that can enforce its
awards with all the powers of the su-
preme court-nay, with even higher
powers. since against the dictum of
the president of the arbitration court
there is no appeal Here. then, as an
swer to calumnies set abroad by inter-
ested persons we have the spectacle of
the people of colony, after seven
years. experience of compulsory arbi-
tration, approving and reapproving its
principle. Our nearest colonial neigh
Dor, New South Wales sent one of its
leading judges across to us to inyesti-
gate the working of our act on the
spot AS result, that colony has just
passed a compulsory arbitration act Of
more drastic character than ours, for
there are no boards of conciliation pro-
vided for New South Wales. South
Australia and Western Australia have
similar legislation on our model.
Strange that. as we have failed, our
near neighbors are so blind as to follow
us into the pit into which we founder
ed in 1894.
Second.--The general economic out
look of the colony. We were told
years ago that the effect of labor legis-
lation would be to drive capital out of
the colony" yet after ten years of Ia
Dor legislation capital has not yet
spread its wings for flight. Indeed cap
ital has extended its operations so
much that our factories, which in 1894
employed 25,S51 hands, now employ
over 53,000-that is, the work has more
than doubled. The total trade of New
Zealand advanced from $64000,000 in
1886 to $117OO0,O00 in 1900. Statistics
show that the private property in the
colony was in 1891 of the value of
$72S, 100000; in 1900 it had grown to
the value of $1,114, 100000. TO the
latter add $220,000,000 value of public
property and the assets are worth
consideration. The revenue of the col
ony in 1901 was $29500,000 and show
ed an increase of $1,3G1, 600 over the
return of the preceding year. l do moi
wish To weary the reader with figures