The St. Louis Republic., 1904-05-08

Special Correspondence of The Sunday Republic.
Washington, May 6.-I give you to-day
an interview which I have just received
from the leading authority on capital and
s labor of what many consider the most ad-
vanced labor country of the world.
1T comes from the other side of the
globe, away down below the Equator,
from the colony of New Zealand.
1t is written by the Honorable Edward
Tregear, who for the past fifteen years
has been Secretary of Labor for that col
or and who has always been one of the
PIE movers in New sZealand's expert
ruents on the labor problem.
The interview is In response to ques-
tipns which 1 sent to Mr.. Tregear several
months ago, and It gives the situation as
regards labor and capital in that country
In 1854.
1t is now four years since met Secre-
tafy Tregear In his Office at the Labor De-
partment in Wellington. New Zealand
He Is a 5right-eyed. scholarly looking
man Of perhaps IS years OF age.
He is thoroughly posted on the labor sit
uatiSn, and especially on all things con-
necSed with labor In Australia and New
Iceland
During our chat he told me what the
Government was then doing to reconcile
the troubles Of labor and capital; how II
has established the weekly half holiday,
had practically fixed. the forty-eight hour
week. and how II was TO some extent reg
ulating trusts and the accumulation OF
large fortunes
country had become the preporderattng
influence In political life. and their sue
cess had been ~on not through violence.
but by reasoning out the matter on the
stump and thereby getting the balance OF
power in. Parliament. Mr. .Tregear then
thought that New Zealands emo efiorts o,tSd to
be Initiated by other countries.
He said. the colony was steadily ad-
xsncing and that ne hoped R great 1eaI .hiSss IsS
Here IS what he says of the situation to-
day. The questions interspersed through 1
the interview are mine:
INDUSTRIAL NEW ZEALAND IN 1901
Department OF Labor-We ellington. New
Zealand. March Is. 1904: Ny Dear Mr..
Carpenter-It is not easy to condense in
q single article answers to the large social
and economic questions you send me, but
you ask whether organized labor has
been for the coed in this colony? L be-
lieve that the organization OF labor in
New Zealand has been productive OF much
good both TO employer and employed
If has allowed Industrial affairs TO be
looked at from calm, collective stsnd-
point. The employers have met the or
ranizations of their men by forming
unions and associations among them
In a trade the personality of the indi-
yj6ual counts for little and his energies
have to be turned TO his own more per
ods and materials rather than TO the |
Erosser sorts of trade competition.
The honest employer. who wishes TO pay
fair wages, is encouraged by the absence |
Of the commercial pirate. Moreover. en- |
pioyers are not a. the mercy of their men |
In critical times
ron the part of the workers themselves |
orgarization has helped enormously to /
have been mostly superseded BY Industrial |
unions, registered under the arbitration
act. and such unions can do nothing d.
bers. They have. however. great political |
and social influence"
Il have understood that the trade unions
run the country?
THE unions dc not run the country as /
their enemies assert. There are only g. 1
900 unionist workers in New Zealand out |
adult suffrage of both sexes. so their votes |
could not run the country. Their influence, |
however, from .heir solidarity and intelli-
Eence is very great, and no politician can
disregard 1t; therefore they can bring
pressure on legislation.
Economically the unions advantage la
Dor indirectly. but very weightily. through
the Industrial conciliation board and ar
bitration court. Unions induce n feeling
of comradeship; they have helped TO adj
vance wages. shorten hours. gain paid hol-
fdays and halfIholidays and limited the /
number Of boy workers.
The third party. the public. generally
unconsfdered in, such matters. no longer 1
has to bear the danger. annoyance and |
loss through disturbance of trade and of
society caused by employer and employe
fighting out their quarreIs and pretending
to decide questions OF right and wrong by 4
methods of brute force-for the cheoue /
book can be as brutal a weapon as the