The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-25
THE LABOR LAWS
IN AUSTRALIA
BEAR HARD ON EMPLOYERS,
JOURNALIST FROM INDIA, HAS
VISITED THE CONTINENT.


ciIiRtiOn Act-CannOt Employ
Worker in One Trade to Do single
Thing Outside His Line-CapitaI-
lists Discouraged From Investing
in That Country and New Zealand.
Mr.. Benjamin Aitken, journalist Of
city, the guest of Mr.. r. B. Reppard
of No. Is Thirty-second street, east.
Mr.. Aitken is a native of India, but
has been in America three times hav-
ing lived in this country once for a few
years. He win sail tomorrow for New
York and will next week sail for Eng
land.
For ten years Mr.. Aitken was con-
nected with The Englishman, at CAL
cutta, eight years as sub-editor and
two years as managing editor. For the
last three years he has been connect
ed with the India Daily Telegraph, at
Lucknow. When he returns to India
he expects to write number of ar
ticles for papers for which he is cor
respondent.
Previous to coming to America, Mr.
Aitken spent one month in Australia
and a month in New Zealand studying
conditions there. The labor situation
impressed the traveller most, particu-
larly the manner in which the laws
harass the employers of labor.
'TnquisitOriaI Ingenuity"
THE inquisitorial prosecuting in
genuity of these laws is almost in
credible in this country" said Mr..
Aitken to a representative of the Morn
ing News. Every dealer in three of
the districts, even the smallest, must
keep his books according to a certain
system, and they must always be open
to the inspection of what would be
called here walking delegates.
"Offenses against labor laws are
made misdemeanors there. For in
stance, if an employer works a man
at something which is not his trade,
or If he works him overtime, he is
subject to fine.
Harassing Employers.
while in Adelaide, WHICH is the
capital of South Australia, l attended
a meeting of the employers to protest
against the extension of the law to
that district. The president of the
Chamber of Commerce made a speech
opposing the extension. Among other
instances of the workings of the law
elsewhere he, related a story of the
employment of two girls, who request
ed that they be allowed to take their
work home with them, as their mother
was very i'll, and there was no one to
stay with her. Though ii was against
the employers interests to allow this,
he kindly did so. The case was taken
up by the labor men and the kind
hearted employer was fined five pounds
in each case.
Another case was where an employe
went to the business house where he
was employed a short time before he
was required to begin work. He Was
doing nothing but loafing around wait
ing for the hour to begin, but one of
the labor inspectors came along, and
though the facts were explained the
merchant, who was not even aware
that the man was there, was fined.
Fines Go 40 Labor Unions.
1.-THE great activity of the labor in
spectors is explained In part by the
fact that all such fines go. not to the
state, but to the labor unions, which
are thus kept up.
that those whose business is growing
are making outside investments of
capital rather than extend their plants.
Prospective English investors are adj
vised against investing capital in Aus
tralia, even where the acts complained
Of are not in force. In New Zealand
it is even worse than in Australia.
"The law under which the statutes
are in force is known as the arbitra-
ton and Cancellation act.
Labor Premier Discussed.
1.-THE principal topic while 1
was in Australia was the new
labor premier and his cabinet. The
two other parties could not agree on
a policy or leader and the Governor
sent for the labor leader and asked him
to form a cabinet. Since then each
party has been reproaching itself and
each other for not getting together"
Speaking of newspapers in India, Mr..
Aitken pointed out some of their char
acteristics.
There are only eight papers in In
dia which take the Rueters' service.
For India news each paper must pay
its own expense, unless two club to-
gether. Owing to the somewhat linn
tied circulation of the papers, 1000 be-
ing considered a good list. the papers
Adlhly GHEA NdCCC0 Ei5hl Pei6C6s
are very few stenographers in India,
and there is a great demand for them.
Native COmpositors.
THE compositors are natives and in
many cases do not understand the Eng
lish language. This makes it neces-
sary to read the proofs three times.
They put in whatever they think the
word is, and have not the slightest idea
if Il makes sense. Hence IL is neces-
sary to go over the proofs often.
"Englishmen in India have great
sympathy for the Japanese in their
present contest with Russia, and the
India people cannot understand why
the English should sympathize with
the Asiatics as against Europeans.
Still, they do not worry over the prob
lem"
Mr.. Aitken will speak at Bethesda
this morning at IL o'clock, and at 5
o'clock in the afternoon he will ad-
dress the Sunday-school of the Wesley
Monumental Church.
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