The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-05-08
How New leland Has Solved
The Labor Problem
NO STRIKE OR LOCKOUTS
All Disputes Between Employer and EN-
ployed Settled BY Board Of Con-
citation and an Arbitration
Court.

IN ISJ4, AHu AeYeFdt AAM1UuHSulh were
made thereto ia 1901, 1903, 1904 ard
1905. Before this date labor laws were
in force, but they were not satisfac-
tory, There Ii no statutory precedent
to this act In the world.
Societies of two or more employers
or seven OF more workers may be reg.
istered and become subject to the pro
visions OF the act under the title bf
industrial union" Any such union
may bring o trade dispute before the
board of Cancellation, which board may
proceed to Investigate the dispute Oh,
on requirement of one 0f the parties,
may refer the case direct to the arbi.
tration court II the dispute is left TO
the board after taking evidence, the
board may make Recommendation
which, Ii accepted by the parties, ii
put into the form Of an industrial
agreement and has the force OF law.
If the boards recommendation is ig-
nored for month, 1t automatically be-
comes law. but IL rejected the dispute
Is carried TO the court of arbitration.
This court consists Of president
who Is a Judge OF the supreme court
and two members, one elected by the
employers unions and the other by the
workers unions. II has wide powers
and against it's decisions there is no
appeal Ne lawyers are permitted to
plead on either side.
This court takes evidence and hears
both sides There Is only one court Of
arbitration in all New Zealand. This
court makes flnal award, and any
employer, worker. industrial union or
association that tries to defeat any pro.
vision Of the award Is held liable and
heavily fined. Section Iis reads. eff
any person prints or publishes anything
calculating to obstruct, interfere with
or preludiclally affect any matter be-
fore the board or court, he shall be liza.
BILE TO fine not exceeding $3.50" An
other section provides that any indus
trial union or association or employer
or any worker, whether a member OF
any such union or association or not.
which or who shall strike or create a
lockout or take part Ia strike or lock-
out or propose. aid on abet strike or
lockout or a movement Intended to pro.
dnce a strike or lockout shall be guilty
OF an offense and shall be liable to a
fine, etc, not to exceed 500 FOR union
or association or employer and $50 for
worker There are hundreds Of amend
atory acts relating to the protection Of
the worker aud employer
Originally employers had to pay heav.
fly for an accident 10 or In case OF the
death Of an employee, but now the
government accident insurance act
covers the point, but the employer must
insure his help to recriye the benefit.
Eight hours per day Is time for oil
workers In the colony. There are doz-
ems OF sections relating TO the use OF
guDpowder and other explosives. and
everything imaginable to protect work
ers IN the mines Of New Zealand and
Australia has been enacted. Factory
laws. apprentice laws and seamen's
acts are also in force.
The wages OF laborers are about the
same as with us, but skilled labor does
not quite come up TO our standard
either as TO quality or pay. The best
theory that one can give for the sue
cess OF the labor laws and TO the oh.
seryance of them is that all laws are
respected in this country. They are
created at the suggestion Of the poo
pie. For instance. the Sunday closing
act includes not only saloon keepers,
but all shopkeepers, manufacturers
and business and trade OF every kind
except those necessary to run the
country, The masses know that the
laws are made to be observed. All
shops close at p. NJ. and saloons
must close at 10 p, m. week days; no
back doors open tits no business from
the word close.
The Hon, j. A. Millar, minister of
labor, said recently, III care Is taken
In the administration OF our labor laws,
I see no reason why the present satIs-
factory relations between employer and
employed should not continue indeh-
nlIeiN. ~ WOiiA appear t1AA luz SNnr
uine reason to be ascribed for this
UNIQUE situation Is that the workers
themselves, who mainly Instituted this
system, insist upon the laws being OBJ
served. The concillatory board Is not
as popular as the court Of arbitration
The dispute is usually carried direct to
the court Of arbitration and sitter
slight discussion Is satisfactorily set
tied
This sane and fair act has now stood
successfully for twelve years, and 1t
must be remembered that every single
suggestion or amendment made for the
protection Of either the employer or
employed receives the hearty support
Of both provided It seems Just There
are no strikes or Iockouts III New Zea-
land Why? Because they are against
the law, and the law was made by the
people. and the people say the Law
,,,,r4 Ia Nf,on5,xtaI nohorf . fts,t,d, Ia