The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-04-30
CONFLICTING VIEWS OF NEW
ZEALAND ARBITRATION

Mr. Robert C. Givens, of the Chi
cago Three Million Club, who has re-
Gently made a personal study OF in
dustrial conditions in New Zealand,
is very favorably impressed with the
labor and arbitration laws of that ad-
vanced colony, and is earnestly COM
mending them to the attention of la
Dor leaders, students and employers
as embodying solution of the strike
problem.
He found the relations between
capital and labor in New Zealand in
the main very satisfactory, and he
heard no complaints against the court
of arbitration. when CASE he is
reported as saying, comes up be-
fore this body It is a matter of bust
ness from the word go The whole
affair is settled within a brief time
without wrangling and bitterness and
al will. As the decisions are binding
and strikes and lockouts are prohibit
ed the disputes that arise cause no
loss and no interruption of industry
or commerce.
Many other disinterested and intel
ligent men have made similar re-
ports to European and American com
concerning the successful system of
compulsory arbitration in New Zea-
land. That testimony is, Of course,
weighty and important. II Is but fair
10 remember, however. that some OBJ
servers have called attention to the
alleged seamy side Of the system and
have quoted employers, labor chiefs
and impartial local editors in support
OF the statement that the system is
breaking down" and falling In its
principal object.
In the London Times Of April
there appeared a three-column letter
from the Wellington correspondent Of
that newspaper, in which communica-
tion the story of three strikes, all Of
them serious. is told. In each case
the arbitration act was ignored, its
penal provisions were defied and con-
cessions were extorted from the en-
ployers without appeal to the court.
The correspondent says that New Zea-
land "can no longer be called land
without strikes and announces "a I
crisis" in connection with the work .
ing OF the arbitration system.
The minister Of labor in public .
statement, expressed deep regret at
the action OF the men in violating
the law and announced vigorous pros
ecutions. The employers federation,
the correspondent further says, has
little faith In the act and feels that
the strikes in question spell its utter
breakdown. It is fully expected that
number Of unions will cancel their
registration so as to apply the strike
principle when the demands Of work
ers are not acceded % by employers"
A leading paper is quoted as thus
expressing Itself editorially: /,
Whatever happens, nothing can al
ter the fact that certain bodies OF
men, working under an award OF thet
court, have chosen in defiance of the
law, to go back TO the barbaric meth 4
cd OF the strike IN order TO secure
higher pay, and in two cases have
forced their employers TO concede =
their demands In face of this ii is
dincult TO see how anybody can con-
tend that the system Of Industrial ar
biTation has not broken down.
Perhaps these views are too pessi-
mistic. A few violations OF law do ,
not argue its failure. But in con-
sidering the New Zealand example it
is well to hear all sides.