Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-30

New Zealand lines. with such mOdifica-
tons as differences in conditions and en-
vironment suggest to be wise.
OF course. conditions are not precisely
the same in the two countries. and an
experiment in legislation which works
out successfully in New Zealand, with its
reasonably homogeneous population of
about a million people. inhabiting an area
about the size Of Great Britain. may not
in practical application work out success
fully in the United States. with its. vast
area and it's population of ninety mil
lions. widely divergent in character and
| material interests But there is no rea-
son why the promising New Zealand ex-
periments should not all be tried In those
of the American states which approx
| mate New Zealand in population and con-
ditions. II only minimum of benefit is
derived, that minimum means substantial
gain.
Dubious or Unsuccessful Experiments
There remain certain New Zealand laws
| which teach an uncertain lesson to the
United States. The legislation intended
/ to break up the large estates has been
wholesome and will be strengthened and
extended. But the laws tending to ma
tionalize the land by putting title to it
in the government and giving only lease
holds to the Individual have decreased
steadily in popularity. The Anglo-Saxon
wants permanent and exclusive control
of a home of his own. however small.
He wants the fee simple title, and not
even ,leasehold for 800 years completely
satisfies him. The new government OF
New Zealand. which has recently ousted
the progressive government that had con-
trolled it continuously for more than
twenty years voices the popular desire
for the individual freehold instead Of
leasehold. The movement for nationalist
ton Of the land is checked and retrograd-
ing. The suggestion TO the United states
Is Of the wisdom Of preventing the con-
centration of land ownership in the hands
of few and of carrying out to a logical
result the spirit and purpose of our
homestead and presumption laws. There
is the further suggestion that in order to
put and keep the land in the hands of a
multitude of small holders it is not nee
essary or desirable to natiOnaliZe the
land and to deny freehold title to the
Individual.
New Zealand's system of so-called COM
pulsory arbitration of industrial disputes
has been eulogiZed as abolishing the
strike and the lockout and as initiating
the reign OF permanent industrial peace.
During the years of constantly en-
Iarging prosperity in which the arbi-
every demanded increase in wages and
improved working conditions to the work
ingmen as their share of industrial pros
per.ty the system worked well. But when
checked. and conditions did not permit
the decisions of the arbitration court to
be invariably and sweepingly in favor OF
the workingmen, the system began to go
| to pieces.
First there was refusal by labor unions
| to carry out awards of court to pay pen
alties levied under the law. and there re-
suited a breakdown OF means to compel
payment. Political considerations en-
tered as a factor in the controversy. The
liberal government, in power for twenty
wears and recently overthrown. refused
| to compel penalty payments under the
| law by some thousands of striking
miners. 1t was found that the system 81
arbitration was compulsory only in name
! so far as the workmen's organizations
were concerned. BY canceling registration
under the arbitration act the union could
! free itself from the penalties of the law
| forbidding strikes. and reversion to orig
| inal barbaric conditions could thus be ac-
complished. The land of no strikes is now
cursed with . succession OF strikes A