Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1914-05-21

and numerous powers. The breadth
OF its Jurisdiction may be seen from
the Commonwealth definition of sin
! dustrial matters"
| All matters relating to work, pay.
wages. reward, hours, privileges,
I rights or duties of employers or en-
/ ployes, or the mode. terms and condi-
tons or employment or non-employ-
ment: and, In particular, hut without
. limiting the general scope OF this def
milton, the term includes all matters
pertaining TO the relations OF employ
ers and employees, and the employ
I ment, preferential employment, dis
missai or unemployment OF any par
! ticular persons, or of persons OF any
/ particular sex or age, or being or not
association or body; and any claim
I arising under an industrial agreement;
and all questions of what is fair and
| right in relation to any industrial
I matter having regard to the interests
/ OF persons Immediately concerned and
( of society as a whole" Surely. this
! definition is broad enough to satisfy
any workingman.
The object OF the court, to summar-
/ iZe further provisions of the law. is
/ TO endeavor TO prevent and settle In
dustrial disputes; and when they have
+ occurred to reconcile the parties. The
/ court may fix and enforce penalties
[ for breaches OF awards, restrain con-
/ traventions of the acts and exercise
Z all the usual powers OF court of lew.
/ The court may prescribe a minimum
| rate of wage; it may, also, as regards
( employment, direct that preference of
/ employment or service shall be given
/ to members of unions. An opportunity
is offered for objection TO preference
I order. and the court must be satisfied
/ that preference is desired by ma
iority of the persons affected by the
( award who have interests IN common
with the applicants. The court is to
bring about an amicable agreement.
If possible. TO conciliate and not to
/ arbitrate, and such agreement may be
made al award.
Wages Increased.
The result Of compulsory arbitra-
ton is not an academic question in
Australia. The fruits OF this and other
labor legislation are here. First and,
to the wage Garner, the most impor-
tant fruit is that wages have been in
creased. Among the minimum wages
established by courts or wages boards
a few representative ones may be
quoted, in most cases an increase of
10 to 80 per cent:
Bricklayers, SO a day; carpenters,
s2.75; painters, s2.5o; plasterers, So;
stonemasons, s2.50; milliners. for
women, IS a week; bookbinders, SIC
for men, SIS for girls; brickmakers,
$3.50; butchers, s14; cigarmakers.
SIP: gardeners, s1150; farm laborers,
SIS week, with rations.
lneiviity and Class Dscord.
Not only have wages been increased
and conditions of labor improved, but
the workingman has gained an indie.
pendence which sometimes .degene-
rates into incivility and brutality. He
has not, as a mass, learned how TO
use his leisure hours for other things
than gambling. sporting and loating
new labor legislation. laziness has in
creased and slackness of work is oh
servable in many quarters. That
gentle manners have not come TO the
Australian workingman might we'll be
expected. He will lay down his life
for a woman, but he will not stoop tc
pick up her handkerchief. And mos
women, in Australia. would rather
have their handkerchiefs picked VI
daily than their lives saved once il
long while. Civility the working
man mistakes for servility-and o
the latter he will never be guilty
Gentleness is q plant OF slow growth
and not a product of acts OF parlia
ment
The class spirit enhanced if not en-
gendered by labor legislation makes
for the present at least, a bitterness
between employer and employe tina
does not argue well for the future
The common interests are not yet gen
orally recognized. This class spirit i
encouraged by many paid officials o
the trades unions who find their occu
pations gone In times of industrial
peace. and hence seek TO upset cour
awards, defy court judgments, pre-
mote strikes and stir up strife.
The necessary wounds made b.
labor legislation would heal much les
slowly If the paid agitators could b
'r compelled to refrain from tearinj
h them open. Strikes continue and
'r most serious condition-capital, with
n out which working with labor Austra
D. liza cannot develop or prosper. hes
p tates.
le The Danger Ahead.
y THE compulsory arbitration Law
e. and allied measures have greatly in
IS proved conditions of living in Aus
n tralia," said a distinguished labo
y minister. but they are in the frs
81 stages OF experiment II they can b
g. impartially administered in the intel
d eets Of society as g whole by disintel
K ested judges. with obligations equal
e to be observed by and penaltie