The daily Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1916-1917, 1916-12-27

Herald
MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 90
Much has been said in America OF
Australia's advanced labor legislation
Whenever a great industrial dispute
arises, and there is public demand for
speedy settlement, Australia is al
most invariably cited as a country in
which arbitration laws are in success
full operation. Intercollegiate debates
arguing for the minimum wage are
almost certain to point to Australia as
Utopia in which legislation has for
ever settled the age-old differences of
capital and labor.
What are the practical workings of
these laws?
Doubtless they have ameliorated the
condition of labor, which, at one time
in the history of the country, so the
labor leaders say, was cruelty exploit
ed. Doubtless they have been the main
factor in making this, as it is fire.
quently called, "the paradise of the
working man."
Criticism Of Inc System.
Comparative figures show that
wages have been raised and that Aus
tralia, perhaps more than any other
nation. is tending toward an equal
distribution of wealth. There are few
very rich people in Australia and few
very poor. Slum conditions in the
cities are comparatively unknown. So
also is the lavish display of wealth
comparatively unknown. This sums
up the case for Australia's labor legis-
lation
On the other hand, critics of the
system point to the undeveloped con-
dition of the country: to the fact that
the vast majority of Australia's 5,O00,-
900 people are settled in thin fringe
around the sea coast, the astounding
proportion of 40 percent of the total
being concentrated in the six capital
cities; to industrial inefficiency and
waste in many lines: to the fact that
Australia, so few are her manufac-
turers, is utterly dependent for her
existence on the outside world.
There are charges, too, that the
unions stand for SLOWING down" in
dustry, that their tendency is to put
a premium on mediocrity and discour-
age capital from embarking on new
enterprises.
There is one outstanding fact, at
tested by observation, by a reading of
the newspapers and by reference to
the Official Year Book of the Com
monwealth. The fact is that Aus
tralia's laws, whatever may be their
other merits or demerits, most GER
tainly do not prevent strikes. Aus
tralia is as far from being a strike
less paradise as is America, as wit
ness the following figures from the
Year Book:
Australia Has Many Strikes.
In 1915 there were 35S industrial
disputes Gncluding strikes and lock-
outs) in the Commonwealth, involving
1892 work people, a loss of 583,225
working days and a loss of, roughly.
$1,500,000 in wages In 1914 there
were 337 disputes, involving 71,O49
work people, loss of 1,090,395 work
ing days. and loss of $2,75O,OOO.
The apparent disparity between the
1914 and the 1915 figures is accounted
for by the fact that in 1914 there was
a protracted dispute in the Northern
colliery area of New South Wales.
The employees demanded the abolition
OF the afternoon shift, and the dispute
involved $3.50 workers, a loss of 522,-
967 working days and an estimated
loss of s1,25O.OOO in wages.
Employers Make Report.
Figures substantially the same as
those of the official statistician are
given in a report which has Just been
issued by the Employers Federation
of New South Wales, in which there
is more industrial trouble than in the
five other states combined. According
to this report there were 321 strikes
in Australia in 1913, AIS in 1914, and
400 in 1915. In the first quarter of
1916 there were 139 strikes. It was
shown that the record of strikes and
industrial disputes during the period
of the war had eclipsed all previous
records.
Accepting the number of strikes in
Australia in 1915 as 400, and calculat-
ing on the basis of population (Aus-
tralia's 100000 as against Americas
10O,0O0,0O0), America would have to
have 5000 strikes in the course of a
year to equal this record