The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-07-14
ARBITRATION OR STRIKE IN
AUSTRALIA
Can editorial from the Christian Science MOnitOr.)

congestion has clogred the machinery
al partly atultined the value OF the
court. Delays III twelve months from
the date ~ the Cling of a unions
plant TO its hearing by the court are
The rule rather than the exception.
THE Fede-ated Engine Drlvors ana
firemen, for example, filed "a plant
with the federal court In September.
ana and obtained lta award In June.
1917. similar congestion haA occur
red In the state courts Of arbitration.
When IL y realized that the cost Of
food IN Australia has risen t5 per
cent since the beginning Of war. aud
that. as bctwec two states. there Is a
difference OF nearly 20 per cent In
cost. the demand Tor new awards and
the difficulty In adjusting disputes ex-
lending over more than one state will
he reudiiy recognized. with the cost
of living soaring, the arbitration court
~congcwed. n the advocates OF direct
action and OF one big union winning
recruits, the position Of ~responsible
labor leaders has been difficult. and
too often they a bee forced TO
Obtain redress. IN tho form ~ q hur-
ricd sitting Of the court. by the threat
Of u strike. Delays In the hearing or
disputes by the court have led. in
some cases. to an unfortunate dlsin-
clination by employers 90 meet the
] hNNN'fN MNI WY AINlNN InAn FORCE
the issue into court. ANY suspicion on
the part Of Iic workers tha adyant-
age II being taken by the employers
of judicial slowncsa inevitably leads ~
bitterness and strengthens the hnnda
OF the advocates Of one big union.
Various remedies have been pro.
posed. including the multiplication ol
judges. hat the one which seems n
',go 10 The root ~ the matter n the ,p.
pointmont by the federal government
acting alone or in conjunction viii
me states. OF an expert commission q
determine o basic or n minimum wage
Increases in the cost Of living coul,
then he met by special bonuses O.
emergency increases m wages. !
would seem that. without o common
standard FOR u basic wage. arhitrnUo
courts must founder. New Soutl
wales has grnppled with this prob
lem. and the New Zealand court ha
fixed basic wages on Practically IN
| pro-wnr hHsis for skilled. somi-skiIle,
nnd unHki,iod labor with an udde,
bonus comparable 10 the rise in M.
|. cost of living. Tho chief difficulty nov
in q Zealand o. 20 draw the hnc Doe
tween those three CLASSES. Only h'
some such system. apparently. can M
GROW led conditions 81 federal am.
state arbitration courts be overcome
Iudse Jcthro Brown OF South Aus
train. has directed attention 10
point which g. apt to be overlooked
the responsibility % the employer q
improve his methods Of business or
ganizutlOn ami management Iudgi
Brown says. when I Ia.
methods Of Industrial organization q
r Australia with those In force 70
America and Germany before the wa
cannot resist the conclusion tina
there b. considerable room for I'm
proNomCnt In many industries In thi
country To thia comment there ma
headed 1Hothur conclusion no lee
neoessarg iu tho study of Australian
+. industrl1ll-m. naIicly. that the futur
81 production ln Australia largely de-
4 ponds upon tho cultivation ~ "a condi
tion 81 Thought iu which se~if-intercs
{ and class suspicion have little place