A New Regulation Nostrum

This reminds me that American practitioners of the regulative school of political economy have still a nostrum to learn of; at which I think there will be general surprise, most persons having assumed that we had experimented with every conceivable quack-salve. The new febrifuge is a remedy devised here for trusts—foreign born. Whenever it appears that a trust is operating to the detriment of a New Zealand industry, either employees or owners of such an industry may make complaint before a Board composed of a justice of the Supreme Court, an Under-Secretary of the Government and the Mayor of the town wherein the injured industry is situated. This Board is to consider the case. If it finds the trust to be guilty, it will apply to the Government for an adjustment of the tariff affecting the trust. For every dollar that the home producer will take from the price of his product, the tariff on that article will be increased two dollars.

Grand! You will perceive at once the improvement over our own celebrated specifics. Only in this case it is potential, not real. It has not yet been enacted, but it will be if the naughty trusts do not behave themselves. I am told that it is designed particularly against the Harvester Trust and the Agricultural Machinery Trust of America, and that the mere knowledge that it hangs over them keeps these trusts in order. To what extent I am unable to determine, but most of the harvesters used in New Zealand are furnished by the American Harvester Trust, nevertheless. It is a thousand pities that the remedy cannot be applied to the colossal steamship monopoly; then one could tell how far it would work.

So far as the progressive Government has dealt with the labor problem it has done many good and laudable things. I have no disposition to belittle these achievements, although in another article I shall tell the full story of labor arbitration in New Zealand and the wholly unexpected disaster into which it has fallen. At this time I merely call attention to these facts:

1.	While the progressive Government has endeavored to do more for labor than for any other part of the community, it is from labor that it is likeliest to be overthrown.
2.	While by heroic and unprecedented means this Government has tried to increase the wages and improve the condition of the toilers, even here in prosperous New Zealand the increase in the cost of living has outrun the increase in wages.

Partly because of these changes, partly for other causes, the great reform coalition that has ruled the country for so many years seems to be coming to the end of its marvelous career. General elections are held at least every three years in New Zealand. At the last general election the Government or Ministry suffered the loss of about a dozen seats. In the general election of this year it will probably lose several more. In the next general election, so say the prophets, it will probably be defeated and go out of office, after ruling the country for nearly a quarter of a century.

It will not be defeated for what it has done in radical measures but for what it has failed to do, and for lagging behind in the march of progress.

Meanwhile the signs of dissatisfaction increase. One of them is a new Labor movement that will probably mean in the end a new Government and a new era of progress. At the Dominion conference of the Trades and Labor Council held at Auckland, July 20, 1910, a platform was adopted upon which Labor is now determined to stand. This notable declaration insists that all the progressive legislation now upon the statute books must be maintained and sympathetically administered, and in addition demands these reforms:

The gradual public ownership of all the means of production, distribution and exchange.

Immediate nationalization of all monopolies.

A State ferry service, State coal ships and State factories.

Leaseholds for State tenants.

An increment tax on all land sales.

An increased graduated land tax.

Retention by the State of enough land to meet the demand of the national food supply.

No more borrowing by the Government, and

The Initiative, Referendum and Recall.

With such a platform the new movement seems likely to afford much occasion for thought to the cautious gentlemen that now sit in the seats of the mighty.

It appears therefore that the result of the advanced legislation of New Zealand, so far beyond any other nation, is to create a demand for still more advanced legislation; and how great may be that lesson to mankind!

It appears that one measure of justice is only a foundation stone for another measure of justice; the more of justice, enlightenment, decency, and equality we secure the more we are likely to demand. It appears that as soon as a community is well started towards a cooperative condition the way is opened for new ideals and broader conceptions; and how memorable may be the result of such a revelation!

New Zealand is still the experiment station of progress. The world for a long time is not likely to lose sight of her, because we may feel sure of this at least, that having tried so many social innovations and found them good, the masses of her people will not be content to rest where they are—whatever the Ministries may do or be afraid to do.