TITE ILLUSTRATED REE.
September II, 1904
The Illustrated Bee.
Fubllshed Weekly by The Be Publishing
Company, Bee Building, Omaha, Neb.
Illce, So Per Copy Per Tear. $2.00.
Entered at the Omaha Pustofflce as Second
Class Mall Matter.
Cor Advertising Hates Address Publisher.
Communications relating to photographs or
articles for publication should ba ad
dressed, ' Editor The Illustrated Bje,
Omaha."
Peri and Picture Pointers
KBRARKA State fnlr has outgrown
N
the "pumpkin hIiow" mid horse
trot stage, unil has become what
It really should be a great expo
sition of the achievements of tho
people of an enlightened and jirogrcsslvo
commonwealth. Here onco cneh year the
lest results of endeavors along various
linen of Industrial activity arc exhibited and
compared. Methods are discussed as well
ns results, and both exhibitors and spec
tators are benefited by the com pari sons.
Buch shows arc a necessity to a people
whose Interests are so largely comprised
In agriculture and Its allied Industries. The
high rank Nebraska has taken as a state
for the production of grains, fruits, cat
tle, hoKS and sheep, for the products of
the dairy, and. In fact, in every direction
bo far as the Industries of the! field or
garden are concerned, is a. warrant that
the display at' the stale fair Is Interesting
each year. To It the people are more and
moro looking- for guidance In their under-,
tubings. It has ceased to be a placo where
products uro exchanged, but has come to
be a mart at which ideas are bartered.
Here the farmer, the dairyman, the gard
ener and tho grazier cun come onco a
year, uro of seeing the best that can be
produced In their respective Helds, and eel
tain to hear of tho nutans employed to
achieve tho results. This fact attracts
others, utid tho manufacturers and mer
chants who are Interested in securing tho
trade of tho farmer and stockmen come
thero to display their wares and exhibit
their capabilities. All of this has tended
to niako the state fair an Institution of
the first Importance.
Since the fair has been permanently es
tablished at Lincoln, and has been giren
state support, it has Incrcusccd In effi
ciency, and Is coming to be more and more
recognised for the factor in the state's
prosperity that it really Is. The latest
exhibition wni the most successful In the
history of the stats, but even then needed
Improvements and betterments were po!ntl
out by the exhibitors, and suggestions made
to the board of managers which will likely
take form at the next meeting of th? legis
lature. Some additional permanent build
ings are needed, among thorn ti hall In
which live stock can be Known for Judging
purposes. The tlmo fur Judging on the
track bus gone by, and while the parade
of the animals la still a feature, the work
has developed to that point where It can
no longer be satisfactorily performed in
the open, especially should the weathei be
anywise unfavorable. This Is but one of
roveml things sugg.vited by experience.
But the managers of the fair have been
much congratulated on the success they
have schleved, and are working earnestly
to bring the i-xpositlon to a si ill higher
piano of efficiency.
3
Last Tuesday morning at Council Bluffs
the Important ceremony of laying ihe cor
nerstone of the new Carnegie library, in
proeeas cf erection In that city, was ob
served. The exercises were simple, but the
occasion was made Impressive by Its im
portance. Council Bluffs lias long bern
In enjoyment of the existence of a public
library, the cltlsens early rccognlisinir the
benefits that flow from the establishment
of a place where all can have ace as to the
bast of books. It Is not no much a library
as a heme for a library already in n tlvo
operation that has been pi o tiled through
the munificence of Mr. C;iiner;lo in C'-utu'll
Bluff-.. With tho new building, the library
will have quarters commensurate witn its
, Innrort:nce to the local social life at.d will
be of much Fervlre to the people, b.en;po
of being more accMslble and attractive.
Custer county Is only one of the long list
of Nehrusk.i conimunlitiea where deslriblo
cro s grow, yet few of them car. shov any
more attractive resmts tlim the pic-ttue
In this number exhibits 'fur Custer. It
was tnken near Mason City, one of the
villages In the southwestern part of the
great county, and it would I e hard to f ay
which Is the more attractive, the liUlo gill
or the corn. Of course, the baby wll last
longer, but the corn is might j r, ..l I kiK
Intf. The letter which ncccvripiiiiled the
picture to The Bee glv.s particular sta
tistics ft to the corn erp. I lie area cul:l
vated, the yield per acre and all that sort
of thins, but dujsn't gi into my deta'ii
as to the baby. It Is not an unreasonable
conclusion, however, .hat I lie nuther of th.)
baby Is Ju't us proud of it ua the fanner
can be cf his corn. And they represent
two crops which ore of Iiuiikum value to
Nebraska.
inmxa to the St. Louis Globe-
w
Democrat, Thomus Clarkson or
Christchurch, New Zealand, gtvej
iKOMfil un Instructive account of the
1 i i effect of compulsory arbitration
in abolishing strike, securing peace be
tween employer and cmp'oyc, and tho bene
fits accruing to tha country us a whole.
Mr. (.Harkson says:
Fifteen years ago strikes were not un
common In New Zealand. Quito early In
the history of this far-off British isle tlio
world-wide conflict between capital and
labor became a serious fictor and threat
ened to blight the future of a country
whose natural advantages seemed to hnve
predestined for It an Important plnee
animg the nations of the world. Tilings
came to a head when a maritime strike
tied up 11 the shipping and absolutely
stopped trade between the coastal porU
and also with New Zealand's neatest neigh
bor, Australia. The boycott lasted several
weeks. It matters not now who was at
fault or who won the fight, as, with ull
other strikes, this is far from being tha
main Issue, and after the termination of
the struggle is soon forgotten. But in that
brief period tho small colony suffered to
the extent of millions of dollars and to this
day there are many who recall the suffer
ings entailed by the disastrous maritime
strike. It was to prevent a repetition of
such a catastrophe that the New Zealand
legislature which has always displayed re
markable individuality and courage In
grappling with the big problems of the
day brought forward and passed the con
ciliation and arbitration act. In referring
fo the passage of this and other laws re
lating to labor it should be pointed out
that in New Zealand the working classes
exert a very direct influence on the legis
lation of the country. This Influence is
exerted not by a labor party sitting In
the legislature but by agitation at po
litical meetings, a liberal use of the open
columns In tho daily newspupers and at
the ballot box. In the first Instance the
act was drawn up In such a way as to
provide for arbitration when the parties
to a dispute agreed to this method of ad
justment. The result was an absolute fail
ure, and the legislature then went a step
further and passed the act which has now
been on trial for ten years.
The New Zealand conciliation and arbi
tration act deals generally with the wages,
hours of labor and general conditions of
employment. It provides for the registra
tion of unions of workmen and also o'. em
pleyers. In connection with any trade or
industry In the various districts of the
country. Thus In such a town as Christ
church, which has a population of 56,000
people, there are separate unions of car
penters, bricklayers, plasterers, butchers,
bakers. Iron workers, tobacconists and so
forth.
Thero is nothing: to. compel a workman
to Join one of those unions, but he UFually
docs so In his own Interests. Tho act stip
ulates very clearly that the constitution of
these unions must ba such as to make It
easy for workmen to Join. The workmen's
unions almost Invariably make It a clause
in their demands that tho Industrial awards
shall stipulate that employers must other
things being equal-give preference of em
ployment to unionists. When this is con
ceded, as it usually Is, It materially asvl-t
to bring outsiders Into the fold, and une'er
these circumstances it is not curpr'sing
that practically the wholo of the working
men of Now Zealand are organ Led under
the provisions of tho conciliation and ar
bitration act.
There are not so many unions of em
ployers, as a builders' union fully repre
sents tho employers In all the various
trades connected with building.
In Christchurch. as In all other Industrial
dint riots created under the act, there is a
conciliation board, which comprises threo
gentlemen nominated by the whole of the
employers' unions in the district, thr'O
iiorn'iuited by the employe.' union, and In
addition u chairman elected by the s'x
mentioned. The members of these boards
are Invariably men of high standing and
' are usually selocted because of their prac
tical business knowledge. They have full
power to summon parties to an Industrial
dispute and all necessary witnesses, and,
having fully considered the case before
them, are required to give an award which,
If accepted by the parties concerned, be
comes blading for the ter.n specified In the
award, usually threw years.
There Is or.e arbitration court for the
wholo of New Zealand. It consists of
three pcrsms oce sclented by the employ
ers' associations throughout the colony,
ono by the workman's union c, wh'.tu tho
third, who cits us tlilranin, is a Judge of
the supreme court. In tele c innectl n It
Is well to observe that the Judiciary of
New Zealand, fron tho highest official to
tho lowest, absolutely above suspicion,
and a Judge of the supremo court, there
fore. Is a gentlejaan who commands im
plicit trust from all classes of the com
munity. If tljo carpcnte:s of ChrUUhurch com)
to the conclusion that they are rein?
underpaid, that their hours of labor are
unieaaonably long, that on undue per
One Happy, Strikeless
centage of boy apprentices are being em
ployed, or that In any other way they
are being treated unfairly, they cite a case
against one or moro employer to the local
conciliation board. Tho board notities the
other purtles to the dispute and In due
course the case Is heard, both sides being
afforded full opportunity to state their
case and support It by evidence. Very fre
quently this threshing out of a case re
sults In an amicable arrangement being
corne to and there the matter ends. Ordi
narily, however, the board makes Its
award and the parties to the dispute are
given a specified time within which they
may appeal, failing which the award be
comes law. In case of appeal the easa
goes to tho arbitration court, which has
full power to hear additional witnesses or
to compel parties to the dispute to pro
duce business books, documents or such
other matter us may be considered neces
sary for the information of the court. Such
Information is not made public and is only
made avaJlable to the court. The arbi
tration court gives the ilnal award, which
has the law of the country behind it, with
provision for substantial penalties upon
cither workmen or employers who should
violate It. The maximum tine is $2,500.
Generally speaking, the awards are re
ceived with comparative satisfaction by
both parties and any breaches of tho
awards are usually of a trivial nature,
Klther employers' or workmen's unions
can invoke the aid of the conciliation board
In remedying a grievance, but hitherto it
has been practically an invariable rule
that the workmen have initiated cases
brought forward. The exceptional pros
perity of tha colony since the act has been
In force, coupled with the increased cost
of living, may probably be considered a
factor in this direction. Up to the present
the employers have practically stood on
the defensive, and only such an unlikely
contingency as a wave of depression strik
ing the colony would be likely to change
their attitude. Opponents of the system
say that when that time comes Us weak
nesses will become very apparent, but there
see ma no reason to suppose that it will not
be equally as effective In solving labor d s
putes whether these be Introduced by work
men applying for an Increase, or by em
ployers seeking to red u co wages.
Although the New Zealand Industrial
conciliation and arbitration act has been
In force for ten years, it would be foolish
to claim that it has solved the labor prob
lem for ever and for all countries. In
America, for instance, It Is extremely prob
lematical whether the enormous Influx of
alien population, does not constitute a pe
culiar set of conditions which such an act
would be unable to cope With. In New Zea
land it has by no means settled the ever
lasting conflict between labor and capital.
Dfsputesfully occupy the time of the con
ciliation boards and the arbitration court
and the colony's statesmen ore watching
very closely its operations, so as to make
Improvements from time to time. But the
act has undoubtedly accomplished this: It
lias taken out of the hands of either em
ployer or employe the power to drag a
third party Into the dispute. Neither can
compel tho unwilling public through the
medium of . the boycott to take sid-s, and
since the act came into force there has
been no strike In New Zealand nor any
fear of one. Surely, this, if not a com
plete triumph, is at least a big step for
ward 1n the march towards Industrial har
mony and should be fruitful of sugges
tions for tho consideration of political
economists in America and other parts of
tins world.
It must be remembered that there are
certain natural laws as Imperative ih one
place, however large, as In another place,
however small. Stones do not fall up
wards In America more than In New Zea
land, nor cun a workman on strik keep
his family on air in one locality more than
in another. The New Zealander removes
his industrial disputes from the vicinity
of tho labor boss, tho armed picket and
the state militia, to the calm, rational
atmosphere of a court, which examines
hid claim, sees if the employer is get
ting unfair profits out. of his men, end
gives the workman for a fixed time a min
imum wage for his work, while he can
earn as much more as his employer likes
to give him. The men need not work, nor
his employer pay tho minimum wage or
any wage, but If he works at all at that
trade he must bo 'sweated" nor may
he undercut hist mates In wages.
There are scores of other enactments
on Hie New Zealand statute hooks di
rectly affecting labor Interests. Of these
one of the most Important Is tho factory
act which lays down the conditions under
which factory work can be carried on.
Children under 14 years of ugo are not
allowed to be employed, and the hours
of labor, holidays, and of women and
youths under IH years of age are strictly
regulated. Good ventilation, sanitary ac
commodations aro points dwelt upon,
while machinery has to be properly
guarded, fire escapes provided and dan
gerous occupation. specifically classified,
la order to assist the system of free,
Land
general, compulsory education which prs
v.'Uls In the colony, young persons art
not allowed to work In factories until
they have passed the fourth standard of
the state schools. To prevent the Intro
ductlon of "sweating" Into the cummo
clal centers articles made In private dwell
ings or unregistered workshops have to
be labeled when offered for sale, so that
goods so manufactured, often in unsan
itary premises, may not be placed on
tho market in competition with work dona
in properly inspected factories. The fnc
tory inspectors also exercise supervision
over the sleeping accommodation pro
vided for shearers In the country districts.
Tho shops and shop assistants' act pro
vides for tho closing of all shops In towns
and suburbs for one afternoon holiday
In each week. A few shops, such as
those of fruiterers, restaurants, etc., aro
exempted from the general closing, but
assistants in such establishments. In tha
burs of hotels and in country stores, must
have half a holiday on some day of th
week. In Christchurch, ordinary trades
people close on Thurs lay afternoons, whilst
the banks and warehouses all close on
Saturday afternoons, and in other towns,
similar arrangements aro In force. This,
act stipulates inter alia that every young;
woman employed In a shop must bo pro
vided with a sitting accommodation, so
that she may rest occasionally.
Tho New Zealand labor department has
an employment hranch with offices in all
the principal towns. At these men seeking
work are supplied gratis with full informa
tion as to the condition of labor In any
trade or Industry In any part of the colony
and at the eamo time arranges for em
ployment on government work for those
who desire it.
The labor laws of New Zealand have not
had the demoralizing effect on industry
that many predicted. Year by year tho
country progresses more and more. Tha
hands In factories have nearly doubled In
the last eight years und the private wea'ttl
of the people rose from $760,000,000 In 1S93
to $l.C00.00O,0o0 in 1902, a rise of $2,O0O.(XK)
In ten years. There are no unemployed In
New Zealand and the working-man has
constant work at high wages. The New
Zealand workingman does not live in &
flat or a hovel. He lives in a six or seven
room villa, situated In a quarter acre of
land, with lawn and flower garden in
front. Sometimes ho rents this property;
more often he owns it. The half holiday
and the general conditions under which,
ho works give him ample opportunity to
not only retain his best health, but also
to take an active and intelligent Interest
In all that Is going on in the world. The
Influence he is able to exert on tha
politics of the day inspires him to take
the keenest interest In the government of
his country, both national and municipal.
In brief, he feels himself to be a man,
sees that he Is recognized as such and he
"lives" his life in the very highest sense.
An Unbeaten Racer
"I have never allowed Lou Dillon to be
beaten by another horse when In training.
She has never yet been (Kissed by a horse
In a race. She feels that slie can beat any
thing in this world, and such confidence is
necessary for tho best results. It Is not a
question of nerve or spirit. But when it
cornea to a supreme test, like the one at
Beadville or at Memphis last yenr a heart
breaking trial I want her to feel that sho
Is supreme, and that nothing can beat her.
In that nice against Major Delrnar at
Memphis last October, which Dillon won in
such splendid style, at the quarter Delrnar
Wiis right at my shoulder. Dillon was
da-shing along with tliut tremendous stride
and with perfect ease. Delrnar was making:
his supreme effort. I heard him grunt. He
knew ho was beaten; ho was heartbroken,
and then nnd there he gave up the nice."
C. K. C. Billings in County Life in Amer
ica. Room for New Standard
"I see that San Francisco has Just grad
uated the first Chinese doctor in Its his
tory. "I wonder If ho will be a Mieclalist."
"I don't know. Do the Chin .ae have any
special Ills?"
"Never heard so. But If the new dr.cior
Is clever he can soon Invent some."
"Just think of a doctor ma't'ng otil his
bills with a paii.t brush."
"Say, It must be embarrassing to have
to put the totals upside down."
"Nothing of that sort ever em ban awed '
doctor." Cleveland Plain Dejle-
Glimpses of the Past
The leader having fall:n, Xntophm has
tily gathered his Greeks about 'him and
gave the order for retreat.
"But general," remonstrated a staff offi
cer, "why not surrender? We can never
make our way back. The enemy will head
us off."
"The only thing that can stop me now,"
fiercely excluimed Xc-nophon, "will be an
Injunction."
Anybody who Is curious to know how the
affair turned out may read all about it
in the "Anabasis," If he caa.-Chicas
Tribune,
