332 



The Review of Reviews. 



Apra to, 19IK. 



being adopted. The functions of each ought to be 

 such as to be mutually helpful, and there is no rea- 

 son why they should not be. It is only personal 

 feeling that can prevent a perfect understanding, and 

 in Federal and State matters nothing of this kind 

 should enter. 



The High Court has made a deci- 

 The Queensland si,^^ ;„ the case of Heggie v. the 

 lllbmty'cre. f/-bane Sh.pwr.ght Provident 

 Union that considerably clears the 

 air. Briefly, the facts of the case are that Heggie, 

 a non-unionist, had been employed by the Queens- 

 land Government as a shipwright. Under a rule of 

 this Union, forbidding its members to work with 

 non-unionists, the dismissal of Heggie was secured 

 under a threat that its members would be called out 

 if the man was allowed to remain at his work. In 

 an action against the Union for damages, Heggie 

 was, on the facts, accorded ^150. An appeal 

 was made to the High Court to test the point 

 as to whether, on the facts as found bv the jury, an 

 action for damages would lie against the Union. The 

 Court, by dismissing the appeal, practically fcjund 

 that it would, and broadly affirmed the principle that 

 if union officers, by threatening to precipitate a 

 strike, cause a non-unionist to be deprived of his 

 employment, the funds of their union are liable to 

 depletion by order of the Court to somewhat repair 

 the damages sustained by the discharged workman. 



This is fair. If a private indivi- 



The fairness Aw^X w^ork hann to another in busi- 



Decisinn "^^^ without reasonable personal 



provocation, and, indeed, sometimes 

 with it, he is liable for the payment of damages ; and 

 it is only reasonable that if a number of men. 

 through a corporate body, do the same thing, their 

 funds should be equally liable. Although corpora- 

 tions and companies are generally supposed to be 

 soulless, they nevertheless should be liable for the 

 results of soullessness. It is a recognised principle 

 that a body of men, combining for business pur- 

 poses, are liable for the actions of the combination. 

 Business would be impossible were it otherwise. Cor- 

 porate bodies could exploit the public like so many 

 pirates, and the decision of the Court simply brings 

 unions into line with other corporate bodies. Noth- 

 ing can be said against Unions. They are a neces- 

 sity, and a desirable one. Men have the right to 

 combine in order to lawfully secure their legitimate 

 ends : but the combination must, in the eyes of the 

 law, be a tangible thing. It would be but a sorry 

 position if for aggressive purposes it should be very 

 real and substantial, but for defensive ones, unreal, 

 visionary and intangible. The fact that in the case 

 before the Court the Union happened to be a labour 

 one makes no difference to the principle involved. 

 Had it been an Employers' Union, the decision must 

 have been the same in the interests of the com- 

 munity. 



y.Z. Free Lir.ee.J 



The Lord Helps Those Who Help Themselves. 



" The Maoris have been taught how to die and go to 

 heaven. Better to teach them how to work and live on 

 earth." — Mr. Seddon at Waimuarama. 



KIN'G DICK: " 'Pray without ceasing' ia pretty good 

 ad-ice for a millionaire, but off with your coat and get 

 to work with this spade is ray advice to yon." 



Victoria's '* ^^'i" t)e of interest to the other 

 Closer States of the Commonwealth and 



Settlement New Zealand to know how Victoria 

 Achievements, jg progressing under her Closer Set- 

 tlement Act. Under this, the Government purchases 

 estates from private persons by negotiation, but not 

 with compulsion. The Board was appointed in 1905, 

 and since then fourteen farm estates and two work- 

 men's heme allotments have been secured, the total 

 covering an area of about 116,000 acres. The 

 total population on the farm properties is 

 2500, and on the workmen's home allotments over 

 1000. The total area now in the hands of the Board 

 (for some had been acquired when they assumed con- 

 trol), is 148,000 acres, the cost of which was 

 ;£i,053,ooo. It is very evident that the cry for land 

 was not an empty one. Necessity for pushing the 

 good work still further, however, is evident from the 

 fact that so many single young men have secured the 

 land, and that almost without exception, they 

 married soon after they took possession of their farms. 

 Even more is wanted, however, in this respect, and 

 still easier terms, for those who are anxious to go 

 on the land have little or no capital. New Zealand's 

 good example of compulsory resumption on equit- 

 able terms will yet have to come into force. 



Civilised nations have other ways of 



Tlie Pakeha and killing off native races than using 



the Maori. gunpowder and lead upon them. 



One of the favourite methods is al- 

 lowing the native access to intoxicating liquor. The 

 final destruction of the native may not be an inten- 

 tional objective ; it probably is net ; but the destruc- 

 tion results all the same. Sir Robert Stout, the other 

 day, when sentencing a drinking Maori for a breach 

 of the law, prophesied the ultimate extinction of the 

 race if it were not kept away from liquor. Why cannot 

 the Government absolutely forbid the sale of liquor 



