250 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 



attention during the past two years than ever before. 

 It is now fully recognised by most countries, and the 

 discussions on Reconstruction after the War show that 

 Governments are anxious for a solution. This is borne 

 out in England by the Whitley Report already men- 

 tioned in this work. There is no doubt that even in 

 the rural industries of New Zealand the same economic 

 problem is becoming evident. The long and important 

 case on Unionism in Agriculture before the Arbitration 

 Court in 1908 brought out many statements indicative 

 of this. Recent discussions on rural problems show the 

 same tendency. There is still a strong agitation for an 

 agricultural labourers' union. The special circumstances 

 of employment in many rural industries make Unionism 

 difficult, and the farmers in many cases view it as 

 dangerous. But it appears that in some form it is 

 inevitable. The outstanding feature of recent economic 

 evolution is the strengthening of combinations of capital 

 and labour. In his lectures on "The Economic Organ- 

 isation of England," Prof. Sir William Ashley speaks 

 of "the growth of the feeling of solidarity among 

 employers, and the steady strengthening of their organ- 

 isations for collective bargaining."* This principle 

 of collective bargaining has now received general legal 

 recognition, and there are signs that this has not led 

 to increased industrial strife. ' ' In spite of recent storms, 

 the situation is really far more hopeful than it was when 

 the combination of the work-people was actually far 

 weaker ; and the remedy would seem to be, in part at any 

 rate, in the direction of an even completer combination 

 of the parties concerned."! 



(&) General Nature of the Union. The relation of 

 our subject to this general discussion may not seem clear 

 at first. But the real plan of the Farmers' Union in the 



*Ashley, "Economic Organisation of England/' Page 189. 

 tlbid. Page 172. 



