LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

Ashburton Guardian, Volume xxix, Issue 7540, 16 July 1908, Page 4

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

WELLINGTON, July 14 The Council met at 2.30 p.m. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Dr. Findlay, in reply to the Address-in-lleply Debate, said that arbitration was the most important question of the day. Was compulsory arbitration to be abandoned ? What were its drawUcks ? He did not think it advisntue to abolish the system, the many blessings of which were sometimes overlooked. Labour had. been beaten in all strikes before the Act, and would bo so again if the Aci> was repealed. It was labour which had asked for compulsion. Could Mr Barr or any other member point to a country, where labour was better-off than in New Zealand. Labour wanted the Act to protect it, but it must be loyal to the Act, which could not be one-sided. If it were, the old system must be reverted to. Beyond the interest of labour was that of the whole community, which was dead against repeal, and would revolt against it. If the Act was abolished it would only show how the real value of it was to both sides. Successes must be weighed against failures. Discontent with tho Act, so far from showing that the Act had failed, showed, on the contrary, that the condition of labour had improved. Referring to the Arbitration Court, Dr. Findlay defended the Judges, and pointed out the high qualifications of the present president. He admitted that the cost of living was increased, and that the family man was the one who felt the burden. It had been said that the workers had lost' confidence in the Court, but he had yet to learn that any one of the Judges had been guilty of bad administration. The loss of confidence was simply becaiise the workers could not continue to get the advantages they had obtained in former years. If confidence of that kind was to be restored then he said abolish the whole system. He declared that it was necessary to have one possessing a legal mind as president. He asked if the Council approved of imprisonment of strikers in cases where life may be endangered? The Attorney-General then reviewed the new Arbitration Bill, Re ferring to uniformity of wages he said that it; had reduced the production of the worker at least 50 per cent. No better change could be effected than the change proposed, which, ultimately, the workers would consider the greatest blessing conceivable. In conclusion he depicted class warfare; paid agitation was a parasite upon the honest worker, and was to be utterly condemned. (Loud applause.) The Council adjourned at 5.20 p.m. WELLINGTON, July 15. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Attorney-General, . re^-ing to the Hon W. W. McCardle, said that he would bring> under the notice of the Finance Minister the question that no provision for advances, under the Advances to Settlers Act has been made for those taking up lands under private contracts with natives, and other landowners. The Hon. Mr McCardle mentioned that in the King Country alone, there were 200,000 acres so affected. SECOND READINGS.

The Incorporated Societies Bill, the new Zealand Accountants Bill and Meikle Acquittal Bill were read a second time. In referring to the latter Bill, the Hon. J. E. Jenkinson mentioned the Invercargill case, in which a man was recently sentenced, at the Supreme Court, to three, months' imprisonment, for altering a certificate, so as to enable him to obtain work, and he thought the Government, considering the petitions on the matter, might have allowed ,the man to go free. .The Attorney-General, in reply, said that the most careful consideration had been given to the case by the Government, and if Mr Jenkinson was aware of all the circumstances, ho would not ask this, or any other Government to release the man. In the interest of the man concerned, he did not think pit prudent to produce the papers in- the case, but he would do so if desirSd. The Council adjourned at 3.15 p.m.