ARBITRATION IN STRIKES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 172, 24 July 1890, Page 2

ARBITRATION IN STRIKES.

Somediscussiontook place in the House of Representatives last night, on the motion for the second reading of Mr Downie Stewart's Strike and Board of Conciliation Bill, the objects of which have previously been stated pretty freely. Mr Stewart, in moving the second reading of the Bill, explained thab it dealt with strikes amongst workmen and gave power to settle them by Boards of Conciliation. Its object was to settle disputes at the least possible expense to both parties, and he thought it was a measure in which every workman in the colony was interested. The causes thab give rise to strikes, such as disagreements as to the rate of wages, hours of labour, overtime, etc., were referred to. Ho urged that it

: wf»s of the utmost importance to everybody interested for the welfare of the whole colony that these strikes should be averted. A man with considerable capital could hold oub against the strikers, bub a man of moderate means suffered greatly by j them. Strikes were thus, to a certain extent, to the interest of the large capi- [ talists and to the detriment of those posses-

sipg moderate means, and not to the benefit of workmen. The Bill did nob provide for the prevention of strikes, but for arbitration and a reasonable means of settling such disputes, In the course of the discussion which followed, Mr Moss expressed the opinion that the clause providing for compulsory arbitration would defeat its own purposes, and suggested that after the-second reading had been passed nothing further should be done,until its provisions had been publiqly discussed during _c recess. Mr Fish moved, as an amendment, "That the Bill be read a second time this day six months." He described the measure a3X_ir,plic&te.d,.a_pensLv-and unnqceeaary, and said the working classes did not want a Bill of this kind. Sir GeorgC !C.ey Moo&Wdyfhe WWment and said that Parliamenb had no right to interfere wibh the working class or to compel them to submit to arbitration whether tbey liked it or not, Hon. Mr Ballance pointed out that the trade unions had rules for arbitration in cases of disputes, and that they almost invariably succeeded in settling disputes by these regulations. Several other members spoke in a similar strain and urged Mr Stewart to withdraw thrill, Mr Stewart, in reply, denied thab tbe Bill was framed in the interests of capital, and. asserted that exactly the contrary was the case. The Hon. Mr Hislop contradicted an assertion made that the Bill had been approved by the Government, but ab tbe same time expressed the'conviction thab bbc measure was premature. Mr Fulton, chairman of bbc recent Sweating Commission, quoted from evidence given throughout the colony on tbis ques-ti-ti, and stated that it was a recommendation made by tbab Commission thab steps should be taken to establish at an early date a Board of Conciliation. The second reading was agreed to on bhe voices. Tbe Bill waß committed for that day fort-