THE ARBITRATION ACT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 145, 18 June 1908, Page 2

THE ARBITRATION ACT.

SPEECH BY DE. PINDLAY". (By Telegraph.-T-Press Association^ WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Hon. Dr. Findlay delivered a speech in Wellington tonight, supplementing fcis recent Wangapui utterances, and replying to criticism thereon. To «,ne assertion that sweating had been abolished by the Factories Act, and not the Arbitration Act, he pointed out that tne wages of tailoresses and factory hands were raised by the Arbitration Court years before the passing of the Factories Act of 1901. During lv years there had been 18 strikes, all really small and short-lived, agid only 12 of these had been illegal. In these strikes less than one per cent of the total wage-earners had been involved, while the days of idleness due to- them were few. In Britain during a given decade 20 per cent of the workers were at some time or other directly involved in labour conflicts, and the average days of idleness were 49 per man. Dr. Findlhy repeated and amplified his argument at Wanganui that the increase, in the cost of living was due only in a very small degree to the Arbitration Act, but chiefly to enhanced prices of foodstuffs in foreign markets, and the great increase in the unimproved value of land, and the' cost of building material. The speaker admitted that the Conciliation Boards had entirely failed to achieve the results anticipated by Mr. Reeves. Some effective methods of enforcing fines short of imprisonment was urgently required. He thought the provision in the Act preventing victimising needed amendment. He quoted statistics compiled from the income tax figures showing that the various, trading and industrial concerns arc assessed on £7,775,579, but allowances for interest and rent would considerably reduce these profits, inasmuch as at least £40,000,000 was invested to produce these profits. He did not assert that the great body of workers were receiving wages which justified no increase, but unless more wealth was produced by increased effort and co-operation on the part of both employers and employed, there was not much prospect of any marked rise in the general level of the workers' wages.

Dr. Findlay then asked what was to guide the Arbitration Court in fixing wages. He dismissed the profit-sharing principle as impossible. In hjs belief, if compulsory arbitration was to continue, it must continue it must continue to be a wage-regulator, and the best standard for its guidance was a double, or rather, a primary and a supplementary, standard. The primary standard should be the needs, of the worker, and the wage based on it should be not a bare subsistence wage, but one which would allow for all conventional decencies essential to a worker's, self-respect. The neea» wage should be supplemented by an exertion wage, providing for extra payment for extra work. The practice of paying a premium wage to one or two operatives in order to force the. pace had been rightly condemned by trade unions, but it bad never been tried under a compulsory Arbitration Act, with power to prevent abuses. Where a progressive wage for individual workers was impracticable, a collective progressive wage could be paid. To give all workers, fast or blow, skilful or careless, the same payment, tended to degrade labour. The system he suggested coudl not injure the workers, and the employers could have no reason to. complain. "A resolution of confidence in the Government wa.s carried at the conclusion of the speech. FARMERS' UNION DEPUTATION. CBy Telegraph.—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, Wednesday. A deputation from, the Farmers' Union at Wyndham to-njghr. asked the Hon. R. McNab whether legislation could be introduced to take agricultural labours out of the scope of the Arbitration Act. The union was becoming much alarmed at the demands the. men were making, and compliance with them would make farming impossible.

The Minister said the Government had no intention of doing what the deputation asked, and. he thought the farmers were becoming needlessly alarmed. The Court woudl certainly not make an award that would put farming o,ufc of existence.