LABOUR PROBLEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 155, 1 July 1919, Page 9

LABOUR PROBLEMS.

SOME BIG QUESTIONS. TIT TO MINISTERS. 'SIR JAMES ALLEN'S VIEWS. (By Telegraph. — Tress Association.) WELLINGTON, Monday. Representatives of the Timber Workers' Federation put before Sir James Allen, the Hon. W. 11. Herries, and the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald to-day certain proposals from the recent conference. Sir James Allen. In replying, said the matters represented by the deputation were of extreme importance, and some of them would require consideration by the full Cabinet on the return of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward. Regarding the proposal to reduce the hours of working sawmills, it was true it was possible to reduce hours without deere—sing the output, but there was a limit to the process, and lie would not say what that

iimit might be. As to the suggestions made for the reduction of the cost of living by the Government taking over banks, the coal industry, and shipping, these were big proposals on which it would be impossible ior him to give conclusive answers. He did not thing, however, that if the Government took over the banks there would be much relief to the workers in a reduced cost of living. On the question of State ownership of the coal mines, he referred the deputation to the report by the Hoard of Trade. The board had recoui—leaded a sort of nationalised control. Whether the report would be adopted by the Government he could give no information. In regard to the nationalisation ol shipping, he could give no answer except to express his personal opinion that there was probably room for some of the departments most intimately concerned to have ships for their own services. He was unable to say whether the making of insurance a State monopoly would reduce the cost by 50 per cent. He suspected that it would not do so. He believed it was right for the State to compete with private firms in insurance, and so by competing ensure that the rates to be charged would not be too high. Referring to the restrictions imposed on the timber industry recently, Sir James Allen said the restrictions were imposed only after the fullest consideration. The Covernment had to make a choice as to whether it would allow all the timber to be used now or insist on come being conserved in order thnt before all the present supplies were exhausted we might have time to plant mon- timber lor future requirements. The Minister promised that the other matters would be referred to the Ministers concerned. The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, dealing ■with the restrictions on timber, said tbe demand from Australia was so strong that it threatened to take the whole of

the New Zealand production. The -strong point which m«t influenced the Government bad been the knowledge that syndicates were buying up tractsof forest country to work timber for export to Australia. The effect would have been that the timber would have gone to Australia, leaving the people in New Zealand to pay double or treble what they ought to pay. Mr. Turley, a member of the deputation, said that although there were complaints of exploitation in the timber industry the fact was that the exploitation was not being done by the millers. Certain classes of timber "were shipped f.o.b. at Greymouth, for from 14/ to 16/ per 100 ft., hut the people who bought that timber in Wellington had to pay 45/ per 100 ft. for it. Mr. Mac Donald said the Board of Trade was going into this matter, and if it should be found that there was exploitation there would have to be a fixed price for every class of timber., The Hon. W. H. Herries said that amendments in the Shops and Offices Act, Workers' Compensation Act, and factories Act, had been " on the stocks'' lor some time, a nd be understood the bills, when they came down, would be found quite satisfactory to the workers. When the bills were" introduced they •would he referred to the Labour Bills Committee, and the workers interested would have -PportO-ities of bringing evidence before the committee. Resardint; the proposal that sawmill workers in the employ of the State should be given the right to cite the Government before the Arbitration Court, bis personal inclination was to give the right, but he had no idea what opinion his colleagues held on the point. He would consult his officials, and if there were no reasons against the proposal, provision would 'be made for giving the right to workers -in the State mills to appeal to the Arbitration Court.