ARBITRATION METHODS.

Auckland Star, Volume 246, Issue 246, 16 October 1926, Page 13

ARBITRATION METHODS.

"WHO IS BEHIND?" REPLY TO MR. DEARSLEY. THE UNION'S VIEWPOINT. "Who is behind the times?" was tin question asked to-day by Mr. C. A Watts, secretary of the New Zealani Federated Boot Trade, in replying t< the criticism of the Arbitration Cour methods which was voiced at Christ church this week by Mr. H. Dearslejr acting-president o*f the Auckland Provin cial Industrial Association. Mr. Dearsley is reported as sayinj that the Arbitration Court methods ar< obsolete, but that he was "not opposec to the Arbitration Court, for it ha: greatly improved the old order o strikes and lock-outs." Proceeding Mr Dearsley said that the court was 20 01 30 years out of date, -'especially witl regard to labour." In the course of his reply Mr. Watti said: "Mr. Dearsley complains that em ployers are hedged about with factory acts and awards He should be in I pbsition to know, as we have ex perienced the greatest difficulty in per suading him to comply with the Act: and awards which he so roundly con demns. As an instance of his fear o breaking these Acts and awards, thii union had occasion to call upon th< Labour Department to enforce th( award under which we and Mr. Dears ley are supposed to be working, anc after two attempts by the Departmenta officer to obtain the necessary facts with the denial that a breach had beer committed, it is found on a thirc inquiry which gets past Mr. Dearslej that the complaint is a genuine one and an action is brought in the Magis trate's Court, at which the Department conver_ently gives the union officials c wrong Linle of hearing and the facts o: the case are not published in the Prss But, unfortunatly for Mr. Dearsley anc the Department, the matter is sent or to the Arbitration Court, when pub licity is given to the breach and, ir addition, another breach is discovered which we have been pressing the Depart ment to rectify since the present award has operated. "Mr. Dearsley's idea of improving the relations between the employer and his worker is to introduce a pernicious system of fines and penalties for minoi accidents, and when he oversteps the mark, he condemns the whole Laboui system. "Mr. Dearsley's reference to apprentices, would be humorous, if it were not so tragic, in view of the fact that adult males in the boot industry, have a record of lost time, which averages 156 hours per worker for the six-monthly period, while the females' average lost time is 118 hours per worker. In his factory, there is one apprentice to three journeymen, but like the famous 'Oliver" he wants more. "The reason that boys are not entering industry, is that the conditions and inducement offering are not good enough, and, further, that the Technical College Training is not now in the direction of industry so much as it i£ towards commercialism and high school professional training, as against its proper function, technical education as a training for industry. We have quite recently experienced the very thing that Mr. Dearsley says he does not want, viz., the trade worked by apprentices while men walk the streets. Certainly some more reasonable arrangement is necessary."