UNION LEADERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 262, 4 November 1932, Page 3

UNION LEADERS.

MEN WITH COURAGE NEEDED MR. SMITH'S ADVICE RESENTED ARBITRATION ACT AMENDMENTS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The suggestion tha| the industrial Labour leaders of New Zealand had had an opportunity to prevent the drastic amendments of tho Arbitration Act last session was advanced by Mr. S. G. Smith (Government, New Plymouth), in the House yesterday.

Mr. Smith, who was speaking during the debate on Mr. J. McCombs' proposed amendments, emphasised that he had previously endeavoured to point out to tho leaders of the industrial Labour movement the dangerous situation that was developing as a result of the depression, but they had refused to recognise that a change in conditions in the country was coming about, and that it was in the interests of tho workers that those altered conditions should be met. Had the workers had real leaders on the industrial side with courage to meet the situation —

Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour, Grey Lynn): Have you the courage to speak before your electors?

"I have courage on all occasions," retorted Mr. Smith, "and I will speak before my elqetors at the appropriate time. When I do address them my friends, the 'howlers,' who give no other than industrial movement speakers a chance to be heard, will not be allowed to howl me down." (Hear, hear.) Round Table Conference.

Mr. Smith said tho Labour leaders on the industrial side had had nil opportunity to facc the facts of the country's situation, and had they had the slightest desire to meet the employers of New Zealand in a round table conference, he was confident that agreements of a purely temporary nature would have been entered into to meet the conditions that existed in the Dominion. Had that been done, he doubted whether it would have been necessary to make the drastic amendment to the Arbitration Act last session.

"I have been informed," said Mr. Smith, "that workers are being advised to resist further wage reductions, because the Labour party will not allow any more amendments to go through this House, and that they will hold up Parliament until the struggle has ended." Labour Members: Rubbish. Mr. H. E. Holland: Where did you get that? Mr. Smith: I got it all right, and I will be very careful about disclosing the source of my information. Labour Members: Ho! Hoi Men Deprived of Work. Replying to allegations that workers were being made the victims of unscrupulous employers, Mr. Smith said he had seen a worker the victim of an unscrupulous trade union official. Mr. W. Nash (Labour, Hutt)): What about your Arbitration Bill?

Sir. Smith said ho had believed in the measure when he introduced it, as Minister of Labour. While in the Ministry he had seen hundreds of workers who could have had the advantage of parttime work, but for the action of some of the trade union officials. On the other hand, rationed work, although illegal, had been brought into operation, the trade union officials having acquiesced in those instances. Alleged Change of Front. "It is nothing short of a tragedy to think that Mr. Smith was elected to this House mainly by the votes of the trade unionists to defend their rights," said Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Labour, Chvistchureh East). Mr. Smith: And came back again and again. Mr. Armstrong: And it is deplorable to find him to-day acting as the mouthpiece of the most unscrupulous set of emplpyers this country has ever known. Called to order by Mr. Speaker, Mr. Armstrong said the member was making use of the same line of argument as had been employed by the opponents of every move in the direction of human progress in New Zealand.