REVIVAL OF AWARDS.

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

REVIVAL OF AWARDS.

LABOUR BILL REJECTED. j WAGE REDUCTIONS DENOUNCED. " DISASTER TO NEW ZEALAND." (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The second attempt of Mr. J. McCombs (Labour, Lyttelton) to have the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill amended met with the same result as his first. The House last night rejected the second reading by 42 votes to 24. Mr. McCombs' first bill was rejected on the motion to introduce it, after two days' discussion. The measure rejected last night proposed to revive all awards and agreements in force prior to the abolition of compulsory arbitration, and to repeal the amendments made by the Government to the Act last session, thereby restoring compulsory arbitration. When the division was readied, soon after the dinner adjournment, Messrs. Wright and Samuel (Government), Tirikatenc (Independent) and Kushworth (Country party) voted with the Labour party. Request Declined. Mr. McCombs asked the Prime Minister whether, in order to save discussion, he would allow the bill to be read a second time pro forma and referred to a Select Committee. The Prime Minister: No good purpose could be served by sending it to a committee. Mr. McCombs: The previous legislation was pushed through hurriedly, and if my request were acceded to it would enable those who wished to make representations at the time to appear before the committee. Rejecting the suggestion, the Prima Minister said he preferred that the House' should decide the matter. Mr. McCombs said the legislation passed last session had proved disastrous to the Dominion, and to the workers and the industries. He knew that there were a number of employers who were not in favour of what they were being compelled to do in regard to awards and agreements. A certain amount of moderation had been shown by some employers' associations, but the president of the New Zealand Employers' Federation had said that what had been done was only a preliminary. When the full policy was applied, added j Mr. McCombs, it would be the greatest disaster which had befallen New Zealand in the last 20 or 25 years. The passing of his bill would prevent that disaster. Warning of Crisis. Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour, Grey Lynn) said not one member of the Government was prepared to face an industrial audience and advocate the retention of the existing arbitration law. He declared that to-day there was abroad a spirit such as had never prevailed before, and the country was approaching a crisis that would make the earlier disturbances look like a mere skirmish. It only wanted a spark and the Government would be handling something more than a strike. The wielding of the bludgeon would not solve the problem. "There is no limit. Under present conditions the employer can pay what he likes," said Mr. J. O'Brien (Labour, Westland), who urged the Minister by way of tardy atonement, to do the decent thing" and allow the bill to go through. _ , According to Mr. K. McKeen (Labour, Wellington South) the Government, although it might not know it, was sitting on an industrial volcano. If an upheaval occurred the responsibility would rest with the Government.