MINISTER REPLIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 269, 12 November 1937, Page 11

MINISTER REPLIES.

OPPOSITION CRITICISM.

"HOPELESSLY ASTRAY."

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Armstrong, replying to the debate, said the Opposition's criticisms of the Labour Department and the actions of the Minuter had been hopelessly astray. With Tagard to the citation clause, the Opposition's contention that every individual employer under the award should be «ited was wrong in theory. Would the Opposition expect employers to cite •very individual employee who was to be governed by an award. There would be co-ordination between the two Arbitration Courts, the Minister ••id, and he thought most of the difficulties feared by the Opposition would w overcome by the adoption of common •ense methods. The Minieter said the Leader of the Opposition had continued to criticise the basic wago and it* effects on the youth of the country. He wished for its repeal becaiwe young people were being dismissed when they reached years of adulthood. If the Government increased tho «g e when the lm«ic wage applied to 31 years the Opposition would want it to b« increased to 41 years and then Jould want it increased to 51 years. Finally people would be getting the old •go pension before they received the basic wage. The Leader of tbc Opposition knew that employers had dismissed •dnlts and employed youths and girls *ight through the ages. Racing clubs, said Mr. Armstrong, had been quite satisfied with provisions of the bill when they had been explained to them and the bill would not foroe ■niall farmers shearing sheep on the cooperative syntem to join shearers' unions If they were not required to do so under the existing legislation.