MINISTER'S ACTIONS.

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

MINISTER'S ACTIONS.

AUCKLAND CONFERENCES.

MR. ARMSTRONG IN REPLY.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The statement that the leaders of the old Freezing Workers' Union were responsible for the chain system of killing, and that the system had only been imposed after the Auckland strike was made by Mr. S. G. Smith (National, New Plymouth) this evening, during the debate on the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill. Referring to the action of the Minister of Labour, Mr. Armstrong, in connection with that strike, Mr. Smith expressed the opinion that interference by Ministers with judges of the Court must be handled with extreme care. He thought Mr. Armstrong himself would have realised that by now. Mr. H. G. Dickie (National, Patea) also referred to the Auckland Freezing Works strike, and said he hoped the terms of awards in future would be adhered to both by workers and employers alike. The chain system of killing for freezing works, he believed, had come to stay, and he agreed with Mr. Smith that the unions themselves had been responsible for its introduction. Dealing with his action concerning the Auckland strike, Mr. Armstrong said he had not wanted to butt in if he could help it, but his telephone had not ceased to ring with requests that he should come to Auckland and settle the strike. He had also received scores of letters and telegrams, all from employers' organisations, urging him to settle the strike. At last Cabinet had agreed that he should go, and when the strike had been settled a sigh of relief had gone up in business circles in Auckland. If a firm stand had not been taken and the strike settled it would have extended beyond Auckland. The Minister proceeded to detail his actions in the settling of the dispute, statins that he had visited four freezing works and had talked to strikers until ha had not a whisper left. His audiences were hostile to him at first, but he directed them to come out of the works that <Jay, and the men did so. "I asked them," said Mr. Armstrong, "whether they were going to rule the country or whether we were. I said we were. I then told the men to resume work on the Monday, and that also was done." When the hill reached the committee stage, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hamilton, said the Minister had evaded the point in connection with the Auckland strike.* That was that he had over-ridden his own Court's awards He was entitled to credit for settling the strike, but the point remained that he had the Court'* award.