EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11108, 29 October 1901, Page 6

EVENING SITTING.

The Council resumed at 7.30 o'clock. CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. Mr RIGG said that to give power to "either party" to apply for direct reference, to "the Arbitration Court was misleading, as there need not necessarily be only two parties to a dispute. Hβ suggested that power to go direct to the Court should be given not on the- application of either employers or employed, bnt on application by a© industrial association and a majority of the employers. This "would be a compromise" between the "either party" and the "both parties" courses.

The MINISTER, referring to the position of conciliation under the Act, said a difficulty arose" out of the provision of the Act, that special conciliators must be experts in.-the trade. Experts called in evidence frequently conflicted, and their evidence needed , a lot of sifting. The conciliators would not be experts bnt men of a judicial mind. . ...

After some discussion, Mr JENKENSOK'S amendment (substituting ''both" parties for "either") was negatived by 22 votes to 6,* it« supporters being Messrs Bigg, Jones, Jenkinson, Tomoana, Bolt)! and W. C. Walke^r Mr JENKINSON moved to the effect that either party may apply for direct reference to the Court' to i£ requested, so to jdo by a majority of tie parties" to the J dispute. . ■ '' #*' I This was negatived by 18 votes to 8, > its supporters being Messrs Jfcigg, Jones, Jenkinson, Reeves, Jennfngs;"" rJoit, Peacock, and W. C. WaSker. ' " Sfr RIGG moved to report progress and to ask leave to sit again. This was under debate at the supper adjournment.