WATCHING LEGISLATION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11749, 25 November 1903, Page 7

WATCHING LEGISLATION.

EMPLOYERS AND PAJILIAMENT. IMPROVING T.AST SESSION'S BILLS. At the meeting of the Canterbury Employers' Association last night an address was delivered by Mr H. Field, secretary of tlie Wellington Association and the Vigilance Committee, on {he labour legislation of the session just, closed, and dealing especially with th* steps taken to protect employers. Mr Field said he -wished towpeak chiefly of the work of the Vigilance tonunitte*. Last *easion was the first in which the employers had been faMy we& organised. The programme of the Committee wa* to prevent mischievous legislation as much as j possible, and to promote food legislation, j To effect this required a combination of prudence and enterprise, a quickness'to perceive chances, and _ readiness of resource. There had been some indirect gains which were not so palpable or evident as tlie direct gains, but they were of the highest importance. Firt* of all, they could claim that they had succeeded in impressing on members of ParUament that the employer* of the colony were an crgonised, representative and influential body. There was now a marked difference in the opinion held by members as to the importances of employers' Associations as compared with the opinion bold at the opening oj tlie session. The conferences between associations and members prior to tlie opening of Parliament had been in some measure responsible for the change. Members of ParHanient now recognised that employers' associations did exist, and that- they meant business. (Applause.) This was shown by Parliament's recognition of the rights of the associations of the four centres to nominate a member of tlie Arbitration Court to take the place of the employers' representative when he wa* incapacitated from, discharging his duties. Mr Arnold's mistake in not allowing the Vigilance Committeie to give evidence regarding certain Bills hn(| furthered the cause of employers. It had given them a splendid advertisement, and they had secured the recommittal of the Bills. They had gained a great moral victory. (Hear, hear.) He paid a tribute to the splendid response made by tlie different Associations in forwarding protests to Parliament. , Early in the session he had applied to be supplied with copies of Labour Bills, but he had received no reply, but he understood that his request had been brought before th* Labour Bills Committee, and •that a certain gentleman, with a good deal | of influence with the Committee, had \ it thrown into the waste-paper basket. He : (the speaker) did not think that a comma- ! nication from the employers would be j treated like that again. Mr Field referred to the feet that for some time members of Parliament had been \ fighting the employers' battles in Parliament without any > encouragement from those they were fighting for, and said that they had" been inspired with new courage ; by the action of the Associations this year. He mentioned Messrs James Allen, E. W. Alison, and J. G. W. Ait-en, as members who had been of reel value in advocating the cause of employers in the House. Mr Allen had been the leader, and employers bad a good champion in him. Employers had also friends in tlie Legislative Council, but he did not deem it wise to mention them.

Referring to the Bills which wero before Parliament last session, Mr Field said that in the Legislative Council Mr Rigg had introduced a clause in th* inspection of Machinery Bill, providing that the service certificate}* of engine driver* should bo lifted to tho same rank 99. competency certificates. This was done in order to defeat an award of the Court* .which had specified that certain wages should be paid men holding certain certificate*. Another member wanted engine drivers iff charge of engines of two-horse power to be certificated.. 'This was intended to affect the small nnqiufactorer. This latter clause they had"succeeded In getting struck out. Regarding the Shops and Offices Bill, he said that a* tho result of the was* of evidence" given a much better Bill would be introduced next year.. He also touched on the Arbitration Court Emergency, and the Shippiug and Seamen's Bills. Referring to the attempt to make preference to unionists compuliory by Statute, he pointed out that the Premier had not brought down the proposal, though prior to the session he stated this he would do so. The speaker attributed the Premier's change of front to the fact that Cabinet did not support him, as shown by the division list, Only ths Premier and Mr HallJones had voted for ths proposal, the other five members of the Cabinet voting against: it. Only two members representing electors tea in th* Auckland provincial district had voted for it; none .of the Turanaki or fiawke's Bay representatives had voted for it; two Wellington district representatives had voted for It, and one Nelson representative j nine Canterbury re* pr«ee»ta_vef, one Westland representative, and five Otago representatives had voted for it. Only four Norm Island and sixteen South Island representative* had* voted for the proposal.. A Maori member's vote brought the total up to 21, They now knew where ths stronghold of preference was. Forty-five members bad voted against tho proposal, or more than two to one. (Applause). The speaker dealt at som* length with the Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Bill, and paid a tribute to Mr J. M, Twomey for the effort he put forth to get it passed. Many members who voted for the original BUI had expressed their willingness -to reverie their rote. In answer to questions, Mr Field said that owing to the representations of ths Vigilance Committee, the objectionable fea. tures of the. Labour Department Bill had been excised. It was Inevitable that Employers' Association* should endeavour to have elected tie the House m*mb*r* who would represent their views, but b* advocated caution in this direction, The Chairman , (Mr. Gilbert Anderson) asked if the labour Bills were duo to tho action of the Government or of Government officers? _w Field said hs-summed up the posi-. tion thus:—Tho officer* of the Labour Department knew what the mind *of the leader of tb# House was* and when they; got a cue from him they knew entetly* the : lines that it would be acceptable for them to work along, Th* secratary of th* P*-. partmtnt mad* it his business "during the recess to prepare meals for Farliament, In answer to Mr 3& 0. Brown, Mr Field said thai th* qneetion of preference to .Unionists was now in the t»m* position a*>* previQU_v—left #n_r*ly to th* dSsoretion of the Court- In two awarda given lose week in Wellington no preference had been awarded, Mr Field aJ** dealt at some length with the reoam) case* in Wellington where employ**, who wero not engaged in the trade in respect to which they were proceeded against for .reaches of award* of th* Court, hod in on* oa*» bee* adjudged guilty of * technical breach, and in tlie other had been discharged. Ha stated that it was hi* intention to have the question definitely settled. The pointed out that ths, principle was ait important* one, as in the case of tlie Domestic Helps Union, recently farmed In this ,«ty, and th* Gard*ner* Union, it would &c posaftile for emplojenf who were not eiud when th* ease wa* bof<m ti» Court, to Ist h*kt bound by th* award given, . :; • r,: - Mr Field referred to th* fact that J»; Auckland «mp3oy«t- had been abl* to fit their fir* insurances reduced owing to Hi* butter claw of bujlding erected, slid the more emaient fire prevention servjes, tod urged similar action in this city. -. On th* motion of Mc 0. T- Booth, fteconded by Mr J. H. Hopkin*. Mr fm was accorded a hearty TfiM of tMt* <