ARBITRATION BILL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13231, 26 September 1908, Page 6

ARBITRATION BILL.

THIRD READING DEBATE.

r (PKESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) 'WJ-LLINGTO-f, September 25. In the House of _Leprese__atives this evening, Mr Millar moved tho third reading of tho Industrial Conciliation and -Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. Mr ArnoM said tho House was about to pass tijo mo_t important measure it bad passed for many years. He had been strongly opposed to tho Biil •u-ought down lata _e_si_n, but this BUI was quite d_j_ere_t. l_e Jiause baa done a great deal of work on t__ bill, and he iJ_/ugnt they were putting a very good __-_sure on the (statu i« Hook. It hutt -een made _bu____.uy __.u_iest uiat in tile o_t__u_a or ail putties tho clay of tn_ oiu l>__ciiisw_o_. iXKUd- had pa__ett. I'ne prt-ant i_n3a-ure provided iu-chinery tor puvo conciliation, wn__t ai_o providing beyond it vie inaci__i~ry or oonipuiucoi it pure con-iliarxon raiied. nut ho rwiouglit they a-ouid sue very few ca_t_ gouig to tne Court. Lamer the new .act disputes would bo sot wed between toe parties w__ioub re__r_nce to tii_ court __» provit-O-B or Uie Bill ia regard to _t_-_es were good. Lnkyns u-io not obliged to take advantage of tne macJ_ui_ry provided by tne Act; u_ey nn_.it _cay out_i_o tne Act amd reserve io themselves tho right to -irike. dm tbe ©tlaer hand, it unions took of tne Act, and stall resorted to striking, it was right that tbey snouid be pui__._ed tor so docng, ___ this was provided tor in the bill, iiiere were still eoine tilings in tno Bill ho did not like; but no thougnt that, ii logically accepted, it would accomplish what it was Oi._iy„ed to accomplish, and would prove aceeptahte to tho workers, (near, hear, and applause.) Mr Thomson congr_tulated the "Government upon tho Bill, which provided pure conciliation, backed by that element of compulsion which was indispensable. Mr Massey said th© Bill had boon improved in committee; but lie did not think it would prove final, but rather that it wouiu Uv ai_e_u~_ _£_... __,_ again, until all the compulsory element was amended out of it. He believed in pure conciliation, but not in compulsion. In this Bill two tribunals i wero provided for. The Councils of Conciliation were bettor thpn the old , Boards; but he objected to the two tn_u__l systems a-Logei-or. Dr. Chapplo was more sympathetic than hopeiui in regard to the success of the Bill. He was afraid experience of its working would lead men of future years to say that the mountain of l__d bad laboured and brougnt forth a mouse. The Bill contained an anomaly which must prove final: it provided a tribunal clothed with all the authority, power, and finality ( of the Supreme Court, but with no experts on its bench, a_d side by side with it another tribunal, composed of the best experts obtainable, hut clothed' with neither authority, nor power, nor finality. j Mr Barclay said the only advantage tho workers gained from tho Bill was the abolition of 'imprisonment for strikes. The Conciliation Councils would prove only modified Conciliation Boards.

Mr Millar congratulated 'Mr Arnold upon bis speech, and said he greatly appreciated tuat speech. Referring to rumours that tho _Ull was not his ~»ill, he said it had been asserted it was Dr. Findlay'a Bill, because it contained some of Dr. Findlay's ideas, lie desired to deny that and to say that tbe liill was the Cabinet's Bill, and he, as Minister of Labour, was responsible first and accepted fully that responsibility. Though the Bui bad originally contained much that was unpopular, he was prepared to stanu by. it and shoulaer the full responsibility. It had boon just touch and go that' the whole Act was not repealed. It was. only time whioh worked the irritation which had permitted the present Bill to bo brought down. The object of the Bill was to keep the Arbitration Court in tho background as a mere spectre and provide a legalised conference. He did not for a moment look upon this measure as the final solution of tho labour problem, and did not suppose anybody ■ now living would see that solution; but he felt- that, if this Bill improved conditions, it would justify itself. '

The ?ill was read a third time arid passed.