MINISTERIAL.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13377, 19 March 1909, Page 2

MINISTERIAL.

THE PREMIER IX TOWN.

The Premier (Sir Joseph Ward) was in town yesterday, and was interviewed oy deputations on matters of public importance. THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S FINES. Mr Taylor, M.1., introduced a deputation of slaughtermen from the Christchurch Meat Company's works, and stated that-the company Had been asked by the Labour Department to withhold rayii-.tnt <•: wages duo .to

several men until the amounts oimy by them iv respect, t<) the lines imposed on them in conmction with the strike* iv the shaikhu>nut; trade, two or throe years ago, were paid. Since the issue'of the nonce to tin company tlie Wopartinent liad found on: ui;u it had made an error, and now asked lhat only the amount over and above £•_? per week due to the men should be deducted in satisfaction of unpaid fines. -Air Taylor added that the men had only started work two or three weeks s«go, and since tho commencement, ot tiio slack season last September they had practically earned nothing, whilst they had run uy bilis with tradesmen. They were willing to pay one-quarter of tliu amount owing on fines every fortnight until the fines wero wiped out. They considered that the Department's proceedings wero abrupt and severe. Ho (Mr Taylor) questioned whether tho Department had any right to make tho provisions of last year's amendment of tho Arbitration Act apply retrospectively in respect to the collection of these, fines. lv reply to Sir Joseph, members of the* deputation stated that they were willing to pay the amounts they owed .provided only a quarter of the amount were deducted every pay-day. Mr Taylor said -that, though not intended to be in tho nature of a threat, the* men felt so strongly on the subject that trouble might arise. A member of the* deputation stated that 'iio iiad a wife and seven children, ajid that since September last ho had rutt into debt to the extent of £30. Mr Taylor remarked that, iv viow of tho result of the* trouble which led the men to strike, and seeing that they had got practically what-they demanded, it would have been a graceful act if tho liabilities of the men had been wijjed out. It was stated that t'ho men of the Canterbury Meat Company's works at Bc-lfast, who have also been, called upon to pay arrears of fines, wero awaiting the result of the deputation to guide them in their action. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, stated that lie did not think that the Government would entertain the* suggestion that penalties imposed by tho Court should be remitted. If such a course wero taken in respect to penalties imposed on tho workers, then the employers would have at) equal right to similar treatment, and if that wero done it would mean the preliminary slope to tho abolition of the law. lie. saw no reason why, in tho present instance, tho men should not bo allowed to pay in easy stages. Tho Government were far from being desirous to deduct from men's wage*s amounts that would inconvenience them or their families. Hβ would be prepared to recommend the Labour Department to accept onefourth of each amount duo every payday until t'ho whole of the arrears woro out. He would telegraph .the Minister p.ml ask him to accept payment iv four instalments. A member of tho deputation said that they did not believe in tho company deducting the amountfjrom theirjyages: it was a breakine *^S^fcem. Act. , They'wished fl£%gjSy tho money direct to the Labour Department themselves. Sir Joseph said that he would includn a suggestion to the effect mentioned in his telegram to tho Minister. Kegarding Mr Taylor's point as to the retrospective action of last year's amendment of the Act, he said that ho was. advised that such retrospective action was right, and that tho provision mado in the Act for the collection of fines had beon intended to net retrospectively. Inasmuch ns the provision mentioned took tho placo of the provision under the previous Act imposing imprisonment, the provision in the new Act was not, properly speaking, retrospective. THE TIMBER COMMISSION*. Mr Taylor, M.P., introduced a deputation consisting of Messrs \Vm. Go&s, K. Waller, C. E. Page, and S. McMnrray, on a mattc-r connected with tho personnel oi" the Timber Commission. Mr Gosh said that it had been understood, prior to the appointment of tho Commission, that the timber merchants would have two representatives on it. one representing the North, and the other tho South Island., From the per-e-onnel of tho Commission, he took it that there was only one representative of the timber merchants on it—Mr Leylaud, of Auckland. . If it wero too late to alter things, they would have to stand, but the deputation thought that they ought to protest against not having « South Island timber merchant on the Commission. Mr Taylor remarked that the* inonil>er» of tho deputation luul gone curotullv through the nanus of tho Cosimiwkinein, a n<l had fount, that theie wero no representatives of tho timber merchants on it who were not also interested in saw milling. Consequently the interests of imported timber wouid D.» in the hsiiKas of tho members of Parliament on the* Commission. Mr Goss said tliat it was, perhaps, rather difficult to get a mc-rcljant who was simply v merchant and not aiso interested in sawmiliing. He wished it uiacl-e clear that the deputation were quite satisfied -with Mr Leyiand us a representative of the North Island timber merchants, but conditions weredifferent in. the South Island, ami tho timber merchants considered that thrj? ought to have a representative on the Commission.

Sir Joseph 6aid th:".t ho would giv» (.•very consiilvration to the represent*!* tions made by the dexmlation on wh»v he recognised wes a very important matter, lib had not liad a more ditftctilt task in his experience of commissions than the sotting up of tho Timber Commission. His original xiea was to have all the interests affected represented, but from representations made to him lie had found that to do .so would have meant a Commission consisting of over 120 members. Hβ had also found thai- there was going to be such a diversity of opinion on thi> subject ot tilt representation on the Commission of the different inter- • ■st.s involved, that he* hr.d come to the conclusion that the only solution of tho difficulty was to have » large number of representatives of the people- on it, so as to represent all ekisscs of tho community. The timber merchants had not been overlooked iv the appointment of the Commission : Mr Leyland was distinctly a merchants' representative. On his return to Wellington ho would go into the matter brought under his notico by- tho deputation, and would ascertain it the Government would bo warranted in granting the request made. He wouk. let them hate a reply by Monday at the latest.