INDUSTRIAL LAW.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18548, 25 November 1925, Page 11

INDUSTRIAL LAW.

TO THK H>ITOR OT "THE PP.SSS." Sir',—The Arbitration Court h;is naturally kicked against the flouting of the award it made some time ago, in which it directed that the grocers in Wumner and New Brighton should close at 1 p.m. on .Saturdays. the. Labour Department having, in the face of the determined opposition to the law, deemed it advisable to take no action for its enforcement. But a similar case of flouting, perhaps even more flagrant'; took place in 1904, when an amendment to the Shops and Offices Act directed that all the shopkeepers in the. suburbs as well as in the towns should close their premises J at 6 p.m., the practice at the time being for the suburban shops not to bo closed till several hours later. This practice was continued, despite the amendment of the law, and the lato Mr Seddou, who was responsible tor its passage, instructed the labour Department to wink at this defiance, and about a year afterwards brought m and passed a measure repealing his own handiwork. As one of the ordinary members or the public, I fail to understand or appreciate some of the things done, either through Parliament or the Arbitration Court,' on behalf of the -allegedly down-trodden working man. An anvrate, I cannot help thinking that for some time some evil genius has bean diligently at work with a view to straightening up and bringing into line all suburban shopkeepers with the leviathan stores in. the cities* so that not even a trifle of the huge takings of the latter establishments may .be unduly.interfered with. And when, at last, the suburban men show their teeth, the Government cries, "Halt!" It is a humiliating position for either the Government or Arbitration Court to. be in, and as Mr Justice Frazer has called for an amendment of the law, I would suggest that., among other things, legislation should be m troduced (1) to order that no further labour legislation be. introduced into Parliament for a period of at least I, ten /ears, excepting such urgent measures as mar be deemed necessary during a strike or lock-out, or during any industrial trouble threatening the welfare of tiie Dominion; (2)' that the ! Arbitration Court make no further m--1 dustrial awards for a period of ten years; (3) that the current awards be allowed to continue for that period, and that the Court's functions be restricted to the settlement of interpretations arising out of the awar.ds. The Court, with these restricted duties, need onlv consist of one member; namely, the President, with a registrar Legislation on these lines would! give' the employers of New Zealand some rest and peace of mind, as well as some scope for enterprise. JNew Zealand, in the past, has been regarded as the originator of industrial legislation during the existence of almost ideal industrial peace; she has now a glorious opportunity of earning tame bv curtailing her obnoxious labour legislation before it strangles her industrial prosperity, and by devoting her best energies to such protective measures as will effectively grapple with the impending dangers of Communism, Bolshevism, and anarchy, which are already over-shadowing Europe 'and places' nearer our own doors, and which work mainly through the medium of Labour .—Yours, «*|- K