LABOUR MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 125, 19 February 1908, Page 7

LABOUR MATTERS.

-—-r —9 —— INTERVIEW WITH MR, MILLAR. ' ■:■■■■■ arbitration act. NEW SHIPPING LEGISLATION.:., (uy TEr.r.GUAi'ii —riiEsa association;) : ' Clirlstehuroh, February, 18. ■ Tlio,Hon. J. A. ■ Millar, Minister for Marino and Labour, arrived at Lyttoltou by tho ferryisteoiner Maori this,morning, ana left'/for Diinedin by. tlio first express.. Interviewed "by; a, reporter,,, the Minister stated, that his visit to Dunedin was in connection with departmental-business, and he does not intend to give a political address on this occasion. Ho hopes to visit Port Molynoux ill order to make certain inquiries .in.'regard. to : tho ..fishermen's - harbour there. His visit to Invercn'rgill will hard: to be postponed, as lie has to be. back in Wellington onrthe 27tlv inst. ( .Mr. Millai" stated .that the, officers -of his department had no information regarding tho proposed establishment of : an employers' labour; bureau. The proposal, he said, was .'supposed to have. emanated from tho Licensed Victuallers' Association,! but an official'denial of .that had been given. So.far as ho knew, the matter had not been taken up by other, employers. '. \ CONFIDENCE IN THE crURT; "My visit to Dnhedin has nothing to do with tho wharf dispute," Sir Millar said in answer to a question; "there is nothing to be, done.' The whole thing is in statu quo, and an appeal has been made to tho Arbitration Court., My confidonco in the Arbitration Court," lie continued, "has not been .shaken- by, recent'events, and I don't think therb is a disposition among tho great body of workers to get freo-of it.-'The: bulk of the:workers, especially thoso who belong The .men informed us that, they had not tho advantages of tho Act, and have no' desiro to ' seo it repealed.' Tho fooling, on tho West Coast among the minors was most, decidedly in .favour: of the Arbitration Act. Tho men informed us tat thoy had hot tho slightest intention of striking; they had been legally: advised tliat tho Coal Minos Act overrode tlio Arbitration Act award, and according. to that : advice they acted, but they openly stated that they : had no desire to flout tho Arbitration Court. On 1 the contrary, 'they"expressed a desiro to seo it maintained. Of course, in every place whore a large number of _ men congregato you find a few dissatisfied individuals whom nothing at all will satisfy short of the State controlling' and working everything." NEXT SESSION. 7 "Will the Arbitration Bill,bo reintroduced next session?" the roportor asked. "I can't say what will bd done-next session," tho Minister rpplied,; "as wo have not yet discussed thej work for tlio ,session. I may say, however,. that I will introduce a Shipping and Seamen's Act Amendmont Bill, which will bring our law into lino with tho recommendations of tho",Maritime Conference. I am not accepting the wholo of tho recommendations, but only such as can bo applied to tho conditions of shipping in New Zealand."