LABOUR LAWS.
ARBITRATION. ACT CRITICISED.
»WORSE THAN USELESS." . ,-. r . (bi telkguA.rn—-press .association.) '. ■ - Wcstport, April 7. .■ Mr; J. Marchant, secretary of thq Denniston. Coal Minors' Union, replying to tho \ Wcstport "Timcs's" comment oil tho action of his Union in rosblving to withdraw' from tho Arbitration Actj supplies some of the ■ reasons'influencing tho* vote, of tho majority. MrlrMarchant refers to "the dark shadow of . 'tho menacing wing of the Arbitration Court," : ' and continues: —. . ''We,'in company with the majority of the ■ workers-".of ISow Zealand, are very much dissatisfied with the'unjust administration of the Court of late. It has been preposterous Imagmo a judge so unjust as to give his de; cision previous to hearing evidence; in other cases, absolutely refusing to, hear evidence, , and in each caso giving an adverse decision ' ■against .the workors.' Who, the fact that Mr.' Justice Sim was conversant with the purpose of the' Eight Hours Amendment Bill, and being in possession of that • 11 knowledge (even though ■he could, pick out ' some little technical flaw .in the wording of 1 • the' Bill); who can justify his action in dc- ' foatihg its purpose and overriding the legislation of-the,country? . Imagine the irony of . tho following little episode: A judge .deliberating, as to whether fifteen minutes is sufficient time for men.to(take/ 'tucker,' men,who are • ; toiling all day at . dangerous, occupations, breathing /foul 'and noxious' gases. '.Ho suddenly adjourned the Court'for 75 minutes to 'partake.of lunchthen, discovers' ho \ cannot possibly award those grimy toilers any more ■ than 15 minutes .for crib. But it ; is ;not...'.tlio , ;■'^administration-'alono with vwhich- ' we, ; ;are '• ' dissatisfied,.' 'but - the . constitution of Court -also. We have :been: taught, that''thb."Arbitration judgo iis<onfallible aiid, all-powerful. In our-recent , dispute; re the bank-to-bank / question, _wo . wisned to appeal, against the judge's unjust decision, and were informed by :the legal pro- \ fession that wo could not do this; wo could merely apply for a writ of prohibition against ; his jurisdiction: arid have our" case tried in the Supremo Court. ' The next development of tho'. case' .was; the-flying visit of tho Pre-. • mier arid Minister for Labour, who informed • us that jthe decision of the Arbitration Court ■ was-final and,. binding. Now we have tho matter in a nutshell: — ■;.' . "The Arbitration judge is infallible and all-powerful, and I tliink his administration proves boydnd doubt that he is not •f- impartial'. •' Therefore,'-1 cannot possibly'', agree 'with you when you assert that the • ■ repeal , of' tho'Arbitration Act would be disastrous •to tho truo' interests of ■ ■ labour." ... . - Mr. P; Callagharij a member of the Denniston 'Union Committee, also condemns the Act-because, there are two representatives of ' capitals/the judge ; being drawn from the . capitalistic class. It has failed to benefit • the worker, as in 14' years' there has been a decrease in .the .purchasing power of wages ' - of-'4s! in the 'pound.- No award has been made for Denniston since the. 1900. --The ''agreements' come to could be, bettor,-arrived at ' .without Arbitration Court > and . its . expense to; employers . 'and'.employees.. Arbii tration' has • retarded 'industrial (organisation. He 'agrees'that-arbitration' is worse than useless; .it its day is done.. ■ • ■ " The question is riot how much of our labour's' products wo - shall receivc,, but • - that we'shall'get-':tK'e'whole; then we shall . "notvbtf bothered about arbitration and r -strikes; in fact,:we are becoming Socialists."
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 167, 8 April 1908, Page 5
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536LABOUR LAWS. Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 167, 8 April 1908, Page 5
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