INDUSTRIAL ARBITRATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 212, 1 June 1908, Page 3

INDUSTRIAL ARBITRATION.

A LABOUR LEADER'S VIEWS. \

. THE ACT OP NO FURTHER USE. " The object of this series of Sunday even; iiig lectures," said Mr. M. J. Rcardon at the Theatre Royal last night, "is to show' the .necessity for tho independent. action of lpbour in politics. Wo want to have men in Parliament .who' are absolutely pledged to do what tho workers bid them." ■ Mr. W. T. Young, secretary of tho Seamen s Union and the Wellington Tramways "Union, was tho lecturer of tho evening, and his subject was the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Beginning with a sketch of tho history of Industrial Arbitration in this country, Mr. Young commented on tho original Act and soitio of its subsequent amendments, and contended that tho systern had been mado by degrees less helpful to tho workers. The numbor of employers necessary to form a union had *bcon reduccd from seven to live, and again to two, while the corresponding conditions on the workers* side had remained'unchanged. The Act at first contained in its preamble; the words to encourage the ■ formation of industrialunions and ' associations," but words had been omitted' from the amending Acts. This showed that the Legislature had ceased to .rogard the system as a help to unionism: The power of the Court to limit tho age' : - of apprentices, was taken i away by the amending Act <?f. IS9B,- thus providing a means of defeating <,tho minimum wage pro-, vision. Other amendments had thrown obstacles in tho way of. workers' unions taking cases to the Arbitration Court, and the delays of tho. Court- had also told'against tho workers. 'The amending Act of 1900 comprised a lengthy chain of links, to bind, tho worker, and dm not make .it clear whatwould be the, position of a union which cancelled its registration under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and also under' the Trades Unions,. Act. It appeared to him that such a union would lose all legal recognition, and might 'bo declared by a competent Court to be 'an illegal combination. The issue of permits for under-rate workers, iWhich was authorised by the Act of 1900, had. boon r most glaringly abused by tho .Court and by employers. He'was opposed '.to this system of classification, ' Unions had been.. put to considerable expense and inconvenience .by the amendment permitting the Court to limit an award to any locality, instead of having it-apply to the whole.of tho industrial district. The new clauses "of 1905 dealing with strikes were also injurious to'the workers. He held that, if the workers in any trade could not got a satisfactory award from the Court, they should bo allowed to take what steps they pleased, and ho would be willing to extend tho same .liberty to tho employers. Tho successive Presidents 'of the Court were also criticised by the speaker,'who contended that the Court baa become-loss fair towards the workers. Ho considered that the Arbitration had exhausted its' usefulness, and the workers must now 1 look to independent political action to promote their interests. Commenting on, tho Blackball strike,/ Mr. You ft; said that its original causo wa3' tho dismissal of certain unionists .and. Socialists. Had tho men taken, tho matter to the Arbitration Court,- it , would, have decided in-fav-our of the employers, as it did in the-Dun-1 edin Seamen's case.' .It'was easy for tho employers to give some reason other than the true ono for tho dismissal of men, and the Court would side with the employers; The Auckland tramway strike was somewhat similar in ' its ' inception. Conductor Herdson, who had beon dismissed, left the service with- his character just as clean'as when ho entered ; it, and the special Conciliation Board that was being set up would, ho felt sure, roport ;in his favour. Some, discussion followed. One speaker wanted to know whether Mr, Young was going to be a candidate at tho gene'ral election: The Chairman (Mr. said'he would not allow personal questions, but Mr. Young, after some' altercation between the chairman and the. asker of the question, said his answer was that he belonged to a party, and would be"loyal 'to that party. A suggestion having been made-'about- tlie. Upper House, ~he. ideclared that ";he . would not be seen there,' lot alone accepting a seat. He advised his hearers to support tho Political Labour,-League.-The • audience was not a•, large one,..- and there was some "dissent, but the' speaker recoived an attentivo hearing. An orchestra and some vocal performers contributed several .items. /