HON. J. A. MILLAR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 213, 2 June 1908, Page 7

HON. J. A. MILLAR.

SPEECH AT DUNEDIN. ' NEW ZEALAND LABOUR LAWS. ■ NATIONALISATION SCHEMES CRITI- ; ' CISED. . (HY TELEGRAPH, —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Duhedin, June 1. The Hon. J. A, Millar addressed a largo mooting of constituents in tho Garrison Hall to-night, tho Mayor (Mr, J.M'Donald) presiding. ' Mr. Millar addressed himself to soveral of the measures passed last session. Speaking of. tho injury it was allegod labour legislation had done in restricting trade and preventing investment of capital; ho pointed .out that in 1890 the private wealth of'tho colony was' £142,632,000, and in 1906 it Ha 5,£304,654,000, and that there had' been increases in other directions. 'He also quoted from a.list taken from, tho last census, which showed, that tho wage-earners in 1906 numbered 227,083 males and 63,189 females, and that tho total earnings had been respectively £21,539,900 and £2,G71,200. Last year the Labour Department assisted to omployment 1440 married and 4865 single mon, and up to date the Department had Bimilarly assisted .no fewer than 58,782 persons,, with 93,226 dependents, or a total of 152,008 persons. In the .face of that, heasked if .tho Labour Department .was not doing good service. .( ■ THE ARBITRATION ACT.

; During the past year the membership ii Unions registered under the Conciliation aric Arbitration Act had increased by 10,485 which- was. tho largest of any year since thi inception of tho Act. 'How, then, ho asked could it bo said' that the Conciliation anc Arbitration Act had broken down'. H( maintained that it-had been ,a thorough success from beginning .to end, and his defence of his administration of it- was greeted .with hearty applause by the great majority oi those present. . union that cancelled its registration under tho -Act could strike if it chose," but he; warned the workers that those who had had experience of strikes wore those who were not looking for them. He claimed that tho Government by its policy ,of erecting homes and of making advances to workers had very materially assisted in meeting the high rents .caused by the fictitious values in land Riven by tho nigh, price of , our- products. .Tho defects in • tho,Arbitration Act.-had been.its delays', .and the-use-made of the machinery of the Court. Touching on the slaughtermen's strike, ho showed' how the-fines under tho Act had been collected -froni -employers .and employed. • The penalties inflicted on employers between 1903 - and 1908 . amounted ,to £3159, and 93 per. cent, of that, suni had been paid. The .penalties inflicted' oir workers during the same-period amounted_to;£l2o,"of'which 75 had been.paid.-: The,penalties- inflicted_ on ; tho slaughtermen totalled; £1350, of which 47. per cent, had been paid. ;The sum of; £329 was/owing by men whose whereabouts were: unknown.-' These were the'men . from-'Australia, 'who,-.: having brought about the trouble, cleared away and left our own workers to faco the dilhculty. , .THE BLACKBALL STRIKE, i referring-.tp r tho-Blackball strike, he detailed, the, events .that had: taken. place in connection: with' it,; from tho start ;to - the ..issue, of the warrants on May 26. Mr. Mil-lar-went on to say .that they had been blamed tor...tho Department not . having taken • action in connection with, the Blackball strike, out .tho Labour Department- was not to bo used:'as airteaWs l, of'-'perse6irti'6ffii'ii «) -' .; PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. vP r oposed m- tho •v! • ' retention by, of iO.' por of the' workman's wages' until which he thought only right and. fair, and the; other, and perhaps J? 01 "®.,- 1 rapprtant, the, abolition of present Conciliation Boards: ,In place of them it was proposed to have three representatives 'from tho.- /'employers, /and ' three from- the ..workers andito. let ;them discuss-matters with an independent chairman. As soon as they came to a settlement an award would be mado. -He went on to speak of. the. success\that _had attended 'the adoption of the method, of conciliation ho rwas? advocating in Jingland.' ~His,o pinion was ,that if :there was going te be conciliation, at all, it would only bo by a method such as' he'supported, anil he _'asked: the'^workers'.to the "system as fair, trial. -The only objection that could bo taken t-o it ivas the ri3k of . a man being Victimised,. but if a. man . gave - evidence against his employer: lie was liable to that. .An employer could victimise a man under any :if he.-liked to-do so. Ho was asking thorn to try .asystem that might be beneficial. • He. bolieved,,the more they could bring workers: and employers together the Wore chanco there was of a better feeling between them. : NATIONALISATION PROPOSALS.'

• ° u .t itheVabsurdity of ; the Socialists demand that the State should nationalise all land .and means of production, and stated, thatjthe value of. town freeholds, apart from j State/ municipal, - education, 99- ; ' f '? en f ly societ y ] Mds was £60,831 i 220, and _o f country freeholds: priof £101,771,758. In .addition to finding that sum,- there was ,the whole of the stocl and the compensation, value to be calculated. . kpyomment had no intention of entering upon any such magnificent : scheme as that, .continuing on ;theprogressive lines of' the past few years, during wliich time they had gradually taken over branches P ll '^ 0 0 50 safe and in the interests -of the country.-.■"Tho- Governgoing to?;become storekeepers, that was plain. • OTHER MATTERS. • i.VVsP r proposed amendment, to tho Arbitration Act, the Minister, stated distinctly that no section of tho workers would bo UW " n P nvlleges ' and tlle farm L r -° rS WO c U m . as treo to come under the provisions of the Act as any ot-hor branch of labour." In- closing his speech ho forcibly, a statement in tho local Press that he had tried to strangle and manaclo tho Labour party,. and . mentioned a number of measures passed.by tho Government in tho' interests/of the general body of workers _ On'the: mqtion;of Mr. John Loudon ' (o\Mayor); aeccr.ded by Mr. Wm. Belcher, Mr Miliarias' accorded a vote, of thanks and confidence, also of confidence in tho policy of the Liberal Government. A large number of persons stood up in support of the motion, ana about, forty rose m.opp9sition. REMARKS BY THE PREMIER. The' Prime Minister then spoke for twenty minutts, making special reference to-the dosirei of the Government to promote objects that wens m the interests of the people as a whole, and to its intention to introduce legislation to. provide that by;a fair and proper method members should represent a maioritv of their constituents. • -