ARBITRATION ACT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 229, 20 June 1908, Page 5

ARBITRATION ACT.

SPEECH BY/ HON. J. A. MILLAR. WAGES AND THE COST OF PRODUCTION. ✓ i ' ADJUSTMENT OF DISPUTES. . (BY TELEGRAPH- —PRr.SS ASSOCIATION.') / . Napier, June 19. THo :Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Laaour, delivered an address'in the Theatre Royal this evening. The Mayor (Mr. J. .Vigor Brown) ocoupied the chair. There was a large attendance. . ' . The Minister said the object of the Government, hand in hand with the settlement of tho land, was to encourage industries, ■ and last year the tariff" had been amended with a View to bringing that about. Although less than' a year had . elapsed since those amendments, yet already, industries had grown enormously, and it was found impofl- ■ eiblo in the' Dominion to get all the labour required-to moot demands. It was said the.'■ Government was driving capital out of the country by its labour legislation, but that was absolutely wrong, as was shown by roturns sent in by. the employers-them-selves. Inl9ol, the last census year, tho total amount pi money invested in land, plant, machinory, otc., in tho manufactures of 'New Zealand was £8.000,000. In 1906. five'..years later, the amount had increased to £12,000,000. Tho total amount invested in lana used for manufacturing industries in 1901 .was .£1,900,000, •in . 1906 £3,264,000; r buildings; -1901 £2,750,500, 1906 £3,851,500; machinory, etc!, 1901 £3,862,000, 1300 £5,'392,000; or an increase in-.five years of ' £4,100,732. ;v If that was the way labour legislation'drove capital out'of the country,; Jio hoped /there would bo more of it. M LABOUR QUESTIONS. There had'been a gradual change of opinion , throughout the world, with regard. ' to the economic condition of labour. The fidyerhmdnt pr this Dominion had no milpBtofies of the past to guido them, because in most cases' thoy were dealing with .questions which had never been dealt with in tho same way before,'so they, must be excused if occasipnally they made mistakes: It had boon said that the Industrial Arbitration Act had been ' b failure becaiise .it had not. prevented strikes, but ho did not think anyono ever really supposed, that the Act would in every case parent strikes. ' He defended the Act-, which he considered '(tho best-Act ever passed by tho Government of New Zealand. .The Royal Commission, set iip in 1890 to inquiro into the'conditions' of labour in New Zealand had found a.- state of things bordering on that which obtained in the largo citic-s of tho Old Country, and the workers were gradually coming. to.as low.a state as it was possible under 'the 'wages system. With tlio passing of tjie Industrial' Arbitratipn' Act, however, on improvement had taken place. At present the. Court , was not as popular with'-workers as ; it might have been in the early-years .after the'passing of tile Act. As , the"condition of : things in- the country improved the-Court took .into consideration the improved condition of affairs, and raised wages to,what was considered a fair thing, but. there was a limit' beyond which it would bo impossible reasonably to go bccauso prices wero governed largely by markets outside New' Zealand, and they could- not/control that,,'so they must not increase the cost of production' beyond what : the. same class, of goods could bo imported for. If they did the industries'would cease because 'there was no philanthropy in business. They could only increase tariff to certain limits, because they were an exporting country. '■ < .. A WORD TO THE WORKERS. The workers had the option of registering ■ nnder the Act. They were not forced: into . it, but if they did register they should loyally abide 'by< the l provisions .of .the Act. _ The workers should remember that if they wished to do as they liked tho employers-would do' likewise. ,If .' the, Act was abolished ho thought- unionism; Would soon disappear, for ■without the. -Aetj tho, workers were not in- a j condition to protect themselves. He thought ; tho'best'way of adjusting disputes was for tho'.workers and employers to come face to face'and arrange matters. During the last • 18 months', 59 disputes had been settled in Neiw Zealand -in' this way without going hefore : the Arbitration Court' at all. The workers in this country were in 'tho majority, and the men and women had a' vote, so if the legislation, was riot satisfactory it was their fault. ' There had been a steady increase in the cost of living, but that was chiefly due to prices ruling in countries to which our goods were'exported, and not to'inorease in wages. : ' / , ' , PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. He intended during the coming session to propose, several amendments ito the Industrial/Arbitration Acfc. He', thought nonuriionists. should be made to opritribute'.tho same subscription to the unions as, that paid by unionists/ because they benefited equally in any awaxds obtained. He also intended to" propose amendments to the Employers' ' : Liability and Workers' Compensation for Accidents Acts; At present those who 'were entitled to money under theso Acts did not always get the full amount, becauso there was so much legal difficulty in ascertaining the.'amount payable. Ho knew of an instance where a'widow-entitled to £400 compensation for loss of her husband receivetl only £80 after all expenses had been deducted. The Act should fix _ the amounts payable with respect to specified, injuries, etc., and that amount should be payable in full. Mr. A. L. D. Fraaor, M.P. for' Napier, also spoke,, .advocating the adoption of the second ballot at elections, "qnd also the abolition of special-representation to the Maoris. . A vote of thanks and confidence in the Government was carried.