ARBITRATION ACT DISCUSSED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 239, 2 July 1908, Page 9

ARBITRATION ACT DISCUSSED.

INTERESTING SPEECH BY HON. J. RIGG, DRASTIC AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED. MORE ADD],IESS-IN-REPLY SPEECHES. . In tho Legislative Council yesterday, tho Hon;. J: Rigg came to. close grips with tho ~ industrial arbitration -problem' in a 'speech which in .its lucidity and unmistakablo earnestness reached a high' level,of Parliamentary utterance.He urged tho- extreme importance of maintaining; the arbitration system, and oxprossed tho opinion that this could bo.dono if,the coniidenco of tho workers was restored by making livo vital amendments to tho Act-. These specific proposals wero as follow(1) - That tho' President of tho . Court should not necessarily bo a' jiidgo or lawyer, and should bo. appointed for a term : : of t|iree years on tho. recommendation of the unions of employers < and/workers'. ('2) That Section 15 of tho Act of 1905 (punishment ■ for striking) bo repealed; and strikes^trcated - as breaches of award, thereby abolishing pun- ■ ishment for aiding and abetting. . (3) . That respect 'for--awards bo secured by requiring the parties to firid/securities- when, tho awards are inado. (4) That 'the provision for the continuance of an award alter the- date of formal' expiry. bo repealed, and all awards - run for a'fixed period of two years. (5) To abolish the Conciliation Boards, and substitute boards, of experts With power, to make

awards. - " Thoro was' a touch ' oforiginality' - in the mcro 'fact of seconding tho Address-in-Reply in. so strenuous a deliverance, and this aspect .of iMr.V Bigg's ; effort , was accentuated . by contrast • with tho easy, conventional speech of tho mover, the Hon. 0. Louisson. Viewed' in , 'this, aspect, the . two speeches, which '.together] filled the' afternoon, ' gave the sitting quite a dramatic interest. ' • In the House, the' debate on the Addrcss-in-Reply dragged through tho afternoon and . evening, enlivened'first by speech .';by Mr. T. : Wiifor;d;(Hutt)-, 'directed against ■ the proposed entertainment of the. United' States fleet , at. .Auckland, 'and secondly by ; a. comic', -travesty;,by.'/Mr.Flatman of .the •Opposition's methods of.criticism...Mr. Flatman was successful in raising continual peals of laughter/ and [occasionally amusing' passages occurred between liim and Mr. Massey. The other speaker of the afternoon was Mr. James ,Allen, . who came "to cross-purposes once With the Prime Minister. In the evening /Messrs. Poole, Ell, and J. Ileid, junr., earned on the debate. Mr. Ell devoted tho most. of liis. hour' to an of tho State banking system, 'arid.Mr. Roid to his. annual discourse on .bi-motallism. ' : 1, ] Tho remaining speakers wero Messrs. W. T. Jennings, Davey, and Major. Dr. Chappie's reply consisted of.but a few sentences, and ' at . 11.45 . o'clock l the Adjournment': of the House was carried. . •'/• It should"/be".noted./that early' in tho day. tlio Prime .Minister, announced that his statement on< the. Parliamentary.; Building i proposals would bo m ado after the conclusion of-, tho • AddrMs% : jteply 'debate^. .-.'He^did'< Dot desire to/'in.terriipt ■'.:■■