LABOUR UNREST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 244, 8 July 1908, Page 10

LABOUR UNREST.

■* . , MEETING OF EMPLOYERS. ARBITRATION ACT DISCUSSED.'. THE BAKERS' STRIKE. • 'About 100 employers of labour v attended a meeting called by. the. "Wellington Employers' Association in tho Masonic Hall- last evening,' to discuss the Arbitration Act, the bakers'- striko, and other matters that have been disturbing tho community. /,. MR. HOPKIRK URGES 'ORCAMS'ATION. . - Mr. . William Hopkirk ; (president of the ■Wellington Employers' Association), who pre- • sided, said /that': since his' connection .with the 'Assbciati6n;he had'-bean -surprised-".and somewhat disappointed at tho number of- employers who hold aloof from that body, Surely common interest,■ if no other reason,.should 'In.-this timo of. social-unrest it-was imperative that employers should'unite. -It' was-no timo'for gupmeness.

. THE ARBITRATION ACT. •. | \ .."*/< v.... . - . ' ■ / ' ' -■ AMENDMENT OR REPEAL. .- | - Mr W H- Bennett, President of the Now ■ Zealand Builders' Federation,- moved.- v* 1 .. i / ." ."That /in - view, -of .the , disloyalty- "-of v<: some sections, of workers" to 1 ; the Arbi- . ' • tration Act,, and of their deliberate; breaking- of awards'' of the Arbitration .. Court,- this meeting of : employers. of - 'urges' /the Government' to /■'"• provide:-legislation that ..will /makd'/th'O'; ■' Act effective and binding upon workers as well:as.employers,,or-repeal the Act ./ -. arid cancel • air existing awards of tho Arbitration Court" . •■-'-vr'The motion'• was'-received;;with-.applause. 1 The mover stated beforo tho employers or-. ' 011 their part 1 various - amendmonts ; to the- Act were passed, which had caused - many troubles; to tho employers, /and. Mr. /'■ Reeves; would; hardly . know;,.the present . 'Act, •/-•as his : offspring. .'Before the -Act-iwas: passed ho'ihad not experienced- -any "disputes or : troublevin-;-,the■ building: trado,; but..ritew' the /. builders' were''.working-under . nine,- or ten' awards;''and 1 it took-theih all -their tims,-to • keep'out of trouble..Hlo Act was launched: in prosperous times, and now that the. Court, -was unable to give improved conditions bf work and pay tho'.workers werd prepared to. v., throw' it over. -Tho offences of employers ; against tho Act- had 'been''chiefly inadvertent : breaches of awards duo to'igriorance, or the ./.employment of non-unionists. Both ..sides \ should.bo equally bound by'an award,of the !'S Court,but, 'only the v employer.was, bound Vat- ■ present. The , employers 'were prepared, to stand by tho•-law-"and;- assist the' Government to carry: it out properly, but they did claim -that 'it 'should 'apply/equally to both , sides,- and that 110 fear or favour should bo , shown to either party.-r-pypplauso,) ;-',

MR. T. BALLINGER'S VIE\VS. , ■ Mr. Ti" Ballmger,- in,-seconding,.the/motion', said 1 there could bo no 'doubt/that-the'.; Actwas -passed to prbtcct- the workers, and they should certainly uphold it.. ,;_He was l quite; sure' that not a: Bingle'.employer ;oyer;,wanted the' Act;' and-'in this. 1 that 'there was' no '.necessity' for :; tlus fdrastic legislation./ 'Tho 1 .bona lido workman could take 1 care 'of, himself.'.,, Ho/bblieved in- considermg/the.,iritbrests they' co'nside'rcd liis. -'.He; did - not '.believo in preterencb ,to "Unionists, because lie' preferred levelling up to, levelling .-.down;/and :also be-, cause/tlie. 1 . Unionists were, a minority 01" the .workers, arid he could not'see , why, a ,minority , should, rule. From .tho demands, of paid . agitators/orib'wbuld/think' that therpVwa'S a large majority ori'-their - side. He considered 1 that: • the ,'Act . had been in... force,. Quito . long enough -to prove its .futility' for" p'reventirig. strikes. Tho Act had had brie good result, in inducing the organisation -of the employers.' : (Applause.) . • '://■ ; '

MR. LUKE WANTS AMENDMENTS I- . : : Mr. J. ; P. i -Luke'-'said -he i cbuld'nb't 'corigrdtiiV 11 :at e, tho,mover, and secbnder :, 'o'ri' their'motion, ':tp hb,ar,iguggestioris.-for.4th6,::im- •:/ iroveriient;of tho'-Act:., Hlost .of 'the.eiriployers . ' la'mo themselves' -from thq.' working- class,; ' and' they should - be, sympathetic t-'owards' 1 tho /.'' educated'/workers/ of ./tordayHe' .tlioxight,; /'that the. Employers'' Federation ; had, sometimes'- shown 'hidebound..tendencies. >It was /. : iriiportant •that/;tho .';Fe(loratipn /should/ not •,/ ally/itself with any phase :of politic'al.; busi- : ./: nessi; ■: If it should 1 join with the 'Farmers' .T' Uniori/ for example, it/would signally fail.

•: Ho' thought that they' would never, get.' any ; finality, to this unrest tillthey;.■had'''-a. .Court 1 . .of . Appeal. The judge".and. assessors of ..tbo.' Arbitration Court wore as liable to: em-as " Anybody else. A great .many ofj the' eases. of-course, could be disposed of. without needi', of' ( ap'peal. If they had an' 1 industrial Board' ■ ■'consisting- 'of a . judge,', possessing: a':,sound C legal mind., and practical business; knowlcdgo, :'.V for ' president; " and - two " representatives _ _of both the employers and t;tlio"'worl£c'rsi' nin&;'.' . tenths' of[ the cases' that forward could ..-.be finally settled by that'Board,""with,out the •.need of going to .a higher:court; Instead of- .' idvisingvtho-: abandonment of ;tho .Arbitration;■! ■ 'Actj-thdy'should, try'to build it up. and mako it more- effective. ■; . : :.'; .'.."" MR. CABLE- "WIPE OUT THE ACT." ■ Mr,- -W.;-'Cable"thought'; that,, they; should. ' wipo tho• Act right ofi tl'.o - slato and start ;Vafresh. .In .many,::',v/.ays.'-the.:awards vdealti • voryi hardly-:, with employers.', -. -He recommended ;that,aPcommission' ofr employer's and 1 employees should bo set up to-., advise the Government' on what linos 1 , they should go. . The present Arbitration Court had . an im- ■ possible task if it was expected to give, fair decisions in regard to every trade in' the Dominion. Where a genuine dispute arose

thoy should set up a commission of two specially-chosen employers and.employees, the' '.best menvto bo had.: in "'the trade; :,with,'a' ; Jlagistrato or Supremo' Court: Judge as umpire, arid: with'such' a'system there: was. hot o dispute in. this, litfclo community ithat could not bo"settled':te should' mako' it penal for tho paid agitators to mako trouble all round. It was never contemplated that tbo r -Act' would'breed agitators who would liyo on'making,'mischief. Tho law':,was-'iiow''a tangled network' which •hampered employers on every hand. ' There ' were employers in Duncdin struggling'undor. fourteen'awards. ■ Was/there' any sense' in such.procedure p 1 ' ■ JIR.' PRYOR ON THE:CRISIS.,

Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of. tho Employers' Federation, said that ; tne' present, /position. i formed a .crisis in the industrial' history ..of; New Zealand, and what would be done in the next few weeks would affect materially tho commercial,'industrial, ;and financial future, of the Dominioh. At a liko this class interests should bo set aside. If half a dozen workers arid employers filled 1 with 1 this idea • would confer togpther on the-situatiori,'in a very'short time proposals' could' bo referred to Parliament which would settlo the whole . difficulty. .- Ho believed'that',-if. a plebiscite were taken of tho employers-',of the Dominion to-day > would agree . ; tliit>.somo. measure of labour, . legrslatiotf-was -'clue, to tho; workers. "-They could themselves, liowovor, to thedefects of -the Act. .Tho time, had .-como 1 when the Arbitration Court found: it .absp-:, 1 lutely impossible to give higher .Vngesy more • • restricted hour's, or better conditions, and that was what had set tho workers ' against tho Act. Ho protested against Mr. Luke's suggestion that hidebound methods had sometimes governed the Employers' Federation, and claimed. that it -had acted with the ' greatest - moderation. He hoped -that the federation would never take any part in . party politics," biit' wheri a position was forced upon ono .steps must bo taken 'to;-ineot;that position,' : an : d tonlay''.- fa'co' to face with 1 a- ; determined • effort '' to' make tliom swallow drastic Socialistic legislation. (Mr. ;Loko: '-Sou exaggerate ■ it.) i Socialism 1 to-day was the greatest; menace country, bad to faco,'not iqimjieß'/pf: Socialists, but because thoir-agitators. Had a hold on the Trades and Labour Cou'ntiilS, who had a hold of, tho, Unions,..who. controlled the ,> votes.--of : ti»' Workers. They

should sink 'all-otlier-political differences to figlit'this great:evil of Socialism. Regarding the proposed Court' of Appeal, he fplt sura that this would, only intensify the difficulty. Bo .thought -- that- the Arbitration Court should be the only tribunal, that machinery should bo provided, and encouragement given for employers, and employees to discuss then differences together.-.. - - j. ■ OTHER SPEAKERS.' Mr R' Tingoy said /that: the Arbitration Act had produced all manner of strife, and had given rise to an winy of Government inspectors whoso only office was to pry into employers' businesses. Employers - should now. take a stand,: and have either arbitration or conciliation. - . Mr A A. Corngan regretted ; that so many of tho speakers had'taken up jur attitude,'of opposition to. tho .powers that be. Thov all liad .tho professional .agitator on thoir list, but ho could, not agree with the contention that the' Arbitration Act. should be abolished. There must be labour regulation, but 1 it was.true that employers' were harassed by too-many awards. - THE FEDERATION! AND POLITICS. i-Mri Bennett:said -'that no party / politics had ever ,been'introduced into the Employers' Association:-;-:• •• . -' ; , ■ The. Chairman said -there could bo no re-, drop's without a, system "of conciliation puro ■and- siinplo:' .' ' , , .-Tho motion was carried unanimously, and with,'applause. . ■' ' , .

THE BAKERS', STRIKE. SYMPATHY WITH. EMPLOYERS. : : ' -Mr C. 'M: Banks moved a motion deplpr'ing- the present-position in connection with the arid expressing sympathy with tho employers;... ... - /The. mover/ said if- tho GoverJiinent) had ■ takeii a 'firm stand at ari earlier moment, the - present labour troubles would never have reached such. a stage. (Hear, hear.) Ho had a high opinion of. the' average workman, if, he wa's-treated properly , (Hear ; liear), and it/,was-of/the:greatest, importance that the employers should < endeavour to maintain a friendly attitude-: towards their employees. 1 Mr. R. A.< Scott 1 seconded the motion, which' was unanimously adopted.- ■ m Mr 1 W- A.i'Kellow,. President of .tho . ; Wel- ■ lington Bakers'; Industrial,TJniori of.; Em- , ployers, - oxpressed thanks for the motion. They had sufficie'rit 'labour to carry ori their business,; .tho, city supply was alm'ost .noiy mal, and'by r the end of the week it would be quite normal. ' : •/' _ t /,. ' Mr. H. 'E: Allen, secretary of tho Wellington/Industrial; Union of Employers, ; said he had never, seen; such, unanimity ■ ariiorig masters • bbforo:- The- riien, be glad' to come back for' a .very small' increase on tlie Award rate, but 'the 'employerS had decided that evening to- adhore 'to tho' Award for two.' '.years/i signs' that -the struggle would'soori end/as ovfery.-day he was receiving, letters and • telegrams ,-frdm balcers all over .tho' Dominiori;who \foro ready to i'aec'ept employirient. ' / /' -' / , OTHER MATTERS. ( , Illr. W. Cablo moved_ ' " That tho attention of'tho Minister of. : : ■ Labour and ,tho. of. Justice -, be. - tlrawn /. ■ i'-ber of the Conciliation Board, and a Jus- v V "i tico of . tho Peace 'in /councctiori'with, the ? . -. Yi'ellington ( bakors'''strikc." '- -; -■ - ■ Mr.': H. : A; Hampden, speaking as one who had drily, reccntlv becomo''an omployer, said that certain'spiaakers had misjudged tho position.' . They- had, laid -tho 'entiro. blame on -tho, agitator;-.withfottt'';recognising - that the, full 'force 'of >the-;trades.:.uriion: : :ino'voment . ; of, •New/Zealand -was behind him, ',and: that, in.;Btead of being' tho -primo movori ,hp. :Was only ■the riioutlipicco'arid-executor who gavo eliect to. tho ' desires of - the/full -; union in meeting assembled/ It was/inconsistent to support the- suggestion of industrial boards containint* -,representatives of tho trades mvolvcu, an°d then to blame Mr. Collins for the Conciliation Board. He thought, tjiat, acommittee 1 of both ■' parties, should _ boi formed to'.' confer on -situation. ihe workers, as. well as- tho employers, wero 111 favour'of moro 'coifciliation. They had been, fighting for it./ Ho proposed that the meeting should approach; tho. Trades and Labour Council with tho object of appointing a joint f committee consider - the; amendment 01 tlie - 'Act:i (Applause.) ■■■•'•, /-Tho,-:Chairman, -said that..the Employers . Federation' ;4id'jiot' .know the disposition. .of "thb'Tfades' 'aridijabour."Council.-.Tho : ti6n' worb' , .cbneiliatbry7 'and quito -prepared Ito . meet tho Council, - but -that bo^.V; rowst . make first ' advances, ,so /that; tho Federation 'might : kh'bw f 'wliat' their,feelings -.weie. -' Mr/ Hampden 'stated' that.'.'hd.' had spoken, without 'authority', froin the ..Tr.ades _ and Lahour Council, /'but: he' had /expressed -what •' he believed" were - their bpinjons... ;; • --. • .v-Mr. Cablo repeated- that' most. of:|.tho. in- ; dustr'ial did not arise , from .internal discontent;' but; wero .' fomented \by outside 1 ,a^THb. Chairman saiii he believed; that before 1 :Mr. Hampden had'been "twelve months an • employer he. would change his views. :