LABOUR LAWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 288, 29 August 1908, Page 6

LABOUR LAWS.

« —- ' attitude of the unions. SOCIALISTIC.IDEAS.. (BT TELEGBAPH.--BPECIA.Ii CORRESPONDENT.) Naaler, August 28. At the annual meeting of the Hawke's Bay Employers' ; Association held this evening the report made tho following reference to the Conciliation and Arbitration Act:—-' "The meat workers' strike, Blackball miners' strike, Auckland tramway strike, the bakers' striko in. Wellington, and the recent' utterances of the Trades and Labour Council give sufficient evidence of the intention bf unionists to obey the Conciliation and Arbitration Act only so long as it serves their purpose to do so. Employers generally must take exception to the decision given by the special Conciliation Board, which heard the Auckland tramway strike case. This decision,' which ' embodies the principal that an emplojer shall not' dismiss an employee without giving a definite reason for so doing, is most dangerous and unfair. Employees are still left with/the option of leaving work at their own sweet will, reason or no reason; yet tho same option is denied to employers in discharging men;. . Wo consider this one-sided: judgment proves the necessity of having men of business capability, and- not legal training only, as chairmen of, conciliation boards." After referring to the'proposed amendment of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, tho report goes on to. say"The continued Socialistic utterances of tho leaders of unions demand that some riotico should bo taken of them. We do not. for a moment believe that these utterances express tho real opinion of even a majority of - unionists, but the loud-voiced Labour, agitators manago .to securepositions from which they can claim their own Socialistic ideas as tho general opinionof unionists.'We, thereforo, deem it advisable to put on rccord our opinion that, tlieso; ideas aro not in the best interests of eitner'individuals or . the Dominion as a whole'," . . f ", .

Mr.- H. G. Warren, in retorn&g thanks for his election as president for the ensuing year, said that he felt that the association had to ■ look forward 'to very, troublesome times'for-tho next year or two. "'The present Government. (Were doing all they* could to put matters right, but they had a hard battle to fight. Tho Socialistic element in'tho Dominion was getting so strong,' and Labour unions were growing'' more powerful every' day. 'Tho Act was a very good one when it was initiated, but now ho supposed it might be looked upon as practically useless'. \- The proposed amendment; to. tho Act was>a ;step?in,the right direction,- but even if this Act could be carried.it might not very much improve matters, as it would not stop the unions inaugurating strikes.'He thought that ; employers were * greatly be■holdeh: to'both the Hon. J.- A. Millar and Sir Joseph Ward for doing their best to improve 'labour matters' in the Dominion, and, -if only they could carry out i what they pro-posed-employers would bo more-than thankful. .

(HI TELEGBAPH—PRESS ' ASSOCIATION.) . Napier, August 28. The annual meeting. of the Hawke's Bay Employers' 'Association to-night passed a resolution in'the same terms as that of the Auckland association deprecating the appeals of labour organisations' for tho removal : of Mr. Justice' Sim fr.om the position of president of tho Arbitration Court.. ' Wanganul, August 28. . The Chamber of Commerce at its annual meeting to-night passed a-resolution regretting: that trades unions had passed strictures on Mr. Justice Sini, ..of. the Arbitration Court; ' ' . ' •Mr. J. H. Keesing- was, re-elected president of the Chamber. ■ ; i