MR. MILLAR'S DEFENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue LXXVI, 1 July 1908, Page 3

MR. MILLAR'S DEFENCE.

AN APPEAL TO THE WORKERS. On the occasion of tha piesentation of a wedding gift to the lien. John Itigg, M.L.C., at the Commercial Travellers' Ch'b last owning, the Minister for Labour, the Hon. J. Millar, in responding to the toast of the Parliament of Kew Zealand, proposed by Mr- P. J. O'Kcgan. entered into a defence of the Arbitration Act, and made special reference to the present crisis. The whole speech was a strong appeal to the representatives of tho labour unions present at the gathering not to destroy tho Act that had brought about their "present power. CAPITAL AND LABOUR. "We have been unfortunately," said Mr. Millar, afrer congratulating Mr. Rigg, <- to deal with one of the most momentous questions, that, I think, has arisen not in New Zealand alone, but in the whole world. It is the question, of the relationship of capital and labour. There are men in the street, who come along and tell you to do this or that and it will* be settled. Ask them if they accept a particular scheme as a solution, and they are at a losf. Now my friend Jack Kigg and I have spent, the best part of our lifetimes in dealing with this question; we have Jaeen up at the front right through, and we have, ourselves endeavoured to pay and do what wd thought best in tha interests of tho country. Now I am tho Minister for Labour. What is my duty? Is ii not my duty to be honest and sincere with tho men who represent the ranks of labour, and to consult them boforo bringing down legislation? And yet no matter what I do I have a certain section of the labour party opposed to m« — '.vhy I don't know. I proceed to do th* very thing they ask me to do, and then they say they don't want it dona The executive of a certain union passed a resolution condemning what I proposed to do. They complained about ceitain defects in tho Arbitration Acfc for yearsI_ have endeavoured to get things put right. They want the Act to remain as it was before. It is the opinion of one party that they want no amendment, others are certain amendments arc needed. It does not eccm to matter what I bring down or suggset. You have objected to certain things ; I htw o accepted certain objections, certain I have act. What is to bo done under these conditions? "We are all working for one common cause to benefit the position of labour, but 1 want an absolutely fair contract. I am not going to bs a party to any onesided contract at all. .The pre?ent Government is prepared to go as far in fair honest labour legislation as any preceding Government, but we arc not going to do anything for one section of the community that would justify tho reI sentment of every other nection." THE DAYS OF STRIKES. After emphasising his willingness to recoive any suggestion for amendment the Minister of Labour harked back to the days when strikes took place, before tho Arbitration Act came into force. He recalled a statement he had made before the strike of 1390 — that strikes were the worst things that could over happen to the workers. Ho had suffered himBclf, and had proposed the remedy of arbitration by three judges of the Supreme Court. He had urged the workors_ not to strike, but when once the s>trikc began ho would have been lower than a dog not to have Been it through. The strike failed, but that failure was tho finest thing in its fruits that ever happened to tho democracy. REPEAL CONTEMPLATED. Mr. Millar then expressed deep regret afc the feeling among members of the House of Representatives against tho Arbitration Act. They even contemplated its repeal. (A voice : We don't want that.) It would be an evil day for Now Zealand, if the Arbitration Act was repealed. Prior to the strike of 1890, unions had sprung up like mushrooms. After it — within twelve months — how many unionists were there in New Zealand? (A voice: None.) The unions collapsed in a night. And yet it was not the strong unions of the skilled trades that required an Act of Parliament to protect them. It was the women and the weaker workers that needed help. History had shown what the inevitable result was to women in strikes. LOYALTY TO THE LAW. "Unless there is loyalty to the Arbitration Act," continued Mr. Millar, "you can't expect that 400,000 adults in this country are going to allow themselves to ba controlled by the 32,000 unionists—(A voice : 45,000)— 32,000 adults, or count them double— even 64,000 —if you count their voting power. If you attempt to force things too far you will have a combination of tho rest of the people forming against you. I have told you there is already a majority in the House of Representatives willing to repeal the Act. (A voice : In accordance with popular feeling). I want the assistance of the workers to help, to maintain it. I want to hold it for you. "Tako that return I had compiled last year — take it from 1894 to the present day. Compare the conditions of labour then and now. Think of the improvement made throughout. If you want me to stick to the Act, if you want to help me to stick to it, let me tell the workers of the colony publicly. (Applause, and a voice : It's not the Act, it's- the administration of it.) If it is the general feeling of the workers in the country that they don't want the Arbitration Act, they can't have it, and they won't have it, for the people will not stand it. If you believe in the Act, j there will be absolute loyalty to it in I every part. (A voice : Unfair administration.) If any man could take my j position and solve the problem, I would I leave it. I am trying to solve the proi blem. I have schemes. But what is the use if the workors themselves are trying to ignore the Act? Wo may as well leave it alone and leave them to do as they like. It's no use trying to force the workers to a thing they won't have. ' PRESENT DANGERS. "I am face to face with thi& at the present lime. I do not know how long it will be before I hear that the Waihi miners are out or the Auckland tramway employees are on strike. What conclusion is there but that workers are in absolute revolt against tha Act?" ADMINISTRATION OF THE ACT. t Tkara was. again au interjection, aiout^

tho administration oi tho Act. Mr. Millar declared that the Labour Department had endeavoured to administer the Act fairly and honestly. From the employers they had collected 03 per cent, of the fines imposed, and in the ' case of the workers, 75 per cent. In the case of tho slaughtermen's strike, out of £1350 £700 had already been col- J lected, £260 was coming in by instalments, and the balance was accounted for by the fact that a number of the workers had returned to Australia without paying. The Labour Department had made no distinction of persons at all. Judgment summonses had been issued against employers and employees alike. It would have been unjust to pcnalipo one pnd not the othev. "I feel very deeply in this matter," concluded Mr. Millar. "So much is at stako in this movement, the most critical movement in the history of the colony. I want you to help me to solve the problem, and to get better conditions. The country has been doing well for years. It may go back, and there are signs. Now is the very worst time to force the hand of the employers. The workers do not seem to know, and I fsol it my duty to point out to them my position. I want to save them. For myself my lifa is nearly over. I am a man considerably over fifty, and I cap look forward to only a few more years iof life. I speak to you now only in your own interests, as I spoke to you at the time of the old struggle. It is our duty as representatives of tho people of this country to propound a schemo to endeavour to make it better and happier fcr all who live and work therein." (Applause.)