LABOUR'S ATTITUDE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24, 28 July 1911, Page 7

LABOUR'S ATTITUDE.

THE ARBITRATION ACT, FARMERS ALARMED. SUGGESTED ROYAL COMMISSION. There was some plain talking n,t tho Farmers' Union Conference to-day, when Mr. Evans (Canterbury) moved: — "That the conference take into .consideration the operations of the 'Arbitration &nd. Conciliation Act with reference to its bearing on the industries of the Dominion, ns it. n> of opinion that it is eeriouply retard' ing their development, and then Gov« crnment b& askod to appoint a Royal Commission of practical men to eh. quire into the operations of the ArL" He referred to the disturbance of the minds of workers by the flaunting of Ihe tribunal specially set up to deal with labour disputes. If workers did not h&va decisions made by the court in their favour they threw over the wort and look the law into their own hando. Fftrmers in North Canterbury were much disturb. e»*-nol by the actual wofkofs oil tho farms as by their leaders. These men had not and would not M'ork in tho coun> try. One of them had said to himi "Do you think lam such a— — fool a* go on to a farm? Not much. I can do beU ter in the town." "THESE AGITATORS.'* Mr. Sheat (Oflnterbury) remarked that You in the North make Up a dumping, ground. We fight your battle* {or you down in my country," The whole farming industry was subject to paralysis by tlie.«e fegitetors. The court was treated With contumely I\V* the men it w«.s designed lo assist, unless decisions were in favour of these men. He ha<l been a, working man himself, and was still a nympallmer, but there could be no doubb aoout it tlmt there wan a threat hanging over the fatming industry in Canterbury that if demands were not ffr&nted there yould be «i joining in the Federation of Labour, and a big strike would take place in December or January. The farmers had, ho felt sure, the" utmost) respect fop Mr. Justice Sim and his coU leagues on the Bench. EXPERIMENTAL LAWS. Mr. Hockley poMeA out that the Lob. mir legislation was largely experimental. He suggested that the working of the Australian Wages Board should be looked into. Other speakers referred lo tlie demands Ot tile Workers 9b being bcyohd reapon. Mr. A. L. D. Fraser protested Against" ft Royal Commission, which was "Mis sheet anchor of the shuffler." He sug» gested that sucn commissions were use* less and expehsive luxury. It Was im» possible to convince the working ma.n that his demands for increased wages were always followed by increased copL of living. The Arbitration Act was good in its intention, but not In its ndmmis. tralion. He suggested that ft fauVcommittee be appointed by the conference to deal with the matter, referring its cogitations to the Minister for Labour, Mr. suggested thai all tlie words in the motion down to "then Oov. Whmenfc" be struck out. NO FAITH IN ROYAL COMMIT STONS. Mr. Kevins (Tehui) coW it was a, lnosb eerioits thing that, nine men could compel employers to como under the Act, and then it the Act did not etiii them they could throw over th© Act. He had ■no faith in Royal Commir<=ion!>. If the report of the propped committee Wftht to the Minister of Labour he teared it Would not be of much value. A voice ! He is not Hon. 11. M'Keneie, you know. (Laughter.) Mr. Kevins said the report should no to^the House itself direct. jjtr. Makgill suggested that if the pro. poeed committee were to he tnade of. any nee members of the labour unions should be invited lo duei;,<s in a friend, ly and impartial manner a question af« fectiug all claeses of the community. AN AMENDMENT. Mr. A. L. D. Fraeer moved «%s an. amendment:*" "That the conference appoint ». eel' ect committee to take into conwderation the onsralions of the Arbitration, and Conciliation Act with reference to u» be«rtii(r en the induetties of Iho pominmn; that sucii comniUctj shall have power to caII nilsirio evidence, n neoetisary, and shall submit the re« still b of their deliberations to tho Mirf« leler of Labour for his favourable coa« ftideration." Mr. Kevins setonded, Mr. Vavasour (Marlbotougb) suggested that the matter was the most vital question of tho day and Ihe expense Would have to be bonw by the country. No matter what the cost, il would be cheap if ft f satisfactory eolulion were arrived at, The matter was one that should be, must be, removed from the legion of party politics. Major Lusk (Auckland) cnicnri-od, So did Mr. Sheat (Canterbury), the letter liojdmg that thfe psoplo were no' get* ting value for licit* money through the Act. Ihere Was a, oontmua,! effort on the pait of L.ibohr lo "squeeze another shilling from the employers." H© sug« g'Tsttd elimination from the motioh all the words between "Dominion" and "Government." Mr. A. L. D. Frftser regretted Ih&fc Mr. M-a*«ty and his friends had gono as their opinion might be a#ked. , Mr. Sheat j They are. afraid t,o gi^ Mr. Fraser Bt»id it was futile to cxi peel a. Royal Cominisftion to bo e*t up this session. Tims was of the esteeheb of the contract. If a Rojal Commif*ioa were obtained it would be fully thre* years before its report were pcesentd. Mr. Talbot (Temnka) proposed th.ife the eX^ctiti\Ts be asked lo watch kgiE« Jfttion during tho em-rent cession. Mr. W. J. Birch (Ma-rton) thought that fllthough the Royal Commie^ion might, be uselese, the discussion might do con» sidel'able good. Beyohd esprWng theif opinion very little good could be done. Mr. Evans, who moved the motion, paid the Arbitration Act w^s the unfair* eet of Acts. The farmers never &6ked first. Now was the timo to act. If the Act was about to be a.mendc-d then thei'6 should be a commitee from the conferences to give evidence before the House. Mr. Frflfer pointed oat that there was proposed legislation before the Houe<s to amend Ihe Act, and the Advisory Oom> mittee be appointed to watch that lettielation. • c Mr. Fi-aser'e amendment we* carried, with the addition that ihe matter b& left to tho Advisory Committee, Mreurß. & C ;t.* Cooper ' > Fl Pl Hockley, D. MQregor, jr., «nd 11. £ Richards.

The tender of Meeers fcrifteoo nnj Co. for the supply o f cast-iron pipca and fittings has toeen Reeepled by tho City L'mimr.l, Tlift hmwwv lime (two tnotitlw) ha* expired flim-o the application. Was lodged with the Jjovernmet.l fot U* ie«ut o! an Ordw-in-Coimdl, «ulliorfemg lh« rwwtruclirm of a.ppronch« to the new Hutt T3ndffp. i< is underplot that no objections nave been lodged by any of tnfc public bodies concerned, but the application has not yet Iwen returned ua fipproved by the (4ovr>mr>v.in-oonnril. MbaTij-imo the hrityts remftiiw, literally (Hpoakuig, "in ,lh« wr."-