ARBITRATION COURT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 26, 1 February 1932, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

MR. POLSON'S VIEWS

Addressing a meeting of farmers at New Plymouth on Friday, Mr. W. J. Poison, M.P., president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, stated that the Arbitration Court as at present constituted was a curse to the country and must be wiped 'out. (Applause.) He was satisfied that there was a demand from, oue end of the country to the other for the abolition in its present form, of an institution that had done more to harass and trammel industry and increase production costs than any other institution created by the State. It affected the primary producer, although he was supposed to know nothing about arbitration, as it did not actually interfere with the men he employed on his farm. Its awards, however, affected a farmer at every turn, as, for instance, through tho bobby calf industry, in which a butcher earned £13 for 22 hours' work, while the farmer was lucky jf he received 23 for the calf. It took 60 to 75 per' cent, of the calves to pay for tho cost of killing.

There were numerous restrictions that tended to increase the ranks of the unemployed, and fanners had therefore to get together and wholeheartedly agitate for the abolition of the Court and the substitution of a scheme of compulsory conciliation and voluntary arbitration. That was the getting together of the employers and employees to discuss grievances, when ho felt that in 90 per cent. of. cases there would be a satisfactory settlement, for if they could not agree the alternative would be either a lock-out or a strike. Matters would not be taken to tho Arbitration Court if the parties agreed. Such a scheme would get rid of many of the vexatious restrictions that hampered industry. Mr. Poison said ho understood that the Government had some such proposal in view, but farmers must shew themselves in earnest over the matter so as to obviate the danger of some politicians, getting "cold feet." He understood (he added, with a sm'ilo) politicians did change their minds at times, but the farmers must make it clear that they expected legislation to be passed and that there must bo no changing of their minds on the matter.