I.C. AND A. BILL

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 57, 8 March 1932, Page 8

I.C. AND A. BILL

COALITION VIEWS

DISCUSSION m CAUCUS

REQUESTS FOR ALTERATIONS

The proposals in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill were the subject of a joint caucus of the Coalition parties this morning, presided over by the Prime Minister. Mr. Forbes, stated subsequently that they had had a "happy family" meeting, and that the necessity for the proposals had been explained to the members of the Government benches. He added that there had been no dissension.

It is gathered that many members of the Eeform and United, Parties do not see eye to eye with Cabinet as *o the necessity for some of the proposals in the Bill. Some take the view that the amendments are too sweeping and that the. changes in respect to decisions by Conciliation Councils will definitely hinder the reference of disputes to the Arbitration Court. It was pointed oat by one member at the meeting that in his opinion the Bill as it stood meant the complete destruction of the Arbitration Court, and the Prime Minister is said to have replied that that was not the intention of the legislation. The belief is held by many members of the Coalition that the Government does not appreciate the amount of opposition to the present proposals, and that it will be obliged to meet objections by agreeing to the recasting of the measure in certain respects. The opinion' that the Bill has no chance of being passed in its present form was offered after the caucus by a prominent city Coalitionist.

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Labour (the Hon. A. Hamilton) have agreed to hear deputations this afternoon from the Employers' Association, and the Alliance of Labour and the local Trades- and Labour Council. These meetings have been arranged in resonse to requests that opportunity should be given for the interested parties to be heard concerning the changes proposed in the. Bill.