DAIRY EXEMPTION

Evening Star, Issue 19711, 11 November 1927, Page 6

DAIRY EXEMPTION

THE ARBITRATION PROPOSAL WOULD DESTROY THE SYSTEM [Pub United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, November 11. Before the Labor Bills Committee, Mr Bromley, representing tho Wellington Trades" and Labor Council, incorporating the District Council of the New Zealand Alliance of Labor, said there were affiliated unions with a membership of 100,000. He was also deputed to place before the committee tho views of the dairy employees of Wellington district. He believed the Bill would destroy the system of Arbitration. He did not believe it would destroy trade unionism, but it could destroy co-operation between employers and employees. If it was assumed that exemption from the Act was in .the best interests of the dairy farmers this woudl still bo a dangerous precedent. The Government proposed to allow employers in an industry to make a request for exemption, and the Government was prepared to legislate for that exemption. Suppose the workers in another industry (say the seamen) expressing the desire by a majonty veto to bo exempt, was it tho intenlion of tho Government to legislate them from under the Act. He traversed the evidence of witnesses with the object of showing that there was no uniformity behind the request, and he was satisfied that the progress of the dairy industry would be best guaranteed by stable conditions in regard to wages and costs.