ARBITRATION AMENDMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19722, 24 November 1927, Page 4

ARBITRATION AMENDMENT

THE BILL COMMITTED COURT CONSTITUTION RESERVED CON PEI tEX CP DUPING RECESS. (Peb United Pkess Association.] WELLINGTON, November 23. When the House of Pepresontatives sat at 7.i11) p.m. Air G. J. Anderson (Minister of Labor) moved that the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration' Amendment Bill bo committed. In doing, so he said that few Labor Bills introduced into the House had created so much discussion in the country, and effect of it had been to drive Capital and Labor together in a way In; was delighted to see, and he hoped the good feeling would continue. When considering amending the Act, his idea was to alter the constitution of tho court in the direction approved of by the .member for the Hutt—that was the direction to which all thoughtful men inclined, but there were difficulties, lor it meant scrapping tho court and installing a judge of the Supreme Court as chairman of the Conciliation Council; but evidently the time was nob ripe for that change. The Bill had been asked for by the great producing industries of the dominion, and while some people said the Act should not be altered at all, such requests could not be ignored. When, however, it was agreed that the Act should bo amended there seemed to bo no common ground. One wanted one tiling and one another, so that any Minister who attempted the task would quickly find how difficult that task was. The Minister then proceeded to outline the history of the Arbitration Act, arguing from historical facts that it would be i unwise to abolish the Act. J.L had been said that the Act bad not prevented ...strikes. It might not have prevented them altogether, but, judged by world-wide statistics, it had certainly kept them down. It had been said that he was trying to destroy the Act, but lie was trying to improve it. It bad been administered by- some of the ablest Ministers who had ever sat in the House and by some of the ablest judges New Zealand had ever had. When ho proposed to amend the Act ho did so with a full knowledge of those facts. One of the reasons why ho pro posed to amend the Act was because of the bitterness caused during the hist election of Labor’s representative on the court. No man elected in an atmosphere of such unseemly wrangles could act as lie should act—in a judicial capacity, and so he had proposed to alter the constitution of the court. He was not going on with that amendment because he found the feeling of the country was against;it, and therefore it would be folly to proceed with with something that was not wanted. Tho first evidence that the court was unpopular came from the Labor unions. Ho quoted a number of resolutions passed in condemnation of_ tho court by unions and similar typical resolutions passed by chambers of commerce, employers’ associations, and farmers’ unions. Such protests could not be ignored, and their elfect had been to bring both parties together, and all that he asked was that they should carry on tho good work. The relations between Labor and Cap,tin went on a better basis to-day than they had ever been.

In reply to Labor dissent, the Minister said he could understand the Opposition objecting to certain clauses in the Bill, but it could not expect to, have all its own way. Other interests must have equal consideration. To show that ho took that view he proceeded to explain clauses of the Bill and his reasons for consenting to amendments being made by the committee. He said that farmers from all over the dominion had asked to be placed outside the Act. They wanted to bo able to make their own'arrangements with those they employed, and he felt that those arrangements would not injure the workers. Ho had made provision for piecework because he felt it to be one of the best things for New. Zealand, All that was required was fair dealing between employer and employee. Under those conditions be would like to sec piecework adopted wherever possible. Tho provision bad been made for the court to take into consideration the state of a particular industry. Unless this were done, and if excessive wages were awarded they would kill the industry, which would then be of no benefit to anybody. What was wanted in New Zealand to-day was industrial peace. To get that a great deal more commonsense must be exhibited than had been exhibited during the last few years. This Bill bad helped in bringing the opposing interests together because they began to sec where they were going to get if they lost the court. Ho hoped the House' would exempt farmers from the Act. They had asked for it, and if they were workers they would be able to get it. He moved that the Bill he committed. Mr R. M‘Keen (Wellington South) said the Minister had quoted resolutions against the Arbitration Court, and asking for the removal of the presiding judge, but not one of those protesting unions had asked for a change in the constitution of Hie court as first proposed in the Bill. Fifteen of tho 21 clauses of the Bill had been struck out by tbe Labor Bills Committee, which showed how little the Bill was desired. Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said the trouble was not between master and man but it was the agitator who made the trouble. For that one reason, ho favored exemption from the provisions of the Bill. . Mr W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) said the evidence given before tho Labor Bills Committee gave .him the greatest satisfaction, because it convinced him that the people of New Zealand were thoroughly satisfied that the Arbitra-

tion Court had been a great blessing to the people. Mr F. Waite (Clutha) considered that the Arbitration Court was no longer necessary. The evidence given before the Labor Bills Committee went to show that. All except two points were settled by tho Conciliation Council, and to settle tho remaining questions it was not necessary to have a judge and two assessors, who simply cancelled each oilier out, and in tho final show down tho judge decided. Air W. Lee Martin (Raglan) said tho purpose of the Bill was to draw the minds of tho farmers from the more vital thingSj such as agricultiyal banks. He also believed it was intended to reduce wages. He was president of the Auckland branch of the Farmers’ Union, and he had never been asked to support the Bill. Tho debate was carried on by Mr A. D M'Lcod (Minister of Lands) and Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill!, the former supporting the Bill and the latter opposing it and recommending tho Minister to drop tho measure until next session, holding that a conference of the interested parties should be held during the recess. “ THE CROWNING INIQUITY M LABOR’S EPITAPH. {Per United Press Association,] WELLINGTON, November 24. After tho Telegraph Office closed Mr Mason (Eden) said the Bill was destructive of the Arbitration Act, limiting its usefulness, and thus mutilating one of the greatest achievements of the old Liberal regime. lie thought a conference during tho recess might result in something constructive, and would be well worth the time it would take. Mr Bartrnm said tho Labor Bills Committee had killed portions of the Bill. Tho pity was that they had not decently buried the whole of it with the epitaph: r ‘Hevo lies the crowning iniquity of the Coates Administration.” The Bill was .against 111© weight of the evidence, and 95 per cent, of the people were astonished at the temerity of the Government ip proceeding with it. Ho urged the Minister to accept the suggestion by Sir Joseph Ward to drop the Bill this session and hold a conference during tile recess. The Bill was one of the worst pieces of class legislation in modern times. After 3 a,in. Mr Fraser moved as an amendment--" That in view of the evidence given before tho Labor Bills Committee, the Bill bo not allowed to proceed, and that the whole subject matter ho referred to a conference of representatives of the workers, employers, and the farmers of tho dominion, to he convened by the Government for consideration, and report to the House.” He urged that this course would put the whole industrial issue on a more stable basis than ever it had been before. Sir John Luke said there were 22 witnesses before the Labor Bills Committee who favored the Act, and 20 who wanted a change, particularly in tho direction of the exemption of farmers. On a division the amendment was lost bv 45 to 12. The* Minister, in reply, said the portion of the .Bill referring to the constitution of the court would be referred to a conference during the recess. No one was interfering with the principle of arbitration. The farmers were simply being legislated out of the Act in the same way as unions could deregister themselves. . On the question that the Bill be committed, another division was called for. when tho motion was carried by 45 to 12. Tho House then went into committee, but on the motion of the Minister progress was immediately reported. In moving tho adjournment of the House- the 'Prime Minister intimated that the House would sit Tho Bouse then rose at 3.55 a.in.