ARBITRATION ACT

Gisborne Times, 13 October 1932, Page 4

ARBITRATION ACT

LABORITE’S AMENDING BILL.

REPEAL OF LAST SESSION’S LEGISLATION SOUGHT. MINISTER’S REPLY TO CRITICISM, .MEASURE “TALKED OUT.” (Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 13. in introducing the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill .in the House of- Representatives to-day, Mr. McCombs (L.) said the measure proposed to repeal the legislation passed last session taking away from workers the right to appeal to an impartial tribunal in connection with industrial disputes. It had been pointed out when-" last session’s legislation was before the House .that previous wage-reducing measures hud proved disastrous to trade and industry. Representatives of wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers had testified before the ini/jr-purfcy committee, in support oi that contention, but the Government had amended the Arbitration. Act to give the Employers’ Association the opportunity to force wages down still further. Although the amending Act had been in operation only a few months, industrial, chaos was beginning to manifest itself from one end of the country to the other. Disputes had arisen and they had not been settled. The Employers’ Association was forcing its members to take advantage of the Act. and force down wages and living standards. The Arbitration Act had been reduced to a farce. Mr. McCombs quoted from a letter written by the widow of the late Mr. Pember Reeves which indicated In's belief ‘•'that the pulling to pieces of his legislation” had weakened him. Mr. McKeen <L.) declared that the amending Act had placed dictatorial powers in the lianas oi' the employers. GREAT CHANGES IN FORTY YEARS. Mr. Forbes said he had no hesitation in saying that had Mr. Reeves been placed in the position in which he (Mr Forbes) was placed in, Mr. Reeves would have done exactly the same' thing. Labor member-: “Never.'* Mr. Forbes said that great changes had taken place in the -last fortyyears. He had been thoroughly in accord with the original Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Actwhen it was passed, but the conditions had changed He submitted that greater consideration was being shown for the workers by the employers to-day than ever had been shown before. The whole object of last session's amendment had been to provide greater freedom of employment. NO HARMONY WHEN REDUCTIONS IN THE AIR. Mr. McCombs asked tile Prime Minister if lie thought the Act had resulted in an harmonious feeling between employers and employees. Mr. Forbes: “How can there be harmonious feeling when reductions are being brought- about?” Alter several Labor members had spoken in support of the measure, the Hon. A. Hamilton said that quite a number of agreements had -been reached since the passing of last year's amendment, and it was likely that in those cases in which an agrement had not- yet boon reached, that it would ultimately be arrived at. The Bill was “'talked out.” the discussion being interrupted by the adjournment of the House.