NEW LEGISLATION

Kaikoura Star, Volume LVI, Issue 92, 23 November 1936, Page 4

NEW LEGISLATION

EMPLOYERS ANXIOUS BUT WILLING TO HELP The opinion that although the legislation of the recent, session of Parliament had created a position which was causing anxiety to til employers, yet the only alternative was now to cooperate Io the fullest extent possible, ai.-l l<> make every endeavour to assist the Government in its ambition to improve the conditions for all people in tl Dominion, was expressed by Mr A. (Alitehell, in his presidential address to the annual meeting of Ihe New Zealand Employers’ Fe-le-ration. “For the fir t time in the history of this Dominion we has e a Labour Gov ernment on the Treasury benches,” said Mr Mitiheil. “-Much legislation of a definitely Socialistic character l - n placed on the Statute Book dining the first session of the new Parlia ment. Alany of these .Vets art* of .-u--prenio importance to all employers of labour, ami some are of such a drastic and far-reaching character that, the executive felt it to be their duty to give a detailed analysis ol' the mote im-

wide organisation of the service was that of a labourer employed in one of the gangs engaged oh a I’.W.D. job in a lemote arefa in the South Island. The Ruilw’ays Department was making enquiries for men with a knowledge of dredge construction, and when the fact was known by a. placement officer. ,he nominated a mian who had onrdlled at his office several weeks previously, and lad stated that he had worked on e.-edges in .Malay. This man was sent •for, and on being further questioned, he stated that ho could not only build >a dredge, but had been a drodgoinaster. 'l'". (> ‘lays later he was on the Railway Department’s paysheet as a skilled a i tisan. There, are scores of such cases recorded, and they continue to happen every day along the placement service’s far-flung lines of communication that extend practically from Spirits Bay to Stewart Island, and from coast to coast down that 1,100 miles stretch.

portant measures, pointing out the dangers to which industry is liable, and you will, I venture to suggest, agree—after you have had an opportunity of tudying tin: analysis of these measures which is embodied in the annua] report—that the position is such as to cause anxiety to all employers in the Dominion. “Non Political Body’’ *‘At our meetings it is not usual to -I- al with any but Labour legislation >i* other legislation of a social char:u l« i which reacts on the industrial ■(la t ionships between employers and w orkers. We are strictly a non politi (•;-.) body supporting no political Ledy nor any political platform—our men • bars include men of all shades of politi•il opinion. It is, however, our duty In point OU- the effects likely t: he • .p< ri<'iiue 1 as a result of new legisla- - u. and. pii r to the passing of such !- gislation. t endeavour by all consti;i lienal means—by advice and assist..n((* to tb ■ Government of the da? — prevent the passage of legislation vhich our members consider likely to - 'act to the disadvantage of the ,ople of this Dominion. “There is no alternative now but to .•- -operate to the fullest extent possible and to ma.ke every endeavour to assist the Government in its ambition to improve the conditions for al] the people iu the Dominion, in spite of opinions which h;ave been so freely expressed dial tin' effect of much of their new le . isial ion will have quite the reverse effect.”