INDUSTRIAL LAWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 269, 13 October 1932, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL LAWS.

PROPOSED AMENDING BILL. ACCESS TO ARBITRATION COURT. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Oct. 12. Tlie House ot Representatives met at 2.30 o’clock. Introducing the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill, Mr J. McCombs said that the measure proposed to repeal the legislation passed last session, which had taken away from the workers the right to appeal to an impartial tribunal in connection with industrial disputes. It had been pointed out, when the last session’s legislation was before the House, that the previous wage-reduc-ing measures had proved disastrous to trade and industry. Representatives of wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers had testified before the InterParty Committee in support of that contention, but the Government had amended the Arbitration Act to give the Employers’ Association an opportunity to force wages down still further. Although the amending Act had been 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 to force down wages and living standards. The Arbitration Act had been reduced to a farce, he asserted.

Mr McCombs quoted from a letter written by the widow of the late Hon. W. Pember Reeves, which indicated her belief that the “pulling to pieces of his legislation” had weakened him. Mr R. McKeen declared that the amending Act had placed dictatorial powers in the hands of the employers. The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. AA’. Forbes, said that he had no hesitation in saying that, had Mr Reeves been placed in the position in which the speaker had been placed. Mr Reeves would have done exactly the same thing. Labour members: Never!

Air Forbes said that great changes had taken place in the last 40 years. He had been thoroughly in accord with the original Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act when 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 had ever been shown before. The whole object of last session’s amendment had been to provide greater freedom of employment. i Mr McCombs asked the Prime Minister if he thought the Act had resulted in harmonious feeling between the employers and employees. ■ Mr Forties: How can there be harmonious feeling when reductions are being brought about? | After several Labour members had spoken in support of the measure, 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 in those cases in , which an agreement had not yet been reached that it would ultimately lie arrived at. The bill was "talked out,” the discussion being interrupted by the adjournment of the House. 1 *