PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 140, 15 May 1936, Page 11

PARLIAMENT

FACTORY LEGISLATION

SECOND BEADING OF BILL

The House of Representatives yesterday accorded the Factories Act Amendment Bill its second reading 1 and proceeded to the Committee stag-e. A number of small amendments to the original Bill have been made by the Minister in charge of the measure, including exemption of small dairy factories from the provision for a six-day week.

FACTORIES ACT. COST OF AMENDMENTS. CAN IT BE PASSED ON ? Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 14. The debate oil the committal of the Factories Amendment Bill was resinned in the Bouse of Eepresentatives today by Mr A. S. Richards, who said the main theme of the arguments from the Opposition beaches was whether the employer could meet the added cost. One member had said that if the Bill was passed employers would have to close up their factories. The next moment another member said the cost would be passed on. If the cost were passed on how would they close up, and if it were passed oil how would the cost come out of the profits of the individual employer? There seemed to be no logic in such statements. He said statistics for the year 1935-36 showed that 1J per cent, of the people of New Zealand received nearly 30 per cent, of the total assessable income of the Dominion. The present Bill did not go as far as the legislation introduced in tlie New Zealand Parliament 63 years ago. He asked if the industrial legislation of the past had affected New Zealand production or caused her to lag behind other countries. The Government knew that past legislation, by improving the standard or comfort of the worker, had benefited industry. The Bill was by no means revolutionary, and he predicted that n.s ia result of the application of the provisions of the Bill the Minister in the near future would have to introduce another measure even more drastic and more radical than 1 the present measure. He thought many employees to-day were just as much in need ot protection against themselves as they were 60 years ago. Mr S. G. Smith said lie was not opposed to what was being done in the Bill, but lie wanted the Government to hasten slowly or the worker might be in greater difficulty than at present. The Government had a majority and would place the Bill on the Statute Book without listening to advice from members of the Opposition. As far as he could see the Government were merely writing into the law what the trade union secretaries had been trying to have inserted in' awards for years past. Industrial legislation had always been written with the object of protecting the worker against the unscrupulous employer, and be had always approved of protecting the worker. ~ , r . Mr - L. G. Lowry said any benefit the worker hud received in the past had been achieved by the concerted efforts of the workers themselves, and if better wages and better conditions brought about a better demand and higher purchasing power there would be no need to view the legislation with alarm. They had to get out of a rut. There were difficulties in the way, out they were not insurmountable. If conditions were made amenable lor the worker his output would be greatei and his work would not become a burden, but more or less a hobby. OWNERS PERTURBED.

Mr J. Hargest said factory owners from one end of the country to the other were much perturbed over the proposals of the Bill. It would seveiely affect the profits of industry. As tar as tlie domestic market was concerned the cost could be passed on, but that could not be done in the frozen meat, dairy, timber and other industries which marketed their products overseas. He dealt with tlie timber industry particularly, and said that industry would not be able to compete with overseas timber. He hope dthe Government would give that mdustiy some consideration. . . Mr W. J. Lyon said that if there were factories or mills in this Dominion that would and could compete with their competitors only by sweating their employees then they were uneconomic. Tlie Bill would eliminate the depressing conditions that had boon introduced into the factories ot the Dominion during the depression period. It would eliminate to some extent at least the enslavement ot young people in factories and their subsequent dismissal after ono or two years of service. It would prevent young people from being subsidised hv their parouts into industries that were absolutely blind alley occupations and would insist that while thej were’in that particular industry they received some wages that would increase at regular intervals. The Bill was committed and the House went into Committee. ■ Speaking on the short title, Mr IV . J. Poison said no employer knew when he would require oxtra hands, yet there seemed to be an effort to prevent casual work. Overtime payment was such that it would bo prohibitive. CREATING EMPLOYMENT.

Hon. H. T. Armstrong, replying to members’ arguments, said the larger dairy factories, generally speaking, were prepared to taco lip to it and say a six-day week could ho worked, Jt was only a matter of employing an additional man. That was one ot the objects the Bill set out to obtain, As far as tlio small factory was concerned, that was the two-man factory, it was exempted from the six-day week provided the men were given equivalent time off at the end of the season or paid at the current rate. That was entirely satisfactory to any members of a' dairy factory with whom lie had come hi contact. ’The men would got 22 or 24 days’ holiday. Casual employment would not be affected by the Bill, the only rates fixed being those of beginners. After that wages would be fixed by the Arbitration Court. Ho held it was only right if an employee was paid more than the Ids minimum that ho should still receive 4s increases. He was usually paid moie jhan the minimum because of his age, and lie was entitled to the increase. The Minister defended the provision that time worked in one factory should count if an employee changed to another factory. Since Now Zealand had had a Hrctoriee Act that was the law. Then some Supreme Court decision had upset the arrangement and said only service in one particular factory should count. The Bill restored the old state of tilings, which had worked entirely satisfactorily lor many years. “BRICES BEAT WAGES.”

Rt. Hon. G. W, Forbes said the net result of the policy in the Bill would increase tlio cost of goods and thereby

reduce the value of money. The wage rate would not keep pace with the increase in prices. It had been proved over and'over again that prices would beat wages every time. Hon. 11. Semple said the arguments used by the Opposition were not now. They had been used since primeval times against reformers who had tried to do something for the benefit ot the people. He realised that costs would go up if the Government were stupid enough to allow it, but the Government were not stupid enough to let any set of exploiters take advantage of the law to rob the people. The power of Parliament was absolute, and if any one set of individuals took more than their fair share the Government would stop it. Mr Semple said that if there were any difficulties in operating the legislation it was the bounden •duty of the Government to get over them, and the rational thing to do was to meet the imaginary difficulties that had been mentioned by the Opposition when they developed. After a further discussion Mr Savage moved the closure, which was challenged but carried by 48 votes to 17 and the short title was passed on the voices. On the new clause providing tor tlie inclusion of “backyard” or one-man factories, Mr Armstrong said the mam purpose of the clause was principally to give a Europonu equal rights with Chinese.

DELAY IN 40-HOUR WEEK. Hon. A. Hamilton moved an amendment to clause 2 removing the direction to the Court to apply the 4U-liour week unless ill the opinion ol : the Court it was impracticable to carry on efficiently the work of a factory without the Extension. He considered it should be left to the discretion of the Court to determine whether ii was advisable for a factory to work a 40-liour week. Air E. IV. Schramm said that if the amendment were carried it would mean complete nullity of the clause relating to the 40-hour week which the Bill set out to provide.

Mr Armstrong said it might be found that July i would not be practicable for the Bill and two others which contained a similar provision to be brought into operation, but if so the alteration could be made in the Legislative Council.

The amendment was lost by 48 votes to 20 and the clause retained. Mr Armstrong said the Arbitration Court was given three months after the passing of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill to fix the basic wage. The same provision could he mado regarding the 40-hour week, if the Court found it absolutely impossible to hear a protest by an employer in that time he could carry on as usual till it was heard. A further amendment moved by Mr Poison to reduce the overtime payment to a shilling an hour instead of Is 6d was lost on the voices. Progress was then reported and the House rose at 10.30 p.m. THE AMENDMENTS. EXEMPTIONS PROVIDED. Among the amendments to the Factories Act Amendment Bill made by tlie Minister is one providing that male workers employed in freezing works, fellmongenes and pelt works, fish-curing or preserving works, jam factories during the small fruit season, bacon factories and sausage-cas-ing factories shall not come within the scope of the 40-hour week and other limitations of hours in the Bill. Previously this clause referred' to any worker in the factories mentioned. The trades exempted from the limitation of hours are added “to by the inclusion in a new clause of wool dumping on any wharf. Another amended clause deals with overtime for employees in busli sawmills. Previously they could claim overtime for any hours in excess oi 48 a wcok. The new clause restricts the maximum number of hours to 40, and although it recognises the right of the Court to oxtond the hours on appeal from the employers, it states tnut 44 must be the absolute weekly maximum and that overtime must be paid for any hours worked in excess of the hours fixed by the court. As the Bill was originally drafted treble time for Sundays or statutory holidays was to have been subject to the provisions of any award or industrial agreement. 'that provision is to be deleted, and that treble time will be mado general in its application. In addition there is exemption of small dairy factories from the six-day week. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. ART UNION PROFITS. PRINCIPLE OF DISTRIBUTION. In the House this afternoon, Mr D. Barnes asked the Minister of Internal Affairs what was the principle on which art union profits were distributed and whether any specific conditions were imposed regarding the amount of money so distributed, particularly as 1 to its being used within a reasonable Hon. IV. E. Parry, in reply, said tlie amounts made available for the relief of distress were allocated according to the needs of different localities. The grants were to be considered for the reliof of distress generally, not merely unemployment. Relief grants arc also in addition to the moneys made available for social relief, and not in substitution of them. The amounts were intended for immediate relief and were not to bo earmarked for future purposes or used as an excuse for capitalising or postponing the expenditure of ordinary relief funds. Any complaints would be immediately investigated. a EUMOUR nEFU TED.

Mr D. W. Coleman, on behalf of Hon. W. E. Barnard, asked the Prime Minister whether ho was aware of a statement in the Press to the effect that the Australian and New Zealand Governments were shortly conferring for the purpose of forming an antiJapanese front in order to forestall Japan transferring the purchase of wool to New Zealand, and would he indicate the policy of the New Zealand Government.

Mr Savage, in reply, said lie had noticed the statement and had to say that no siicli proposal had ever been made to the Government. Japan and

other nations might rest assured that the New Zealand Government would deal with them in a friendly and commonscn.se way and that New Zealand’s trade relations with other countries would he discussed on their merits. Mr H. G. Dickie asked the Minister of Public Works if he* would inform the House as to the date on which the main highways of the Dominion would be nationalised. Local bodies wore about to budget for main highways expenditure for the current year and this would be unnecessary if the Government were taking over the main arterial roads in the near future. Hon. R. Semple replied: It is proposed to introduce at the earliest possible date an amendment to the Main Highway's Act which will give power for the nationalisation of main arterial roads. The date on which the roads will be so takon over will ho the date to be fixed by the Minister. There will be no unnecessary delay. A NEW BILL. The Judicature Amendment Dill, which Hon. H. G. R. Mason stated would replace the Juries Amendment Dill now on the Order Paper was read the first time. PUBLIC WORKS PLAN. A report of the statement made by the Minister of Public Works on a large-scale public works plan to cost £17,500,000, spread over three years, appears on page 5.