MINISTER’S PLEA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 November 1937, Page 13

MINISTER’S PLEA

EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS. “PLAY THE GAME.” Per Press Association. ~ AUCKLAND, Nov. 23. A plea to both employers and workers of New Zealand to “play the ganie” one with the other, and thus maintain industrial peace, with resultant national prosperity, was made bv the Minister of Labour. Hon. H. T. Armstrong, to-day. He" was referring to the Arbitration Court system and the opportunity it gave for peaceful

settlement of industrial disputes. His visit overseas and the opportunity it had given him of studying systems used in other countries had more than ever convinced him. that the New Zealand system was the best in the world.

“The more one sees of the strike method of settling disputes,” he said, “the more one is in love with the present system of arbitration we have in this country. We want a high standard of wages for the people of this country who are doing useful \vork. and. we want reasonable conditions of ■employment, but if we are to maintain re.al prosperin' we cannot do it without work. Ileal wealth ia produced by work. We want to inculcate it into the minds of workers that it is

economically impossible to divide more wealth than is produced. Now that the new Court of Arbitration' has been appointed, and it is likely that, within a reasonable time, the courts will he able to catch up on arrears of work, I want to make a final appeal to employers to play the game with their employees. On the other hand, I want to appeal to workers to play the game with their employers. The man who thinks he can maintain good conditions by sitting back and not doing liis share to make those conditions possible is making a big mistake.” Mr Armstrong said he was hoping for very good results from the new court, the Judge was a man of long exjjerience in industrial law, particu-

larly in compensation eases. Mr W. E. Anderson, who had been nominated by the employers, was a min of wide experience in court procedure and industrial matters generally, and Mr A. W. Croskery, who would apparently represent the workers, was a man of long service in the Lal>our movement and one of the best-informed men in New Zealand on industrial law. Both Mr Anderson and Mr Croskery had figured prominently .as advocates m the Arbitration Court, and he was convinced the new court would be a most efficient one.