HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Northern Advocate, 12 June 1936, Page 6

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

If the Government had done nothing but place om the Statute Book the Acts to which we have referred in the preceding editorial, touching, as they do, the heart of the Dominion’s economic existence, it would have made a memorable record of achievement in a session extending over eleven weeks. But it did much more. It removed the railways from board control and reintroduced Ministerial control; it abolished independent transport authorities and placed a Minister in supreme authority; it demolished the Mortgage Corporation as set up by the last Parliament and converted it into a State Advances Corporation under Ministerial control; it passed a Fair Rents Act, under the provisions of which rents of houses cannot be increased save with the authority of a magistrate or agreement between Owner and tenant ,at a conference presided over by an inspector of factories; it swept away the Broadcasting Board and placed radio control in the of a Minister; it restored the provisions of the dustrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act removed by the previous Government, and has given notice that when Parliament reassembles it will authorise the Arbitration Court to issue an order restoring salaries and wag.es to the level obtaining in 1931. Legislation was* passed affecting, in a very radical mariner, conditions of work in factories and offices, while far-reaching efforts were made to absorb the unemployed in work of national value. In this connection, the Minister of Public Works has outlined a scheme which, if the workers respond to the Minister’s very fine appeal, will revolutionise public works operations as they have existed since unemployment became a problem in this country. Great power has been placed in the hands of the Minister of Public Works, who has undertaken to give employment to those only who are members of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, which, in turn, has undertaken to enforce discipline, which would be impossible if non-unionists were employed. That, at any rate, is the understanding that has been reached. It should assist the Minister, who has good reason to claim the whole-hearted eo-opera-tion of the workers. We have mentioned briefly only some of the actions of . the Government during its first session. There is little doubt that New Zealand is once again making history in respect of socialistic legislation, and it is very evident, from the comments that are being made overseas, that the Government’s experiments are being watched with keen interest. New Zealand occupies the position of a patient on the operating table. If the operation is successful, other countries will be encouraged to go and do likewise. If, on the other hand, the operation does not have the desired effects, it will be regarded as a warning.! The patient unquestionably is playing an important role what-j ever the outcome of the opera- j tion may be. |