ARBITRATION BILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 5 December 1927, Page 5

ARBITRATION BILL

MAIN PROPOSALS POSTPONED NO AWARDS AFFECTING FARMERS MEANWHILE CONFERENCE DURING RECESS (By Telegraph) (From "The Mail's" Parliamentary Reporter). WELLINGTON, This Day. As the result of conferences which took place after the measure was last in committee the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill has been amended to provide that no award relating to farming or the manufacture of butter or cheese shall be made before tho Ist September 1928. All the provissions of the original Bill have been dropped and a conference will take place in the recess to discuss whether or not the farm industries shall be exempted from the Arbitration Act.

Making an announcement to the above effect iji the House of Representatives on Saturday night the Prime Minister reviewed what nad happened when tho Bill was in committee and referred to the, desires 'expressed by members on all sides of the House for a conference. He did not want to raise, anything controversial but he. thought every one would realise that the efforts of the Government had been to endeavour to give some relief to the farmers. It was an undoubted fact that farmers' costs had heavily increased and it was felt that an examination of the position should be made.

The leader of the Opposition : Mr H. E. Holland : "Would it not be belter to leave that kind of stuff out at this stage? Otherwise there will have, to be a debate."

GOVERNMENT'S STRUGGLE

Mr Coates said that some reason must be given. He wanted it clearly understood that the Government believed the course it had adopted was the proper one lint a conference had been asked for. It was for the Government to say whether that conference should be held. The Government party was strong and could inflict its will on the House if it so desired. That, however, was not the point. Sincere opinions had been expressed that the question should be postponed. In view of that the Government had agreed to a conference in the rejcess, and as a result of discussions with the Opposition it had been decided that a new clause should be drafted providing that the Bill should not apply to the farm industries until the Ist September, 1928. The clause laid it down that no award relating to farming or to the dairy industry should be'made before the Ist September next. Mr Coates said that the proposal simply meant that the Arbitration Court should have nothing to do with awards affecting agricultural, pastoral or dairying operations.

Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisbornc): "Are we to pass the Bill as it is and add this clause." Mr Coates: "No, this clause takes the place of the Bill; it will be the Bill." He said that the members on the other side of the House who had met him had also asked that no industrial agreement should be made. Immediately that question was touched, however, it affected the whole principle of the Bill, which the Government had before the House. All they were concerned about in the meantime was that the court should not arbitrarily fix any agreement. They were entirely in favour of conciliation and conciliation council proceedings, and that either side should summon the other to a con : ciliation council or a conference. It would still be open to any of the employers to come to an agreement under the* Labour Disputes Investigation Committee set up until Parliament decided tp deal with the matter further.

CONCILIATION COUNCILS

Some members, Mr Coales understood, thought it would be better also to postpone the operation of the Act so far as it related to conciliation councils. That had been very carefully considered and it was felt that to endeavour to prevent anything in the shape of conciliation would be a mistake and would be entirely misinterpreted. That was not desired at ali by the majority of the members on the Government side of the House. They regarded conciliation as desirable. The course for the Government to take, said the Prime Minister was to set to work immediately and sketch out the general idea of haw the plan could be organised and carried out. The Government was anxious that members of Parliament should be associated with it in the work, but the final responsibility must rest upon the shoulders of the Government. Referring again to the conference the Prime Minister said he realised that many members were desperately disappointed with the result of the Bill, but now that "the present agreement had been arrive!! at he hoped members would realise that the Government would be a sincere helper in the scheme.

LABOUR CO-OPERATION

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr H. E. Holland) said the Labour Party had recognised that there was a general desire for a conference. They could not agree to the proposal that the Bill should be allowed to go on the Statute hook before a conference was held, and it had been suggested that the Government should convene a conference to be. held in Wellington during the recess, the Bill to be postponed pending the holding of the conference. This proposal had not been accepted by the Government but out of the negotiations had come the proposal that had been submitted to the. House by the PrimeMinister. They all recognised that the final responsibility in connection with the conference niust be with the Government, but he could assure the Prime Minister that the Labour Party would be very willing to co-operate. He believed the conference would be successful. When the Bill was in committee the amendments outlined by the Prime Minister were agreed to without discussion.

Mr J. G. Elliott (Oroua) sought to move an,amendment to provide that the Court should not embody preference. clauses in awards unless by the unanimous consent of the parlies. The Leader of the Opposition said the amendment was not at all in line with the spirit of the negotiations that had taken place, and he wished to enter the strongest possible protest. He was not blaming the Government for what had happened, but "he did think 'Mr Elliot should let the claose'go.

Mr Elliott said he, had nut been consulted about the clause. He knew some arrangement bad been made and he, had gone to the Minister in charge of the. Bill and he had told him that if he had been in charge of the Bill he would have, sledge-hammered it through the House.

AMENDMENT WITHDRAWN

'if the Leader of the Opposition thinks that I am unfair.'' said Mr Elliott, "I will ask leave to> withdraw

the amendment, but you can bet ..your/ life it will come in again when the"Bill is before the House next .year." The clause was withdrawn and the "Bill was reported with amendments. Speaking on the third reading Mr'W. D. ..Lysnar (Gisborne) said he could not say he was pleased with what! had hapv ..; pened. All tho work- that ha 3 been put in by the Labour Bills Committee had been lost and he took it it would necessary to go over the whole- thing- r. again next year. The farmers as &■ colri-' munify had voiced their opinion in gard to the Bill, and any conferehcQ would be useless so far as they were concerned. The farmers depended on the House to protect them. A' large' conference representative of 48,000 dairy farmers had discussed the-matter some" 1 little time ago and the only voice heard against the Bill was that of Mr H. H. Stirling. Mr Lysnar declared there no room for a compromise in such a "• case. The farmers should- be' in. or" out and it was their wish to be out. The farmer had no quarrel with his employeesl. . ~.-,

"LOOK AT BOTH SIDES' \

Tho Minister of Labour (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) remarked that a goad many people had tried to put the stopper on him in regard to the Bill, but he assured the, House he. was able to stand up to Air Lysnar quite, well "and that he was quite satisfied with what had been done. (Hear! hear!). Air Lysnar should look at both sides oftbe--question and see the difficulties that ha\l surrounded the situation. Mr 'Anderson said that if he had not endeavoured to meet the other side he would not havebeen worthy of his position. .Mr Lysnar: "Difficulties are made and . are overcome." The Minister: "We are overcoming the difficulties in the sanest -way' wo possibly can." Dealing with the conference he proposes to call ' rn" the recess Mr Anderson said, he hope.d it would make recommendations which would result in matters being .placed on a better footing. He believed the Bill would have been of great benefit to the, country, but the. idea of a conference' being held in the recess was'in line-with the appeal he had made: with the authorisation of Cabinet when'the Bill was in committee. Tin* Bill as amended was passed.

BILL PASSED

BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WELLINGTON, This Day. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was received* from the Houpo of and';" put through all stages and passed', ',_ ',' ,; Replying to a question the RightHon. Sir Francis Bell said it did not prevent the Court from remedying" de- ' feels which the parlies affected might wish to have attended to. -**'