LIVELY DISCUSSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 October 1932, Page 7

LIVELY DISCUSSION

PROPOSED REPEAL OF I.C. AND A. ACT INTRODUCTION BY MR McCOMBS (From “The Mail’s” Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, 12th October. A -lively discussion was provided in the House to-day when Mr J. McCombs (Labour, Lyttelton) sought leave to introduce an Industrial Conciliation Arbitration Amendment Bill to repeal the Act of last sessions effecting the drastic change in the Arbitration system. Introducing the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill Mr McCombs said the measure proposed to repeal legislation passed last session taking away from the workers the right to appeal to an impartial tribunal in connection with industrial dsputes. It: had bften pointed out when last sessions’ legislation was before the House that previous wagereducing measures had proved disastrous to trade and industry. Representatives of wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers. had testified before the inter-party committee in support of that contention, but the Governemnt had amended the Arbitration Act to give the Employers’ Association opportunity to force wages down still further. Although the Amending Act had been in 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 and force down wages and living standards. The Arbitration Act had been reduced to a farce. Mr McCombs quoted from a letter written by the widow of the late Sir Wililam Pember Reeves which indicated her belief that “the pulling to pieces of his legislation’ had weakened him.” Mr McKeen declared that the Amending Act had placed dictatorial powers in the hands of the employers. The Right. Hon. G. W. Forbes said he had no hesitation in saying that had Sir William Pember Reeves been placed in the position which he (Mr Forbes) had beem, placed in, Sir Wililam would have done exactly the same thing. Labour members: “Never.”

Mr Forbes said great changes had taken place in the last forty years. He had. been thoroughly in accord with the original Industrial, Conciliation and Arbitration Act when it was passed, but conditions had changed. Ho submitted that great consideration was being shown for the workers by the employers to-day than had ever been shown before. The whole object of last sessions’ amendment had been to provide greater freedom of employment.

Mr McCombs asked the Prime Minister if he thought the Act had resulted in harmonious feeling between the employers and employees. Mr Forbes: “How can there he harmonious feeling when reductions arc being brought about.”

After several Labour members had spoken in ( support of the measure the Hon Adam Hamilton said 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 agreement had not yet been reached that it would ultimately he arrived at. The bill was “talked out” the discussion being interrupted by the adjournment of the House at 5.30 p.m.