‘Public Disregarded ”

Northland Age, Volume 28, Issue 36, 25 April 1928, Page 6

‘Public Disregarded ”

Arbitration Court Awards, Business Men's Opinion.

R adicle Changes Advised,

(Age Special Service) Wellington, This Day

Relaxation of a system believed to have the effect of limiting production was advocated in the paper on the arbitration system of the Dominion, presented to the National Industrial Council by Mr H b E Turner, on behalf of the Associated Chambers of Commerce.

The speaker said that an analysis of 200 Replies received to the Questionnaire issued by the Associated Chambers to 1000 representatives of business and commerce, indicated impatience with the regulation of the conditions and rewards of industry in a widespread degree. The report summarised the complaints which had been made against the system in the following terms:

A summary of the principal recommendations adopted by the conference of Associated Chambers was:

[a] That the system was good while wages and prices were rising, but now that the tide has turned it does not operate to the general benefit.

[b] The system limits pro' duction.

[c] It increases costs. [dl It hampers progress. [e] It stifles initiative. [f] It promotes unemployment. [g] There is too great rigidity in the fixation and interpretation of conditions governing employment. [h] The welfare of the general public is disregarded. The Arbitration Court should be continued if its functions and constitution are revised. Paymeni should generally be by results and should be based on the value and volume of output. Piece-work Advocated The principles enunciated in the Bill providing for payment by piece-work should be adopted, and there should be in general less restriction of the conditions under which industry may be carried on. Conditions in awards should be interpreted reasonably not with cast-iron rigidity. Further, it should be made a penal offence for any persons to coerce or cajole any worker to restrict his output. Wages should not be based on such artificial conditions as the size of a man’s family, or the pre-war cost of living, but must be based on the economic position of the Dominion as a whole, the state of the primary producers and the interests of the consumer.

Due regard must be given to the economic fallacy of attempting to maintain wages at an unduly high level under protedtion. Preference to unionists should be abolished.

Full opportunity should be given for all parties affected to make representations through their own representatives, or counsel or other medium.

Employers should be advised and must be induced to adopt improved methods and institute more efficient administration in order to do their full part in the economic readjustment now facing the Dominion. Finally, the Associated Chambers stated that they were not antagonistic to trade unionism but favour its legitimate existence ojperaiwus, They have not

opposed and will not oppose in* crease in money wages when justifiable. They, nevertheless unequivocally affirm the principle that all movements in wages,* costs and prices must be directed toward the increase of real wages and reduction of the cost of living. It was submitted further that as a result of its policy of basing wages not on the market value of the product of labour, but on the cost of living, and the hindrance which the system caused to the fullest possible adoption of the principles of payment by result, the system might be charged with a large measure of responsibility for the fact that production per head in New Zealand as shown by official estimates, 192425, was lower than it was in 1911. In that connection a free and frank discussion on the objects from the Labour side to piecework was sought. Mr W J Poison, president of the Farmers’Union, agreed with Mr T O Bishop (Employers’ Federation) in the suggestion to eliminate|the compulsory provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.