THE ARBITRATION ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11787, 17 October 1901, Page 6

THE ARBITRATION ACT.

VIEWS OF THE CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE.

A REPORT TO WEST AUSTRALIA. The Fremantle Chamber of Commerce some time ago asked the Auckland Chamber for its opinion on the working of the New Zealand Conciliation and Arbitration Act. A committee was asked to frame a report to be transmitted to Fremantle after adoption by the council of the Chamber. The report was read to the council at its meeting yesterday. Mr. D. R. Caldwell, president of the Chamber, presided, and there were also present : Messrs. A. H. Nathan, S. Vaile, A. B. Roberton, C. Secgner, Graves Aickm, Hugh Campbell, J. Wiseman, W. H. Smith and F. G. Ewington. The report stated that whilst the Chamber approved of the principle involved in the Arbitration Court, yet they could not ignore the fact that the defects of the present Acts were of such a character that they offered facilities for labour agitators to create and bring before the Courts numberless cases of alleged disputes, although no depute really existed. All such defects in the l'aw should be remedied forthwith by further legislation, and it was matter for consideration whether it would not be well to do away with the Conciliation Boards altogether, as a heavy percentage of its awards were disregarded and had to be reheard by the Arbitration Court. The Chamber was of opinion that the Courts prevented strikes, but the machinery of the Courts now existing gave rise to a. constant state of "turmoil and uncertainty in almost every trade in the colony, which was distinctly inimical to commerce. A present defect in the law as it stands was that it gave preference to unionists :ts against non-unionists, which in principle the Chamber believed to be wrong. The 'report also recommended that certain printed information bearing on tho Act, including Mr. F. G. Ewington's writings, be sent along with tho report to the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Graves Aickin moved the adoption of the report. Mr. S. Vaile said he thought the report wanted a little addition, and moved the following : " New, Zealand has not been a country of strikes or industrial disputes; any that arose, previous to the passing of this Act being easily adjusted between the parties. As a matter of fact, we never had but one real strike, and that came to us from Australia. Since this Court was set up 218 disputes have been referred to it for settlement, and numerous others are awaiting its decision. These have cost the country a great sum of money and created an immense amount of ill-feeling between employers and workers. We consider it more than doubtful if so far this Act has conferred any benefit on this country." Mr. F. G. Ewington thought it was a pity the Chamber did not state that they did not approve of the principle of the Court fixing the rates of wages and the hours of labour. This Act had gone quite foreign to the original purpose of settling trade disputes, the Court having undertaken the fixing of rates of wa.ge'fc and hours of labour in the different industries.

Mr. Hugh Campbell' raid he did not see how they could have arbitration at all without the Court fixing the rate of wages. If it did not fix the rate of wages and the hours of labour, it could have no scope at all in industrial disputes. The Chairman took the same view. Mr. wing-ton saw no more reason why they should fix the rates of wages than that they should fix the price of lollies. Mr. Campbell said they were not asked to give an opinion as to the policy of the Act; they were asked to give their "opinion as to the working of it. He seconded Mr. Vaile's motion.

The Chairman said Mi. Yaile's addition seemed rather in conflict with the opening statement of the report that the Chamber approved of the principle of the Act. Mr. Ewing-ton said he really objected to that clause. What he agreed to in committee was that tho Chajnber approved of the principle of conciliation and arbitration, and preferred that it should be voluntary. Mr. Vaile's addition was then adopted, and the report as amended was ordered to be sent to the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce after the chairman had made any verbal alteration he considered necessary.