THE INDUSTRIAL POSITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14220, 17 November 1909, Page 8

THE INDUSTRIAL POSITION.

EMPLOYERS' CRITICISMS.

DISCREPANCIES IN PUNISHMENTS. The seventh annual report of the executive of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, to bo presented to the annual conference of the federation, which opens at Wellington to-day. contains an interesting review of .the present industrial position of the Dominion. " Tho signs of industrial unrest, which were so apparent when last year's report was written, have almost entirely passed away,' the executive writes. "A number of reasons havo been advanced for the change of attitude on the part of workers' unions, and labour leaders, but in the opinion of your executive tho principal cause of the present period of comparative industrial peace is the recent depression in trade and. the consequent surplus labour supply. It has been advanced that the 1 setting up of conciliation councils has had a considerable effect upon the situation, but, while your executive admits that a large number of so-called disputes have been settled by means of the conciliation' councils, it cannot be said they have been an important factor in promoting industrial peace. As a matter of fact, the number of 'disputes.' being filed are as trreat as ever, as during the period between February 1 and July 31 of this year no fewer than 70 of these ' disputes '. have been dealt with by means of the conciliation councils and Arbitration Court, or settled bv industrial agreements." , ■ In the criticism of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1908, the report states: "The experiment' of enforcement cases being taken by magistrates has been sufficiently long in operation to show that the fears expressed as to varying decisions and different penalties were well founded. The first day. upon which magistrates adjudicated upon these cases we had, the spectacle, for instance, of the Arbitration Court imposing a fine of £3 for ah aggravated breach of the preference clause, while the magistrate in Wellington inflicted penalties varying from £3 to £10 in cases where the breaches ■ were not nearly so glaring as in the case adjudicated qn by the Arbitration Court at Dunedin. Your executive recommends that the strongest possible representations should be made to Government to again revert to the system of having all j breach of award cases taken by the Arbitration' Court."

In criticising the working of conciliation councils the executive states: "While not wishing to detract from the good work so far done' by the conciliation commissioners, vour executive realises that they are naturally anxious to secure settlementssometimes perhaps without any consideration as to after resultsand it therefore -'deems it a duty to issue a warning against a policy of peace at any price,' and desires to impress upon assessors the urgent necessity of safeguarding " the interests of employers generally, arid of refusing to give away tho few privileges so hardly won by employers in the past." If settlement cannot be reached without sacrificing important matters of principle, employers' J assessors * should - not hesitate to Refuse to agree to any recommendation, and may with confidence decide to refer such : matters to the Arbitration Court for decision." ..

'«■ As showing tho extent to and the means by which settlement has been arrived at in all disputes which have reached completion between January 1 and June 30, tho followln£ statement is appended: Disputes settled by the parties and Conciliation Commissioner without the aid of assessors, 19 ; disputes settled by the parties themselves, 4; disputes settled by conciliations ' councils, wholly 11, partially 3; disputes referred to Arbitration Court, wholly 6, partially 3 total disputes dealt with in period 'mentioned, 43.