LAW MAKING BY EXHAUSTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14304, 25 February 1910, Page 6

LAW MAKING BY EXHAUSTION

AN EMPLOYERS' "PROTEST;

[Br TELEGRAPH.—PRESS 'ASSOCIATION.]

CHmsTCHrrjßcn,"" Thursday.

At the ; quarterly meeting, of ; the Cantei bury ■ Employers' ■,: Association, ' held to night; reference was made in the report to ; the arbitration- system. "It is to; be regretted,", said the report, " ihat ; the 'practice of Parliament',; in rushing ,through important legislation at, the end of .> each session still continues. -For some years past; vigorous protests' have been • made against the practice, not only „by the Employers' Federation,' but also by the public press, representing-both political parties, : :\. but all to no ■;' purpose. '}• It " : ■'■ is generally, admitted that last session beat the: record for legislation by exhaustion. In December last the .Employers' Federa-. tion sent a protest to, the Prime Minister regarding the hasty manner in which several Bills affecting employers' : interests were', dealt with by •" Parliament; "but it would appear that no.. protest, however strongly worded, is likely to make any impression on the Government once the rush at ■' the end of the session ; ; has; set in. The employers of the Dominion . will therefore have to seriously consider whether, instead; of a mere formal protest, some other steps ..cannot be taken to get the evil complained of - put a stop to." The committee urged that no additional powers should be given to Conciliation Councils, and that any attempt; to amend the Act. so that agreements made,* by'the Councils might have, the full; effect; of an award '; of the Court- should 'be strongly registered.-'.-r An , appeal to the higher Court. in all cases must, continued the report, be left open. 'l It would be even desirable. that all recommendations of Conciliation Councils "should be ' read in open Court before being made, into awards. ," :. •.--,.'■■" '.. •„."■•' ■;' ;; '■' ■ -■ L ''*•■-'':■*-'

: The"President (Mr..T,..Hallenstein) said there were good reasons for: thinking: that next session legislation on lines of the Shops and Offices Bill would he brought down again, and if so the whole question of legislation over-riding .awards of., the Arbitration Court : would have to be fought out. The Canterbury Association, in common with all others in New. Zealand, felt that'the strongest protests possible should be* made, as such legislation, was tantamount- to the ; reflection- that the Court as now constituted was not competent to do its - duty. -If that be so, then the sooner the Court was abolished the better.

Mr. F. W.Hobbs, past president, entered a strong protest against legislation by exhaustion, which led to mistakes and the amending of, Bills, which gave social* istic Labour members further opportunities to slip in clauses injurious Jo industries, :.':;and tending; to restrict their development. • ■." _ ,