ARBITRATION LAWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20554, 3 May 1930, Page 11

ARBITRATION LAWS.

PLANS FOR AUSTRALIA.

BASIS TO BE UNALTERED.

[from our own correspondent.] SYDNEY, April 24. After all its protestations and denunciations of the system interest centres in the plans of Labour to amend the existing Commonwealth Arbitration Act. Tha bill is now being prepared and it seems safe to predict that the fundamental basis of -the Court will not be altered. In short, Labour cannot suggest anything better than Arbitration Courts to ensure industrial peacQ. The Cabinet has already decided that authorities shall be appointed in certain circumstances to assist the Court in its work, but it has decided against the system of conciliation commissioners and councils such as are provided for in New Zealand. The commissioner idea commended itself to the Bruce Government, and a New Zealander well acquainted with it had explained the details to Mr. Bruce. However, Mr. Bruce was slow to act, and he went out of office before any reforms of tho Arbitration laws were brought about. Owing to the great number Of groups of workers in Australia it is felt that the system would be too clumsy.

The main need is to speed up the work cf the Federal Court, and it will hj« for this purpose that the Government will appoint Commissioners—one in each State. These authorities will have full power to make awards of the Court. Appeal to a Judge of the Arbitration Court will lie on legal grounds only. The whole policy will bo designed, to give -effect to the Government's policy of conciliation and reasonable discussion.

A number of amendments to the Act made by the Bruce-Page Government in 1928 is to be repealed. This applies particularly to the drastic penalty clauses, giving the Court power to inflict heavy fines on organisations and individuals taking part in, or advocating a strike or a lock-out. The Labour Party fought bitterly against those amendments, and undertook to repeal them as soon as they were in a position to do so. "View? have changed somewhat, however, and it may be that a modification will be decided upon instead of complete repeal. Labour realises the necessity of providing a check on both sides, for it is certain that without it the whole Act would become a farce.