PARTY'S TACTICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21118, 27 February 1932, Page 13

PARTY'S TACTICS.

SUCCESSION OF SPEAKERS.

BILL NOT YET CIRCULATED.

HOUSE MEETS AGAIN TO-DAY.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Friday. The Industrial Conciliation rtnd Arbitration Amendment Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by GovernorGeneral's Message to-day. Mr v P. Fraser (Labour —Wellington Central) said if all the rumours relating to this measure were correct it was apparent (he Government intended to destroy the whole fabric of the arbitration system. Apparently, the proposal was that there should be no application to the Arbitration Court for the settlement of a dispute unless there was general agreement among tho parties. Workers would bo left at. the mercy of employers. Tho Government should not, imagine that the spirit of the workers in New Zealand was broken. If driven to desperation they would fight and the Government would be guilty of fostering and creating a class war of the worst possible description. Effect on State Advances. Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour —Grey Lynn) said in his opinion the whole object of the bill was to bring about a reduction in wages and, consequently, a reduction of consumer-capital. He believed the passage of tho bill would bo the death-blow to the State Advances Department, as workers would no longer be able to carry out their obligations and the security would fall back on the State. Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour —Auckland Central) alleged the measure had been introduced because the bargaining power of the workers had been weakened as a result of unemployment. The Government would not have dared to introduce the bill if there was no unemployment. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour —Avon) said the passage of the bill would provoke the very conditions from which riot and revolution were likely to develop. Mr. J. McCombs (Labour—Lyttelton) asserted that the Liberals in the present Government had out-Toried th e greatest Tory New Zealand had ever seen. Representatives of wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers had informed last year's Economy Committee that the 10 per cent, reduction in wages had been of no value to them. On the contrary, by reducing the workers' purchasing power, it had injured their business.

Mr. D. TV. Coleman (Labour —Gisborne) made his maiden speech in opposing the bill. He said he had frequently been confronted by a statement from the employers' representatives in Conciliation Council proceedings that they had been instructed not to discuss certain questions. Under the existing system workers under such circumstances had recourse to the Arbitration Court, but if the system of voluntary arbitration was introduced they would no longer have that opportunity. Standard of Living. Another maiden speech was made by Mr. A. S. Richards (Labour —Roskill), who said he could only conclude (.hat the bill was designed to lower the workers' standard of living. This would have a disastrous effect on the commercial community, as well as causing suffering among the workers. Labour opposition to the introduction of the bill was still being expressed when the House adjourned for luncheon, and was continued when the House resumed. Speaking at 2.40 p.m., the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said he thought it was time the Opposition allowed the House to go into the committee stage to enable the bill to be printed. The Government's object in introducing the bill to-day was to enable the contents to be made known by the weekend, so that those interested would have sufficient time to study the legislation and make any representations they desired before the bill was further considered by the House. The Labour Party should give trade unions sufficient time to make representations. The Government would be prepared to accept any reasonable amendment to the bill.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, said at present his party was free from the closure, but next week it would not be free from that weapon. The Government had only itself to blame for delay at the present stage. The Labour Party was pledged to oppose the measure and it was apparent this would be the only opportunity freely to do so. Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Labour —Christchurch East) said it was no use contending that the bill was necessitated by the depression, because the original Act had been passed at a time of depression. It was designed to protect the workers from a section of employers which had taken advantage of the depression to impose unfair conditions on the workers. Power lor Giving Relief.

Messrs. E. W. Schramm (Labour — Auckland East) and F. Jones (Labour — Dunedin South) also made maiden speeches in opposition to the bill. _ The former said there were no undesirable restrictions in the present Act. Power was provided for granting any relief necessary for industry. When the time for the rising of tho House arrived at 5.30, Mr. Forbes moved the adjournment until 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Labour members questioned whether tho motion was in order, but the Speaker ruled this was so.

Mr. Fraser submitted that the Gover-nor-General's Message introducing the bill was capable of very minute examination in Committee, and he did not anticipate to-morrow would provide nearly enough time.

Mr. Forbes: If we can't get it done tomorrow, there is Monday. Mr. Fraser suggested Monday also might be occupied without any further progress being made. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Public Works, said he could not recall any instance when a bill had been delayed so long on its introduction. Mr. Lee: But on this occasion the closure is threatened. Mr. Coates suggested that the preliminary stages of the bill should be permitted to go through immediately to enable members to have to-morrow free. Opposition Determined. Mr. Holland said he was sorry Mr. Forbes had taken up a petty attitude because no one could claim that the debate on the ball had been a waste of time. If the Prime Minister's motion was an indication of the tactics he intended to pursue, he need not be surprised if lie found thousands of working men storming around the doors of Parliament Buildings. Such a development would be a direct result of the line of action he was taking. Mr. Holland assured Mr. Forbes that the Labour Party would employ every power of opposition that the forms of the House permitted to defeat the legislation now proposed.

Labour members continued to discuss tho motion until it became apparent at 6.45 p.m. that there were only a few Government members in the Chamber. A group of Labour members thereupon hurriedly left, and on Mr. Jordan's drawing the Speaker's attention to the state of the House, the bells were set ringing to summon a quorum.

Tho division was reached at 7 p.m., the motion for adjournment being carried by 33 votes to 24. Messrs. H. Atmore (Nelson) and G. C. Black (Motueka) joined the Labour members in voting against the motion. The House' rose at 7.5 until 10.30 tomorrow morning.