THE CONCILIATION BILL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3572, 26 October 1898, Page 4

THE CONCILIATION BILL.

The long-looked-for Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill was circulated in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon. It provides for considerable enlargement in the powers of the < Arbitration Court, and fills an omission in the original Act by fixing a substantial penalty for breaches of an award. This is set down at a sum not exceeding J2SUO, and the Court, on application of any of the parties, may from time to time determine what shall constitute a breach For the purpose of enforcing an award of tke Court, whether made before or after the coming into operation of the Act, a number of provisions are made to apply. Under these it is laid down that the award shall be binding without the necessity of a duplicate being filed in the Supreme Court; any direction for the payment of money shall be an order of the Court, and payment shall be enforceable accordingly; if the order imposes a penalty or costs it shall specify the parties or persons liable, but the amount payable shall not exceed payment of an order may be enforced by a certificate filed in any Court under the hand of the clerk, and shall be enforceable ; all property belonging to the judgment debtor (including therein all property held by trustees for the judgment shall be available in or towards satisfaction of the judgment debt, and if the judgment debtor is an industrial union, an industrial association, or a trade union, and its property is insufficient to fully satisfy the judgment debt, its members shall be liable tor the deficiency; provided that no member shall be liable for more than .£lO under this subsection. The matters in which the Court may provide for in an award or separate order—on the application of any of the parties at any time during the currency of the award—are set forth in clause 3 as follows: (1) May prescribe, a minimum rate of wages or other remuneration, with special provision for a lower rata being fixed in the case of any worker who is unable to earn the prescribed minimum: {provided that such lower rate shall in every case be fixed by such tribunal in such manner and subject to such provisions as are specified in that behalf in the award or order ; and also (2) may direct that, as between members and non-members of an industrial union of workers, members shall be employed in preference to non-members, other things being equal; and also (3) may direct that, in any case where the employer claims that under the last-preceding subseo tion hereof he is justified in giving the preference to a non-member, the question shall be decided by such tribunal as is specified in that behalf in the award or order ; such decision to be final. Clause 10 is to the following effect:—lo. In order to enable the Court the more effectually to dispose of any matter before it according to the substantial merits and equities of the case, it may, at any stage of the proceedings, of its own motion or on the application of any of the parties, and upon such terms as it thinks fit, by order (1) .Direct parties to be joined or struck out; (2) direct any party to do or refrain from doing any specified act until the further order of the Court; (3) amend or waive any error or defect in the proceedings; (4) extend the time within which anything is to be done by any party; and (5) generally give such directions as are deemed necessary or expedient in the premises. The Premier announced in the House yesterday afternoon that the Bill was now in the hands of the Minister of Education. He hoped the measure would bo passed in the Legislative Council first, and he should be no party to allowing members to go homa until that measure had been placid on the statute book.