CONCILIATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4427, 6 August 1901, Page 5

CONCILIATION.

THE SYSTEM IN DANGER. SUG ' ■! BY UNIONISTS. Ac i representing the Brick and Ti Til ’ or Yards’, Drivers’ and Plumber,.’ Unions, introduced by Mr ' Allan Orr, waited on the Premier last night, Mr Orr said there were no stauncher friends of the present system of Conciliation Boards and Arbitration Courts than the deputation; but there was a possibility that if the present unsatisfactory condition of affairs continued! they would lose both Board and Court. They considered that there ought to ho fiv. industrial districts in the colony, viz., Auckland, Wellington, Invercargill* Dunedin, Christchurch, and that cases affecting various districts should bo heard at those centres only. Associations of unionists should bo organised in each district, and delegates should be appointed for the centres and sub-districts, to represent the 'unionists before the Board or Court, as the case might be. This would obviate the continuous sittings, as well as the irritation and expense entailed by the fact that boards were at present'sitting all over the colony, and that owing to the work which devolved upon the Arbitration. Court that tribunal could not cop e with its business. Mr Orr suggested that unionists should be encouraged to baud themselves together in the form of associations for each district, and that th 0 representatives of such associations should be given free passes on the railway. In support of his contention that the settlement of disputes was badly hampered under existing conditions* the speaker pointed ,out that the Drivers’ Union had been before the Court twen-ty-two months, and had • not got an award yet, although it had cost the union about £2OO, tho Government perhaps another £SOO, and the employers probably £3oo—or £IOOO altogether. The proceedings of the boards had been greatly hampered by the fact that the employers’ representatives had con. tinually raised technical points, and the deputation contended that technicalities should not be a bar to proceedings, if the Judge ruled that snob technicalities would not affect tho result. Sometimes, too, twelve months elapsed before they could get the Arbitration Court to consider breaches of awards. Under the system proposed less time would ‘ be occupied by the Judge in hearing disputes, and he would have plenty of time to l dispose of all matters about which his ruliijg Was asked. It had been claimed that the boards always favoured thoworkers. His (Mr Orrs) experience was that he ' had been able to get Better terms with the employers outside the Board than he had been able to got with that tribunal’s assistance. That was his experience with the City Council and with the forwarding agents. Ho must say this, however, that if it was not for the “little brushes” which had taken place at the Board meetings he would not have been able to meet the employers on such good terms as ho had done. The advantage of having big district associations was that small scattered unions could too easily bo got at by the employers. The Premier, in reply, said ho had with some diffidence expressed the opin. ion that if they went on as they had been going on lately—so much being thrown on the boards and Court—there would be a breakdown. Mr Orr: That’s what we are afraid} •f. The Premier, continuing, said the other morning he had spoken out very strongly, and he had good reason for doing so. For that morning ho had received a telegram stating that 400 people had been cited in a case in Auckland. There was no necessity for citing so many people. It was riding the thing to death. Because, after all, every employer would b© bound! whether cited or not. There was no necessity to bring everybody before a board in this way; in fact, it was a very bad' thing. Tho some evidence was repeated ad nauseam and tho business of the Board was clogged by unnecessary repetitions. In the meantime business was paralysed, a fact which seriously affected employers and employed t alike. The result was 1 both sides were getting sick of it. Ho was very sorry these things were happening, because it all had a tendency to injure what ho considered to be beneficent : legislation. (“Hear, hears.”) Judge Cooper had informed him recently that ho hoped to get his work squared up soon. If lie did not succeed they should have to appoint another Judge; that was the plain English of it. It was just as important that this work should be done as the ordinary yrork of tho Supreme Court. In fact, ho questioned! whether it was not mord il important to have these industrial questions settled and to get something like rest. The employers did not want to be everlastingly in a turmoil. Tho difficulty of making awards to. cover districts was that the conditions of life in a place like Wellington and! a place like New* Plymouth, for instance, varied very muonWhether there could be a variable award made was another matter. Mr Orr: That is what we wantThe Premier: At anyrate there was something in the suggestion. and_h« would look into it carefully. The unionists would have to act with great circumspection or they would have public opiniou against them. Up to now the public sympathy had been with them, but if things went on as they had lately it was hard to say how long it would last. Ho hoped workers, and' employers too, would help the Governsnient in making th.e tning as perfect as thev could. - . ~ . , Mr Orr reminded Mr Seddon that he had not touched on the question of paying unionists travelling _ expenses. The Premier said nothing would prejudice the unionists more than a proposal of that kind. If any travelling had to b© don© it was the Boards which should do it, as the Court already did. It would cost too much money to pay witnesses’ expenses to travel about, and it would cause loss of tune and friction. It was far bettor to do things without separating' employers from their businesses, e?d taking eim ployees from the work, which they ought to be doing. There ought to be some provision to enable Boards to subnet to the Court any point m doubt. Ihat might save many appeals to the Courts. He intended to bring man amendment to provide for that j and Judge Cooper had expressed himself favourable.