CHARGES AGAINST THE LABOR DEPARTMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10780, 31 May 1911, Page 6

CHARGES AGAINST THE LABOR DEPARTMENT.

(Per. Press Association.) Wellington, May 30. A heated discussion took between a deputation frbm the Furniture Makers' Union andvthe Minister of Labor on tlie subject oL tlie Labor DePa The C Union reiterated- its contention that it had no faith in the Department • owing to its refusal to take, to Court breaches of an award brought under its •notice bv the -Uiiioiij and' claimed the ; right of'itself talciiig up the cases ana bringing them before the Court at Weilington from other parts of the dis"Mr • Millar strongly opposed such a proposal. 'He said he would amend the Act so as to divide the district into a number of minor districts in order that cases niisjl.it be heard in or near to the places where the alleged breaches have occurred. He added that if the unions generally passed a resolution in favor of' abolishing the Labor Department he woillcU bo willing to introduce a Bill to that- end..-': : ■ , Wellington, May 30. There Was another skirmish to-day between the Minister of -Labor and tlie Furniture Makers' Union. Mr Moriarty, speaking for a deputation from the latter; attacked the officers of the _ Labor Department, and'demanded- tlie right to have cases heard iri Wellington or to be allowed" costs. The Hon. J: A. Millar said he was prepared to carry out the Act, and not let tlle'unibhs 'do sis they liked, and he went oii t'o s"4.V' that there 5 has never been anything hilt'.justice given bv thcDepartment. He continued: "I don t care if the Department is passed out altogether and the Minister too.". Mr Moriarty ; It would be better. The Minister: I am quite prepared to give it 1 to you. You leave it to the unionists in New Zealand. I am prepared to "say that if the unionists say they don't want the Labor Department I will bring iri a Bill to repeal the Act. If the Department is not doing its work to the satisfaction of the people of New Zealand it is no use, and the sooner the people of New Zealand say so the better it will be. I am prepared to leave the matter to the workers outside of the employers. If they say they don t want it, out it will' go ; ' in one act, and you will have the administration of the Act in your own hands. As long as it is,there. I have to stand bv my own officers unless they are proved to be wrong. So far I have not seen it. If the next' conference carries a resolution asking for the abolition of the Department I will be the man to bring down a Bill for the rejieal of the Act. Mr Moriarty: You know well there is no fear of that. When our business was on the floor of the House two leadiiirr secretaries o£ labor unions came to me and said: "You are an absolute fool to fight this Government. You have lost • all chance of a Government position." I said, "Is that what you are looking for?" They said, "Yes, we are I not going*, to* be union secretaries all our lives." - That, ; he added, was the Fact of-the matter. They were looking for Government billets, and they wouldn't speak out like men. • •