THE MINISTER FOR LABOUR AT WELLINGTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10267, 26 January 1895, Page 6

THE MINISTER FOR LABOUR AT WELLINGTON.

(Fhb Unitho Pubs* Amooiation.)

Wkllinoton, January 85.

The Hon. W. I. Reeves addrwsed a large pnblic meeting in the skating rink to-night under the auspices of the Wellington Federated Trades Union Council. Mr Allan Ward, president of the council, occupied the chair.

Mr Reeves, wbo received a splendid reception, exprnssed bis great pleasara at meeting the people face to face, and said the members of the Government were always pleased to give an acomut of their stewardship on the public platform. He said he would deal chiefly with Mi« labour legislation of the Government. Referring to hia recent visit to the Australian colonies, he mid he had been treated with every possible courtesy aud kindness on all aides, and everywhere he went be found the greatest interest taken in the work of the Liberal Labour party in New Zealand. This he took as a great compliment to the colony aud to the party to which he belonged. He could Dot help noticing the change of opinion that had occurred in Australia regarding New Zealand since be last visited Australia fiv« years ago. Since that time things hud changed for the worse in Australia, but they had changed for the batter in New Zaaland, and this was generally admitted in the other colonies. Politically, Australia seemed a political generation behind New Zealand. The Labour party were only beginning the work whioh the Government had successfully accomplished in New Zealand, and they marvelled that so much good work could be doae in such a short space of time. As to the comparative failure of the Labour party iv Victoria and New South Wales, he pointed out that it was dne to the fact that there were no political parties in those colonies with which the Labour leaders felt themselves j notified iv allying. His experience showed him chat it was advisable in New Zealand to widen rather than limit the sphere of the Labour party,1 so as to admit | inio it all ranks of the community.' He had pointed out comteously to the other colonies that the real source of the sucisess of the Labour party in New Zealand was the broad and national basis en whioh the party was formed, while iv Australia the Labour party was cut off from a certain section of the community. South Australia, although much smaller than the two other colonies, was much in advance o£ them in regard to Liberal progressive legislation, and Nuw Zealand really had something to learn from her under the Kingston Government. The labour and village settlements had been a great success, and there were now fully 12,000 human beings on these settlements. Their position was a most hopeful and promising one. After sketching his visit to these labour settlements he said he hoped the Government to which he belonged would try similar experiments before long. Ths settlements he visited on the banks of the Murray would if they succeeded, and he believed they would, in years to come attract social students from all parts of the world. If the necessity arose, the New Zealand Government would take advantage of the compulsory clauses of the Land for Settlements Act, and perhaps, before mauy weeks were over, would use some of the blocks of land acquired under the act for establishing village and artisan settlements on similar lines to those in South Australia,. These were some of the lesions he had learned in Australia, and another was that the Labour ua.rty should have a practical programme. It ww because of the practical programme put forth that the New Zealand Labour and Liberal party had been able to do such good work, and it was for the want of such a programme taut the party in Australia had failed. Coming to the labour legislation of New Zealand, an said the colony now possessed the best code of labour laws iv the whole world. But the Government were not tired yet—they were only about half way through their work, aud if they were fortunate they hoped to be able to pass several more good labour laws daring the next few years. He strongly urged upon working men to make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the labour laws of the colony, and watch that they were administered up to the letter. To do this the working men should keep ia touch with the Labour Bureau. Take, for instance, the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. If employer* and workers would accept the act in the spirit in which it.was framed, it would be a boon to all, and an act of which New Zealand would in years to come be proud ; bat it really rested with the people. Unions should register under it, and so should employers. They should take the act up heartily, register under it, and take part in the electioa of the Board of Conciliation and the Arbitration Court. He explained the constitution of the Arbitration Court, and said they might look for prudence, good sense, and moderation as th« result of its deliberations. He hoped, however, that the Arbitration Court would have little to do, and that the local conciliation boards would do all or nearly all the work necessary to be done under the act. There were practically three stages in the act. The first stage was for private arrangement among disputants, and he hoped very few disputes would go beyond this. The iact of this act being on the Statute Baok should be preventive of disputes. The second stage would bring disputes before the local conciliation boards, and he imagined very few disputes would go beyond this stage. Finally, there was the legal and oatienal tribunal—an Arbitration Court, presided over by a judge of the Supreme Court. With this act ha hoped the days of strikes belonged to the past, and that they would never be revived in the colony of New Zealand. His earnest hope was that both employers and employees would come under the act and establish local conciliation boards. If this were done resort to the Arbitration Court would be avoided in 95 cases out of 100., Coming to the Shops and Shop Assistants Act, he said his ideal day far a half-holiday was Saturday, and he hoped to see the time when that day would be universally accepted throughout the colony. If a local body failed to elect a day for a half-holiday, his idea was that it would be the duty of the Government to at once fix on Saturday in that particular district. He h*d thought the Government would have to do this in Auckland, but he had learnt to-day that the mayor and suburban bodies had done their duty and decided on Saturday for the half-holiday. While on this aubject, he might say he was surprised to see a paper of the standing of the New Zealand Herald advise the Auckland City Council to disobey the law of the land and refuse to appoint representatives to the conference. This made him think really that the only enemies ts law and order in New Zealand were the Conservative newspapers. The Government, he thought, took a wise course in leaving the selection of the day for the half-holiday to the local body, and the difference of opinion on the subject was the justification for this course. As to the question of closing pubb'chouses, he pointed out that noted employees, including btrmaids, were entitled to a half-holiday >in each week. This provision had been pub in by himself, and he would take good care that the inspectors saw that hotel employees got the half-holiday. If the majority ef Parliament wanted the hotels closed on the half day in the week, the Licensing Act was the proper place for such a clause to come. His own opinion was that the day should be the same as the day chosen for the halfholiday. Alluding to the Slipping and Seamen's Act, he said it provided not only that adequate life-saving appliances should be supplied on vessels, but that the Marina department could see that boat ilrsll was properly carried out on board. In the faoe of the revelations in connection with the wreck of the Waicarapa this, he contended, was not an unnecessary and arbitrary provision, as had been asserted. He also referred to other Labour acts passed last session, and went on to explain the Masters and Apprentices Bill, the Labour Department Bill, the Sight Hours Bill, and the Servants' Registry Bill, which the Government would go | on with next session. As to the Undesirable Immigrants Bill, he declared that he intended to go on talking to the people of New Zealand about it until he had converted them to his way of thinking. Even now public opinion was gradually changing in its favour. The bill simply provided that the democracy should have the right to select thos« whom they took into permanent partnership. The State had to be careful about opening its door to a rush ef ponulation from outside the colony. A big influx of destitute persons and aliens to a small colony like this might break down the Seances of the country. He strongly defended the principal provision of the bill, and said the object of the Government was to make the colony admired and envied by outside nations and to take care ef its own people first.

At the close of his address, which had lasted about two hours, Mr Reeres was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks.

At the close of the meeting, Mr Beeves took the opportunity of referring to the cable message appearing in the evening papers stating " that a cable published in London announcing the estimated deficit of a quarter of a million in the New Zealand revenue had occasioned surprise and uneasiness in the city." He said iO was only right that he, as the first Minister speaking in public after the appearance of that message, should take the opportunity of emphatically denying, first, that there wax the slightest ground for supposing that there would be a deficit of a quarter of a million or any other sum; and secondly, that there was any apprehension in New Zealand that there would be a deficit of any bind. It w»a surprisiag to iiim that men in responsible positions should send the reckless gossip of Conservative newspapers to London as facts. There was absolutely no reason whatever for expecting that there would be any deficit whatever. It was most unfortunate sad deplorable, he said, that party spirit should so seize hold of editors as to lead them to play ducks and drakes with the finances of the colony in order to Bad material for abusive leading articles.