ARBITRATION LAW AMENDMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13997, 2 September 1907, Page 2

ARBITRATION LAW AMENDMENTS

LABOUR'S HOSTILE ATTITUDE, VIEWS OF EMPLOYERS. MODIFIED. It would soom that tho .proposed amendnients to the Arbitration laws are regarded with unqualified hostility by tho 'bulk of Labour men in Diuiedin, who arc under tlio impression tlliat the Minister of Labour lias taken too much upon himsolf. ' In the eyes of looaJ Labour leaders the Minister's sins have Jxtt 'been thoso of omission, but of commission, and a general idea prevails that ho has not only dono what, he was not asked to do, but that lie has dono it without consulting Labour or its rcprcsentativm Tho clause providing that no officer shall represent or hold office in a union unless ho belongs to that particular .trado is oiio that irritatftj tho working man! " What right has the Government to interfere?" lie asks, "or to dictate to tho unions whom they ought and whom they ought not to appoint?" To tho labourer this smacks of an autocratio attempt to rido rough-shod over the liberty of the subjeot. In short, he is dissatisfied with the measure, 'both in detail .and takon collectivoly. A BLOW AT PAID AGITATORS. Mr: Brecn, secretory to the Trades and Labour Council,. when asked for his views on Saturday said that as the subject had not yet boon considered by tho. executive he did not seo his way to unbosoming himself thereon. His views woto not necessarily tho views of other people, and therefore to avoid complications and misunderstandings lie would prefer not to go into the matter till after it had been, discussed by tho oounoil, which would study tho amendments at its meeting on Tuesday, and determine what steps wero to bo tak'on on Thursday. . '

A Labour authority interviewed said that tho Minister of Labour had certainly dono a groat deal, but who had asked him to bo' so energetic, was another matter. The .proposed: Industrial Council, that was to supersede the old Conciliation Board sscmod unnecessary. Tho old board was well -enough in * its way, but owing to the curtailment of its powers it had-, been an anomaly. What should bo don 6 was to ocntinuo this board, and also to' give it extended powers, 6uch as bad,'been proposed to .vest in tho Industrial Council. liV'hatxlly a case submitted.hsdHJifl,decision of.'fhe board giV6n : :.satisfitction. to. botli dispiitirite, : and the lowrinvariably ■ fook the matter into tlio. Court 'of-'-Arbitration. As far as' ho could seo, thorb ivas .no reason why this board should- not' 'receive adequate -powers to deal with- questions brought before it. He believed tho clause concerning til 10 officering of unions was in reality a blow aimed at the paid .agitators, of whom thero were ho less than nine in Wellington. Thero. wero:. lnany reasons in favour of unions being oißcercd by outsiders. A mail,might have all the details' of his trade at his fingors' ends, but then he might have no head for business, or no time in which to, transact that of -the union, which, though some people (lid not seem to realise it, took up a great deal of attention. UNION SECRETARIES. On the othor hand, a business man might make an inoonie by being, say, secretary of several unions, and so bo enabled to devote himself exclusively to their individual interests.. This mothod had been found to, work well in regard to mining companies, and also athletio clubs, although tho secretaries Wore neither boxing men nor half backs, Somo time -ago about 150 • girls had banded themselves into a., union,-'and not ono of the girls was an officer. If tho new clause becamo law they would have to appoint .is officers.one- or other of tl'eir own Workmates. Asked if the diflioulty could not bo overcome by strategy, the sjiofiker said' lie supposed it could-, arid lid argued that a likely secretary might embark on a tnido for amonth or two and then', the lav,' being satisfied that lie .was a. tradesman, bo callcd m by tho union to take over his stewardship. SOME EMPLOYERS' TIEWS. Mr R. Chisholm, .who with Messrs W. Scott' and J. C. Thomson, returned. to Diuiodin On Saturday night,' niter having attended the conforenco oi the Employers' Federation, and also ' having waited on tho Minister of ; Labour in reference to tho < ■ proposed tuf.cndmonts in tho Arbitration Act, seems while there to liavo found reason to modify his views .on the sv.bjcct very considerably. Mr Chisholm informed one of our reporters that tho Minister of Labour had gone to - great trouble in Iho matter, and had afforded tho .deputation every facility, which (hey.. had duly appreciated. Tho nr-ensuro had taken Eome weeks to sliapo and elaborate, and it stood to-reason that it could hardly roecive the justice it was entitled to in tho short space of lime at tho disposal of the deputation. Tho decisions arrived at concerning certain clauses had therefore been rather hurried. In spito of tho lack of time, however, Mr Millar managed to throw-a good deal of light on certain clauscs that .bad hitherto seemed somewhat obscitre, ' and to explain others whipli had proVidusly bristled with difficulties. Now he had heard tho oxpl&hation of tho Minister' of Labour,, ho (Mr Chisholm) was iiiolitiiid to- view tho rtrtiertidmcnts in. a llioi-o favourable light. This, ho believed, would bo lite cflco with tho bulk of employers ■ in their attitude towards the bill, and' a possible result of this deputation might bo that the employers would assist tho 'Minister in carrying the amendments' (with ,certain.. alterations) inf-tdad of resisting then], THE " CHAIRMAN "..DIFFICULTY. Ono clause was rather apt to throw omployors off Iheir guard, and at which they looked askance. That was the;- appointment of chairman of the tribunals. Mr Chisholm Considered that with employers and employed equally roprescn'tal," tho appointment of a chairman from either party would bo dangerous.' Tho chairman in such a case would he the board; and be he an employer .or a representative of Labour, it was impossible fpr him not' to havo a certain bias towards that side-in jvhinh- lie was interested. If this difficulty couid he romoved, Mr Chisholm thought the proposed council would lie an' improvement, and a decided acquisition to the Arbitration Court. Tho proposal, lie said, seemed fair enough. Every dispute was to bo referred to an oqiml number of employers and employees, but they would.be of tho same trade as the disputants, so that carpenters should not sit in judgment oh bookbinders, or vice versa. The appointment of chairman was perhaps tho'only blot, but it was a big one. He spoke from wide experience in such matters, and could not conceive tho idea of any chairman, no matter lion; good a man, being satisfactory to both sides under 'such cirenlr.stances. This detail.- hottevnr, lie had reason to believe, could be adjusted. TOE PROPOSED SOLUTION. Asked (or his idea, for a settlement of tho chairman difficulty. Mr Chisholm c-Etid the employers' idea was that a man should be :>!ipoinfed as chairman in each district. ITc should lie paid a good salary, so as to place him above all petty influences. He should also be beyond fill' political influence, and possess a common-sense knowledge of trado* PATifirallv. Hi* status shmilrl tv* ih.if:

of a Supremo Court judge, or as near it as possible, and the appointment should bo permanent. Ho would then have no lctmmgs one way or the other, and for that and other reasons would be strictly impartial in all dealings. 1 This, Mr Chisholm believed, would meot the views of the Employers' Association. The Christchurch Conciliation Board possessed an excellent chairman, and with one or two modifications there was no reason' why tho idea could not bo made fairly workable. .DELEGATES'VIEWS..

Mr Chisholm went on to say that ho had conferral in Wellington with other delegates, who bad thoroughly endorsed his views on the subject. The Government was evidently determined to give tho measure a fair trial, and jt was the duty of all concerned to assist It in so doing. As to tho measure itself, it was the fairest that had ever ken formulated, and the Government desired every credit in trying to place it on the Statute Book.

When reminded that Labour hardly viewed the matter in. the same light, Mr C-hisliolm gravely remarked that a Minister muet bo immaculate indeed who could hopo to satisfy both parties.