THE ARBITRATION ACT AMENDMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2801, 20 November 1907, Page 22

THE ARBITRATION ACT AMENDMENTS.

At a meeting of the executive of the local branch of the "New Zealand Employers' Federation, held on Saturday morning, the amendments to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act were fully gone into and discussed. Tbo decisions arrived at in regard to the various amendments will be forwarded to the Employers' Federation for submission to Parliament. We understand that one of the principal objections raised was in regard to the clause making provision for individual chairmen, members of the local executive still adhering to the opinion that Industrial Councils will not be a success unless presided over by permanent and well-paid chairmen. The par-, ticular clause to which the strongest exception waa taken was clause 47. It was maintained that the public had but little conception of the meaning of this clause as it now stands, otherwise the strongest exception, it was held, would be taken to it by all classes of the community. It practically meant that every wage earner would be compelled to contribute to the funds of the union, whether a member of a union or not. The amounts so extraoted from the workers of the Dominion would mean about a quarter of a million of money per annum, which the employers regard as practically a war fund, the existence of which would always be a menace to the welfare of the Dominion. j

Owing to the hisfh. price of horse feed and the ecarcitv of labour in the "Waikat° district, the Waipa County Council last week had the experience of a blank tender list for five contracts advertised by them for road formation, contractors regaiding the labour market too uncertain to submit a price.

Yni<*re food is scarce molasses should _bo v'^d with straw chaff to keep up the quality :~'.d qnanntv of nnik all thiough the Yvlr.ter. Njbiiuo and Bluiir iu]'i''>