THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2858, 23 December 1908, Page 13

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

A REVIEW. (Fa.au Ovx Own Cobrespon£>ekt.J CHRISTCHURCH, December 9. The president of the Employers' Association, in his address at the quarterly meeting, remarked that from the re©ulte of the general election they were in a measure able to gauge the probable trend of legislation duroaig the next three yeans, and also whether the mind of the Dominion was set on lines of safe and steady progression, or whether it had been influenced towards the extreme doctrine of the rabid Socialists. He tfhougbt that fjaey had good cause, for satisfaction with the manner in whictfi the will of the jpeople had been expressed. It was gratifying to find that the new House was lees radical in its views than any Parliament for many years past. Instead of the rabid visionaries having increased there had been a considerable accession to recognised Opposition, which would assure full and mature considera-' tkxp. of all legislative propo.stds. The strike clause embodied in recent awards of #w Arbitration Court (and also in the Arbitration Act) would be very welcome to all employers, as it removed one of the greatest disabilities they had had to work under ever since the first act was passed. They could with justice express their appreciation of the fair treatment that they had received at the hands of the Government during the la,= t session. He trusted that in the rearrangement of the porfoljos tjie Prime Mini-ter would not take from the Hon. J. A. Millar tho position of Minister of Labom. which ho seemed so qualified to fill. The past quaiter had In en marked by a settling down of labour tiouhles after a period of strike* and asitatiou*.. In tha c4Lte» which had been before the court there had been a much lcadier acceptance pi the judge's suggestion tba,t the j>ujt-ti£t>

interested -should try to settle their disputes in conference. Referring to the new Arbitration Act, he said that whilst most of them agreed that compultory arbitra- ! tion was very far from being proved to be a sound economic principle, they would readily admit that the new act "was the j most equitable that had yet been on the i Statute Book, inasmuch as it was the ! first attempt to obtain, by real concilia- ; tioii, that b«6t of all settlement- of <hV - i pufcee — 'namely, mutual agreements. Re. garding the amendment of the Worke; • Compensation Act, he said that whil: v the employer's liability had been increase in come cases he did not anticipate th~ it would bring about any advance, in tl • rates in this branch of insurance risk If it dad the Employers' Federation would no doubt take steps to form an accident, insurance fund within its own ranks.