THE ARBITRATION BILL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11089, 2 October 1907, Page 5

THE ARBITRATION BILL

(Special to Herald.)*; '

DUNEDItf,: this day. While' m Christchurch on his way back to Wellington, the Minister for Labor said that a deputation of leading Dunedin unionists had waited on him, and had expressed /'themselves as m favor of the Arbitration Amendment Bill. Mr Breen (eecretary of the Otago Trades and Labor Council), m- referring tor thjs, statement, said : "I know of "no leading unionist connected with the Trades- Hall who took part ia a deputation^ ' One was on foot, but it fell through; Had" it waited on the Minister ; it would have been with the object of opposing, and aiot supporting,, the^ Bill. •„; v So far-as I knowi the only Union that, expressed itself; iri favor of the BiU was the' Carpenters' Society, and then they; only suipported a few: of the •clauses which did/ not interfere m any way with their liberties. V *The Eh^i-, neers.' Society vi which. •is also federated througUout^tiie world, riotoiU^ ed the /clauses which^ ihterfeied with them, but also those 'clauses-w-hich. ijaterfere4 with the rights of other linibns! The rules of the Carpenters'; Society pro-, yide for the maintenaince of any member who, loses his w | otk througli: '{lie action he nuiy take iii . cdnnection^ with the so-; ciety iUntii he secures other Work, and^ if it is necessary, iii order to ! do so that he should have to go to some, other part of the Doininiott, the r expenses' of removing "his family" tire" ; }>aid by the society. That being w so, "'Ati 1 ' easily -imderstood why the society support the clause m; the Bill which compels a society being onicered by its pwri .membeps'. There is no other uhicoi m Dunedin which makes such provision for.. boycotted members, but the Carpenters' Society apparently, do riot consider that worth of consideration. A member of this society expressed the opinion; to me that a union that could not be formed and bflScered by its'own members should be wiped :out. ■■■.