INDUSTRIAL LAWS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16704, 23 July 1928, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL LAWS

PROPOSED AMENDMENT MORE DELAY PREDICTED * —— (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Members of the Oovernment Party appear to have made up their minds that this session is not a suitable to completely overhaul the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Ihey wish to get back to their constituencies during the first week in October at the latest, and there is so much work, even with the slender legislative programme to be presented by the Government, that the time will be fully occupied without waiting for the long investigation needed by the Labor Bills Committee which would be inevitable in the case of any important changes in the It is proposed, therefore, to introduce another brief amendment of the mam Act extending the " stop gap " provisions of last session's legislation so that existing awards connected with the farming and allied industries shall not be varied or and no new awards shall be made, prior to September. 1929. This arrangements is not altogether palatable to many of the fanners' representatives in the House, as thev point out that restrictions on labor conditions add to working costs, not only on farm products which have to be prepared for export, but on requirements for carrying on the primary industry. Meanwhile, representatives of the Agricultural Workers' Union have commenced an active campaign in the North Island with the object of organising the labor specifically mentioned in the short amending Act of last session, and it is feared that 12 months' delay will result in a situation of greater difficulty than would be the case if the problem were handled to-day. However, the Parliamentary machine is slow in its action, and delay appears to be the only practicable course in a short pre-election session.