THE ARBITRATION ACT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 50, 28 February 1913, Page 8

THE ARBITRATION ACT.

AMENDMENTS ASKEJ) FOR. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, February 27. Various amendments to the Arbitration Act were urged on the Minister for Labor (Mr Massey) to-day, by a deputation representing the Marine Engineers, the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, the Carpenters ana Joiners’ Union, and- the Tramway Union. The deputation put ferwarti tho following proposals: That the inspector of Factories should take the initiative in seeing that awards are observed; that in regard to apprentices the Act . should b? .amended on the lines of,the; West Australian Act providing that indentures be registered in tho Arbitration Court; that ap prentices be subject to periodical exam inations, and that if it is found that the employer is not doing his duty tr, the apprentice, ho may be cited and if convicted, dined; that,, if apprentices he found to be ,unlit lor work the Court may deal wifi* him accordingly.

Tho deputation also asked that where industries overlap, provision be made to prevent the Act working unfairly, and that the Arbitration Court be converted into an appeal board, to which unsettled disputes shall be referred, the appeal board to consist o two experts (one representing the employers, and the other the employees), with an independent chairman; and that any association of employers or employees can obtain a Dominion award.

Mr Massey said that every opportunity would 1)0 given for taking evi deuce on the various subjects before the Labor Hills Committee next session. Ho had given instructions to the Law Drafting Department to have a Consolidating and Amending Bill prepared, so as to simplify the woiwmg of the Act. As far as possible the Government intended to stand by the Arbitration Court.