WAGES AWARDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1924, Page 5

WAGES AWARDS.

EXTENSION OF SYSTEM. DOMESTICS AND GARDENERS. LABOUR MEMBER’S PROPOSAL, l(By Wire—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Leet Night. A proposal that the benefits of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act should be extended to apply to domestic servants, gardeners and chauffeurs in contained in a Bill to amend the Act which was read a second time in tihe House to-day. The author of the measure, Mr. P, Fraser (Wellington Central), said that the benefits of the Act were not extended to those employees who were not employed for the direct or indirect pecuniary gain of an employer, and it had been ruled that these workers included domeetic aervents, gardeners and chauffeur®. There was a very strong feeling amongst those concerned that this iiyiptk* should be rectified, and that all woriure in the Dominion should have an opportunity of coming within the aeopa of the Act and securing awards of the Arbitration Court. The Minister for Labour (Hon. G. Anderson): “Are you referring to agricultural workers T” Mr. Fraser: “No, not in this particula- instance. They are not debarred by this clause in the Act.” Mr. W. D. Lyanar (Giaborne) opposed the proposal. He said that the extreme Labour Party was going too far. He did not think farm labourers desired the opportunity to appear before the Arbitration Court. They were well paid and contented, and if they desired to come under the Act let them ask for it and not the Labour Party. “Wherever the Arbitration Court has been acting,’* said Mr. Lysnar, “it has only been acting in consequence of agitation by these agitators, and the men are disadvantaged by it. The farm labourers have been sufficiently astute to keep dear of it.” Many people who were working under awards, ne declared, were prepared to leave their trade employers and go to work in the country. He had not heard of any agitation in support of the proposal by domestic servants, and so long as they made no request he would oppose such a move. The Leader of the Labour Party (Mr. H E. Holland) expressed surprise at Mr. Lysnar’s attitude. Except in the matter of a wool strike Mr. Lysnar had always claimed to be a supporter of law and order. “I always thought,” said Mr. Holland, “that members who support the Government stood for the arbitration method of settling disputes rather than the strike method but apparently the hon. member’s remarks are in the direction of advocating strike method. I can understand gentlemen who strike when it comes to a matter of selling wool advocating that industrial workers should follow the Mme example, but it is a dangerous thing for members on the Government

benches to repudiate arbitration- I hope the hon. member will get away from the position of falling under suspicion of becoming a strike advocate.**