LABOUR LAWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16283, 10 July 1917, Page 2

LABOUR LAWS.

REQUEST FOR-AMENDMENTS

MINISTER,, ADMITS DEFECTS.

(Per " Pres?- Association.)

: WELLINGTON, July 9. A deputation. representing ' the Labour Congress held last week in Wellington interviewed the Hon. W. H. Herries (in the ' absence of tho Minister of Labour) to place before lam; some resolutions of the Congress, Mr A. J Walker, M.P.,. introduced the delegates.

, Afr-E.-Howard said the tendency at the present time was for Parliament to confine its attention to matters connected , directly with the war. The result would not be, to the advantage or New Zealand. . The time when this Dominion led the way in industrial and sonal reform had passed, and the J 1 °rkers felt that they were not being treated fairly. Parliament ought not to postpone attention to their needs until the close' of the war, as nobody could say whether the war would!! end wthm a reasonable period. Mi- Howard enumerated matters which, in ; the opmi.on of the Labour Congress re quired attention. They ° included amendments to the Workers' Compensation tor Accidents Act, the adoption 01 a universal Saturday half-holiday tree legal assistance for apnellints before Military Service Boards and prevention of victimisation in connection with past strikes at Waihi , an d elsewhere. Mr Howard mentioned that the Congress had arranged for drafting a Bill amending the Conciliation and Ai titration Act, permitting the registr^ lon °* federations of workers. need 6 -^•'^^¥^ pned » tho need foi tfitli rapect to the, heating of shops and offices llie. people a& New- Zealand were playing their part in the war and it was not reasonable to ask them to neglect domestic affairs altogether. ~.l r K. .Tilde, representing the WailiiMiners Union, made a special appeal for the ending of victimisation in con nection with the 1913 strike Hp urged that the men who were denied employment at Wailii had been punished sufficiently for anv fmlr against them. " Mr Herries; in ■ reply, said the ' reason Parliament was not being asked to handle domestic legislation was that controversial matter could not be l-.andled by a National Government i formed for war purposes, and bv a Parliament that was urged to * sink party for the time being. Machinery | amendments to existing legislation [would not come under ban, but the deputation would understand that an amendment Bill would open up tiie [-""hole field of controversy. He would place the views of the deputation before the Cabinet, and see what could bo done. in the directions suggested. He agreed that there were defects in the (existing legislation that should be with as little delay as possible.