LABOUR MATTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10538, 13 August 1912, Page 4

LABOUR MATTERS.

DEPUTATION TO MR MASSEY. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, August 12. Tito Prims Minister, the Hon W. F. Massey, met his first deputation from the Labour section this morning, when he was waited on by a delegation from the Wellington Trades and Labour Council. Mr M. J. Reardon was the first speaker. The Council, he remarked, had not been much* in touch with Mr Massey in the past, but they took it from the fact that he had assumed the portfolio of Labour that he desired to examine the claims of both sides without bias. At the request of the Kawke's Bay Trades Council they desired to bring forward a proposed amendment to the Workers' Compensation Act and abolish the "domicile" section, which provides that if _ a dependant is in Australia at the time of death no one is entitled to compensation. That had resulted - in considerable hardship and was manifestly unjust. Next they desired to point out that there were a very large number of accidents for which no compensation was payable. That was particularly hard in regard to certain classes of casual labour, and they asked so as to prevent hardship to employers that the State should make a monopoly of accident insurances 1 There were about a dozen ofaces operating at present, and the cost ot management was out of all proportion to the revenue derived. The result was that companies formerly doing marine underwriting went in for accident insurance, and the commissions paid went up • as high as 25 per cent, all of which came cut of the pockets of the workers. He quoted figures showing that the major part of the premiums paid was paid by the Government Office to persons injured, while in the case of other companies only about one-third was paid. There were only three offices in New Zealand that would bear comparison with the Government office in regard to expenses, and they believed that a great saving would be effected if the Government office was given a monopoly and thereby enabled to give the workers the benefit of compensation from the first instead of from the seventh day of an accident. Also they had to suggest that The annuity for permanent disablement should go on for life, as in England, instead of for sixty years, as in New Zealand. As to arbitration, the Painters' Association urged that a person or corporate body engaged in an industry should be bound by the full terms of an award and that no exemptions should be granted,' that in filing an application for the hearing of a dispute the citation should be made by advertisement, that provisions should be made for compulsory preference to unionists, that a magistrate should be deprived of power to dismiss a case if he deemed it trivial, that all agreements made before the Conciliation Council should be binding and power to alter them should be taken from the Arbitration Court. That all partnerships should be registered and that the Act should be amended making it possible to havo one award for each trade or industry throughout the dominion. In connection with the above proposals, Mr Reardon urged that if the workers were organised throughout the dominion it would bo in the interests of employers and employees to have one award throughout the country in a particular industry, more especially iu regard to general conditions. As the Wages Protection Act, the deputation said they had believed there was a provision that wages should be paid weekly. Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M., had ruled that this only applied to contractors, and the deputation asked that all wages should be paid weekly. The branding of New Zealand-made goods and the reduction of working hours to forty-four per week and extension of the Workers Accommodation Act, particularly in regard to sawmillers, were asked for. They desired better accommodation at the freezing works. Some of the companies provided good accommodation, others did not. In this connection Mr Reardon cited a case in which the meal-room was invaded by blood and drainage from the salting-room, besides being too small. In another caso no mealroom was provided, and a" change of clothing at the end of the day° had to ba made before all the rest of. the employees. Housing accommodation was in some cases in an unsatisfactory position, and resulted in a deal of discomfort. One man had told them that the dressing-room -was used as a dogkennel when it was not being used for the men, and men sometimes had to turn out dogs before they could dress. Mr Reardon asked in conclusion that an opportunity should be afforded them to give evidence before the Labour Bills Committee. Mr Carey said that regarding the Arbitration Court there seemed to be an idea in the mind of the president that the Court was superior to Parliament. Parliament passed the Act which stipulated a maximum number of hours per week for persons employed in hotels and the Court had overruled this in giving the right to make freedom of

contract. Where an Act of Parliament conflicted with the award made in the dispute the Judge should not have power to override the Act in this manner. The Prime Minister: Under ordinary circumstances the award would have continued in operation until a new award came into operation. A clause was inserted in the award by the president of the Court that if any legislation was placed on the Statute Rook which interfered with the award' then the award ceased to operate. Mr Reardon: Yes, and the Union was not allowed to approach the Court again. Mr Carey; It was evidence of resentment on the* part of the Judge of the Court. The Prime Minister: I could not go as far as that. I could not agree with that. Mr Carey said that so great was tho dissatisfaction with the biased administration of the Court that Labour men would welcome any suggestion which would improve the present conditions of things. Mr Carey continued by expressing a request for a compulsory Saturday half-holiday in the main centres. Mr Kennedy asked for the reduction of the maximum working hours for women from forty-eight to forty-five hours weekly. Mr Long (Auckland) urged the immediate adoption of the principle of compulsory insurance. " I hope you will always remember that we represent the weaker side," said Mr W. T. Young, speaking on behalf of the Seamen's Union. He went on to instance the case of,the dredge Manchester, lost between New Zealand and Sydney. The dependents on the men employed on the dredge were not entitled to compensation, tho vessel having been sold to the New South Wales Government before it left New Zealand. He submitted an amendment to overcome r»uch a difficulty. He went on to urge the necessity of appointing inspectors to inspect gear and that full provision should be made for fixing nets so as to prevent accidents at a ship's side find at tho side of holds, particularly just before the time of the departure of a vessel. It was also asked that the Act should be amended for the provision of full " first aid " outfits at sawmills, mines and slaughterhouses. t _ * The Prime Minister: Is there not a similar provision in the Mining Act? Mr Young - I believe there is. Dealing with the Arbitration Court, Mr Young said as to the Bill the Government proposed to introduce he believed that if the Government created each Judge of the Supreme Court a of the Arbitration Court it would create political chaos. Labour had suggested that the president should not be a Judge of the Arbitration Court. For his own part he was not in favour of that. He believed in the president being a man of trained mind, but he objected to his being a Judge of the Supreme Court. Every time the president of the Court had been appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court he had shown every desire to get rid of the duties of the Arbitration Court and take part in the proceedings of the Supreme Court. His own idea was that the head of the Court should be a stipendiary magistrate possessing a good knowledge of industrial affairs. In reply to the representations the Prime Minister said that he was pleased to meet the deputation and to notice the moderate, reasonable and intelligent manner in which it had discussed the problems. He did not propose to go through the whole programme. He had taken a full note of the various speeches and would go through each subject with the responsible officers of the Labour Department. Tn regard to tha Labour portfolio he said he considered it one of the most important, and on that account he had taken it on himself. He intended to administer it without favour or bias, doing his very best for both sides of industry. " If I do that I am perfectly certain I shall be doing my best for the coun*try as a whole/'' he said. In regard to legislation he could not, of course, commit the Government or give away the nolicv of the Government until it bed b~en thoroughly discussed and decided up~n. He believd there would be several Bills brought down. They would go to the Labour Bills Committee, and everybody interested would have ati opnortnnity of expressing his oivnions.. All the evidence would be •printed and submitted to Parliament. ■Vll the lvnposalq put him that day wonM receive the rm--ideratioii to which they were entitled. Mr C-'irev that iu nast had found the Labour "Ril's Committee used ps a means to hick legislation, th"t the eTt»n!overs ti c/, d it as a means ef Wrislation heir>o- nut on the Statute B"ck. He hoped that won hi not he c o in future. Mr Mass n y: T trust that no attempt will ba made to block legislation.