“ON WRONG LINES.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 368, 9 March 1932, Page 8

“ON WRONG LINES.”

f Arbitration Amendment Bil Criticised. VIEW OF EX-OFFICIAL. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, March 9. Mr F. W. T. Rowley, who for fort> years was connected with the Labour Department, and for many years was its chief administrative officer, but ha< now retired, has written an open lettei to the Prime Minister on the subjed of the amendment to the Industrial | Conciliation and Arbitration Act be fore Parliament. Mr Rowley' claims that his long experience of the working of the Act entitles him to express an opinion. The Act, in his view, requires amendment, particularly in the interests of the farming and exporting community', but the present Bill is drafted on wrong lines, and will do more harm than good, and cause grave injustice to a large body of workers who have quietly and loyally supported this peaceful method of settling conditions of emplo}-ment. Mr Rowley says that the real conflict which led up to the present industrial condition has lain, not so much between emploj-ers and employed as between sheltered and unsheltered industries, and he suggests as a remedy that, instead of wage rates being fixed "according to the artificial cost of the living standard.” they' should be based on the state of trade from time to time; that for this purpose the constitution of the Arbitration Court should be altered by the addition of a representative of the public, -whose special duty* it would be to bring the state of trade before the Court. He points out that in the past the lay members of the Court have been representatives cf sheltered industries, and those engaged in the great exporting industry on which the prosperity of the whole Dominion depends have not had a voice in selecting these representatives. Fears Strikes. Mr Rowley contends that what is called “ compulsory conciliation and optional arbitration ” must result in a reversion to the old barbarous system of strikes and lock-outs, and these weapons would be most readily seized by those engaged in handling exports. New Zealand would thus witness a return to the age of force instead of reason. For immediate purposes, to meet the existing depression. Mr Rowdev considers that all that is required is a temporary measure giving power to reduce all award rates on account of the fall in world prices, and even, if necessary, to suspend any of the awards for a certain period.