“CAUSE OF MISERY.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 493, 30 June 1932, Page 4

“CAUSE OF MISERY.”

i Effect of N.Z.’s Arbitration Act. MR H. D. ACLAND’S VIEW. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, June 30. “Nothing now remains but to clean up the mess caused by the Arbitration Act with as little injury to every class as possible,” said Mr 11. D. Acland, president of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation, yesterday, in addressing the annual meeting. He said that the industrial arbitration system, by imposing an immense burden of costs, and restrictions had brought misery to New Zealand. “ Economic law, like any other law, can be flouted for a time, but sooner or later the law-breaker is arrested and brought to trial. The economic policeman has been busy for the last year or two, and has much work to do yet.” For the first time for a generation, employers would now be able to meet workers’ unions on equal terms in conference with a view to settling the terms of employment. He sincerely trusted that both parties would fully avail themselves of the privilege, and recognise the necessity of mutual agreements being made on lines which would : enable industry to be carried on with- 1 out undue hardship to any section of the community, and with a prospect of the reabsorption into industry of the < whole of the available labour on a basis that would admit of trade and < industry being continueed on sound ] economic lines. One regrettable social result of the ( principles of compulsion as set out in < the old Arbitration Act had been the 1 unhealthy growth of big towns in New < Zealand, for which at no time had 1 there been any real economic necessity. 1 As a consequence, the Government was 1 now faced with the almost insoluble < problem of finding a remedy to prevent thousands of good and deserving people from starving.