COLLUSION ALLEGED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19994, 10 November 1927, Page 6

COLLUSION ALLEGED

EMPLOYERS AND LABOUR OPPOSITION TO ARBITRATION BILL. (Fer Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 8. An allegation that a meeting had been held recently between the Alliance of Labour and the Employers’ Federation, with a view to defeating the Arbitration Amendment Bill, was made by Mr. J. G. Elliott (M.P. for Oroua) in his evidence before the Labour Bills Committee of the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. Elliott said that Mr. Bishop, secretary to tho Federation, had stressed his opposition to the measure, but had not placed before the Committee the fact that the shipping and freezing companies were in lavour of the amendment “I want the farmers to know,” declared Mr. Elliott, ‘ * that last week a meeting was held between the representatives of the Alliance of Labour and the Employers’ Federation to defeat this Bill, and it appears to me that the Employers’ Federation, which is composed principally of manufacturers and merchants, is licking up with labour to defeat the aims, objects and aspirations of the farmers.”

The chairman (Sir John Luke): Do you seriously make that statement?

Witness: I do seriously make the statement that last week a committee of the advisory board received a depu-. tation from the Alliance of Labour on the subject of the Arbitration Act Amendment. Messrs. A. R. Partridge, G. W. Morgan, J. F. Cousins, W. Simin, H. Mainland, A. Seed, F. N. Sanderson, F. J. Ballinger, R. M. Griffiths and tue secretary represented the Employers’ Federation, and Messrs. J. Roberts, R. Semple, A. Bromley and A. Cook, the Alliarice of Labour.

Mr. Walter’Nash, secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party said it was quite true that a deputation from the Labour conference which had been held last week to consider the Arbitration Act had waited upon the Employers’ Federation, and asked that body what attitude it intended to take with regard to tho. Act. “This conference,” said Mr. Nash, “might be misinterpreted, but I am certain that there was no question of Labour ranging itself with the employers for the purpose of defeating the aspirations and objects of the farmers, as alleged by Mr. Elliott.” The Hon. T. Shadier Weston, president of the Federation, emphatically ridiculed the “irresponsible” suggestion that there was any collusion between employers and Labour to defeat the Bill, although he admitted that ’he i Labour Party waited on the employers !to explain the position they intended to take.