THE TWO PERILS

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15033, 2 September 1922, Page 8

THE TWO PERILS

AND ARBITRATION COURT. VALUABLE SAFEGUARD FOR WORKERS. “The Arbitration Court is in peril in two directions at the present moment,” remarked the lion. W. Downie Stewart during the financial debate in the House of Representatives . In the first place, he thought there was a section of the employers who would like to sec it wiped out because it was not bringing down wages quickly enough. Mr McCombs: Oh, that is why you would like to see it wiped out. Mr Stewart said that he was defending the court, and he pointed out that the member for Lyttelton had been a little hasty with his interjection. Mr Stewart said that the other peril was from a certain section of the Labour Parly—tic thought the Alliance of Labour, or, at any rate, the more aggressive unions—who thought they could do better without the Arbitration Court. In the earlier days of the court (continued the Minister) it had always been said that the workers would hack it while wages were rising, and would turn against it when they were, falling. As far as he could see, exactly the opposite was happening, and the unions were leaving it Id the court lo see that wages were, not allowed to fall too suddenly. There were sections of the employers and workers who did not realize. the value of Hie court lo tin' workers at the present moment, lull had they compared what was happening here with who! • happening in

America, where wages came-down with a run? Those who thought that the present system of adjusting wages was unsatisfactory would be well advised, before abandoning the present system, to try to improve it. He did not want to see things go to the stage they had gone to in other countries.

He thought the court, if it could hold up, would prove the most valuable safeguard the workers of the country could have. If it did not readjust wages with sufficient alacrity to allow business to continue it would he in very grave danger, lie would, however, like it to come through this storm, because ho believed we were turning the corner now, and if our employers could hang on for a year or two until the passing of tiic financial chaos which was troubling Europe at present, it would be a wise thing to do. In England they had seen how the seamen had lost nearly everything they had gained during the war. Mr McCombs: The workers didn’t gain during the war in New Zealand. They lost, and you consolidated Iheir losses. Government members: Nonsense! “No-Rubbing” Laundry Help means better times ror housewives and better business for us.—Alien and Gibson. (5)