ARBITRATION-BILL

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19158, 15 November 1927, Page 12

ARBITRATION-BILL

POSTPONEMENT POSSIBLE. COMMITTEE HEARING MAY END TO-DAY. [THE FEBB3 Special Service.] WELLINGTON, November 14. The Labour Bills Committee is expected to complete the hearing of evidence to-morrow morning, on the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration \mendmeut Bill. Consideration of the Committee's report is likely to take sonie time, and in view of the nature of the evidence which has been tendered it is suggested that when the Bill is reported back to the House its form will be altered considerably. Whether finality on the measure wm be reached this session is a matter for conjecture, but an indication of the reception that will be accorded the amended Bill will be afforded by the debate which will probably follow the presentation of the Committees report, an event that may take place tomorrow afternoon, but which is more likely to be later in the week. The Prime Minister intimated last week that the Government desired a further discussion on the Bill this session, and in some quarters this is interpreted as meaning that the measure will be carried to its second reading and then postponed. On the other hand, it is said in the lobbies that some of the farmer members of the House desire the removal of the farming industry from the sphere of influence of the Arbitration Court to be made effective immediately.

FARMERS STRONGLY IN FAVOUR (PHESS ASSQOUSIO* TXLSaBAU.) PAHIATUA, November 14. The directory of the Pahiatua Farmers' Association have forwarded the following telegram to the Prime Minister:—"Trade union secretaries, the Employers' Federation and employees do not speak for the farmers. We challenge the statement made by Mr Bishop to the effect that the farmers are an ignorant rabble, who cannot speak for themselves. We are looking to you for definite leadership and respectfully request you to push the Arbitration Amendment Bill through the j House this session. The farmers' present condition is rotten."

It is reported that local suppliers to the Hopelands Dairy Company dispatched a telegram to the Prime Minister, urging Cabinet to proceed with the Arbitration Amendment Bin. At the Pahiatua Farmers' Saleyards; Association directors' meeting, tfhe chairman, Mr Dan O'Brien, said farmers should bp on the loqk-out, for they would be snowed under by those whose interests were in direct opposition to those of the primary producer, who was tied down to his farm. He said that the evidence being given before the Committee, which was to report to Parliament on the Bill, was being heavily weighted against the farming community by Trade Unipn secretaries, Employers' Federation secretaries and by others, who, it was alleged, had axes to grind. Strong exception was taken by the meeting to the fact that Mr Bishop, secretary of the Wellington Employers' Association, had been permitted to give evidence no fewer than three times. <! lf this sort of thing is being permitted." said Mr O'Brien, >"it is high time we farmers made our weight felt." If they did not there was no doubt '■ but that the Bill would be so badly j mutilated that it would be useless.