LABOUR AND THE TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1, 26 September 1907, Page 6

LABOUR AND THE TARIFF.

HON. J. A. MILLAR INTERVIEWED. PROPOSED LEGISLATION. ESTABLISHMENT OP NEW IXDUSTRIES. By Telegraph.—Press Associf.tion. Chi'istchurch, tioptember 25. Tho Hon. J. A. Millar, who passeci through Christchurch this morning o:: iiis way to attend tho Dominion . Day colcbrations - at Dnncdin to-morrow, stated to a reporter that he was very well satisfied with the session's worK as far as it had gono. Ho was specially satisfied with ivhat has been done in connection with tho Labour aim Customs Departments which lio controlled.

,"Vvo havo doalt with tho tariff, which is a big thing in itself, ho said, " and in a few weeks i hope wo will' havo passed tho new Arbitration Bill. Besides that there aro tho Land Bills, land taxation, lano tenure and Maori lands, and those subjects tako a great deal of work. Tin Government has already done much uioro than it was expcctcd could be done in one session."

Ho stated that, as far as ho can judgo from tho opinions expressed in tho Press and by members of the Hoiiso, the Arbitration Bill has met with general approval, and he hopes that tho Bill, with a few minor amendments, will be "passed this scs-

sion. Ho found tliafc. there is ; a general consensus of opinion in the colony that tho- old Conciliation Boards have been an absolute failure, :uid that thoy ui]ist bo abolished. He believes that tlio Councils will do more in that direction than has been done by the Boards, which, he adds, have erased to bo Conciliation Boards, and are simply developing into lo'.ve: oourts with professional advocates 011 both sides, which prevents anychancr conciliation being obtained. A reburn which tho . .Minister has in his possession shows that tho colony is spending a largo sum of money over? year on tho Boards, and is • getting practically 110 return, ■ as in almost -jverv instance the case is takon on to tho Court.

"You' think that tho Boards are ;uito useless,-thenP" ho was asked by tho reporter.

" Quite useless," he said, "and no :ncthotl of amendment will make tlieni better as long as tho present system, obtains. If they remained iti existence tire only way to obtain conciliation from tho mwould bo to debar any man from them would bo to debar any man

:erested in ,tho trado and working a

i. These professional men are causall tho trouble. Tho t-imher-rorkcrs in Auckland have just come ,j' an agreement outside of tho Board

;;r the Court, They represent over '„200 workers. The iron-moulders liave also come to an agreement in the ;;:'.me way, and two other unions are 'negotiating'with employers for a conference with the intention of settling i.i;eir own affairs without the interter«nco of the Board or tho Court. Tliat, in effect, is wliat tlio Act proposes to !o. It wants to encourage that kind >f thing. The whole principle of the Act is to bring about conciliation beIseen employers and employees without tho intervention of any party that

■r; not diicctly interested in the result of tho eonfcrence. If cither side reacts a recommendation from an industrial council, tho Court will still be oprm to discuss every point and to call evidence in the same manner ao at present, '/he scheme,' in short,

is to have one Court instead of two Courts. At present, as I havo said, tiio Boards arc only lower courts, but

without responsibility. I have received communications from a largo :minbor of unionists who either approve of the Bill ill its entirety or suggest one or two minor l alterations. I slated from the start.that I was quite prepared to receive suggestions. Tfio principal objections seem to come fvom tboso unions where the seerelaries are not members of the industries affected."

Mr. Millar is pleased with the reception ~ . ;ivi, ' i lo bis tardl by the Press and by business men. lie '

lievcs thru the results will be felt immediately. iie ha:-, liceu informed Urn; a large boot manufacturing firm in Melbourne, is making arrangements to establish a factory in Xew Zealand. The site for the linn's operations has :jot bco:i Ih.ed. It will employ ovor one hundred "bands" to start with. A large firm of stamped steel rooi manufacturers is looking for a site in Auckland or Wellington for tho establishment of a factory. It will start operations with three hundred " hands." Two large firms of cycle

manufacturers it New Zealand have informed him'tln.t,-as a result of tho changes, they wilt commoiico the manufacture of bicycles at once. Ho feels that the new tariff will materially help tho industries. They have already benefited by tho. increased duties and by raw materials having been placed, on tho free list. An investigation has shown him that there aro forty-eight industries in the colony which will ho practically benefited by tho tariff.