ARBITRATION BILL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 323, 9 October 1908, Page 8

ARBITRATION BILL.

THE PARLIAMENTARY DEADLOCK. A SETTLEMENT'ARRANGED. There were two |conferences yesterday between managers from the Upper and LowerHouses regarding, the-amendments made by the ' former iin the Arbitration Bill. Tho managers from tho House at tho first conferonce were tho Hon. Mr. Millar, and Messrs. Tanner and Hardy. The Upper House.representatives were the Hons. Dr. Findlay, C.' M. Luke, and J. E. Jenkinson. This conference failed to-agree. Subsequently the Lower House ap'pqintecl .Messrs. Millar, Arnold, and W. Frasor. whiie the Upper House appointed the Hons.* DrjjFindlay, G. Jones, and J. R. Sinclair. ,Qi'. This conference met at 9.30 p.m., and after a somewhat lengthy sitting arranged a compromise. . s, , The first point in' dispute was in connection, with,Clause;.29',' in"which it was pro.vi'dod. that' orie.'ofj tliei .three assessors might :be ■' appointed,'! from outside the, membership of the union'.' The Upper House altered this so that even if there was only one-assessor on each side,'.such'^assessors.might be outside the industry.' In this case the conference, agreed to the. clause as passed by the Lower' House; In; Clause! 32 the amendment by the Upper-House provided that tlio Coiri-missidher'-Should'have ;both a deliberative and a. casting vote, wh'eria's the Lower House did not-wish to giye ;him.a vote at all. The conference decided that rwhere there is equal voting the Commissioner shall have a deliberative vote, but v only on matters. of procedure. In.Clause,s4 the Lower House had provided that the Court should have "power to amend the provisions of any award where such amendment; was deemed necessary or adnsable by. reason : of any alteration of the : circumstances' !.m which" the award was made ;or in thb,;matters Wwliich it relates." This !,wa's intended ; to.provide''for any industry in which there may be" a sudden rise or fall in prioes.such as the, flaxmilling industry, in which, owing to the fall in price, many mills have had to cease operations. The -Upper House strucki out' this provision, and the conference,.'agreed it, but to make , it'apply'to the; flaxmilling industry only. ■ ; The real tug-of-war took place in connection'with. Clause. 575. 'This new. clause had been inserted by the Uppor House, and provided that when "any', member of a union was dismissed,; and " victimisatior " was suspeeled; "the 'onus'of proof that the man was .not so dismissed should, rest with the employer; .This,"was'probably the most interesting point that'has arisen in .connection' with the. Bill, inasmuch as the provision when moved in,.the';;'Lp : ffei',; House was rejected. When the first conference was held the majority' of "the representatives _ from the Lower'House 1 .were;favourable to it (with the of the amount of tho fine), but the Upper House representatives endeavoured to have it struck out.' The'conference failed to agreed The second conference agreed to a compromise by. providing ,that in the case of a president,, vice-president,' secretary; or • treasurer, or any . assessor who has, sat on a Council'of Conciliation .in connection with a dispute, ;or any member,.who has represented aunion in any negotiations that have taken place immediately preceding his dismissal, the onus of- proof . shall - rest - with the ' employer, i The fine .of £200 .'was 'reduced to £25. ' The Labour members are very pleased with thk compromise, which they scarcely expected,.'and deem to be highly satisfactory. In regard to the general body of workers,' preference to unionists', is regarded as suffi-cient-to meet their case. ■ • *. - The conference also agreed to the Council a amendment tb;Clause,,6l, the effect.being' to leave' any limitation of the age of apprentices to tho discretion ;"of ,the Arbitration Court. • The iamendment' making members of the Legislature free -to act ;as assessors without suffering disqualification was struck out." ' ' • ■ ■