LABOUR'S NEW HOME

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 3

LABOUR'S NEW HOME

/ OPENED AT ;TE; ARC. ;/ SPEECHES BT.THfPEIM.MmSTEK i AND'LABOUR-MINISTER.' ' ■;'• BOTH OPTIMISTIC. •. '':'■'/ • The .-official opening -of. the - Labonr Department's new..offices in the Tβ Aro Post Office building yesterday-afternoon was the scene of a gathering which included, the Prime Minisfcar'and Lady' Ward, 'the Hon. J.-.'AI Millar, Minister :for : Labour, and representatives '. of ■;.both','■'.'.capital'■"' and labour. '/".:.' i •'.-. W ~•■. - ;'-... Tie,' master-of- ceremonies,. Mr.'E.Tregear, read apologies from' the' Hon. R. MTSenzie,- Dr. Hay, Mr. J." P. \Luke,' M.P., Mr. Foster, president"'of the. Employers' Federation; and-. Mr. : and • Mrs. Kennedy.'"-;-'-:,.- , ..''■ , " ■-. : , V '■..)

In formally-declartog-. the offices;open, the Hon. J. ■.A...Millar, remarked that probably: no '.'Department \ led' the : same nomadic existence,as; the 'Labour Department. .-The- Department had commenced; its. operations in one small room in the; Government". Buildings, .with.' 'Mr. Tregear as about, the only occupant of that, room; .Subsequently..a shift was made, to. tho.vWairarapa- Farmers' build-' ing, but" fire drove this' Department from this .home, and. they.went from Lambton Qnay back to the thence' to the dilapidated-old wooden' building -which jitood at the,corner -of- the; Post Office Square, until pulled down "some'-months ago. . Prom there t th'e:'Department; moved to Jfoe.--A.MJ?.'; Society's building in ,1907,; but. now,' he, was pleased-' to .say,"., they 1 had; a/permanent abddel ..'.The "fesult.of the latest' shift.-would; hevbelieved, 'be beneficial/not only to the', staff-but to .'the people who had .to' do business ( with; : the Department. -They were ; nbw.. stationed.-in the heart of the quarter which'.would. ; to convenient-both'tot~workers . and': ; employers. ;;.The. Dopartuieiit had "been , in existence i for: -about fifteen" years,-.- and he hoped that; in, the future, if 'would -be able to do' even Imore than' had- been accomplished up-to the -present, ■ and' be of mutual advantage'.to: the workers and .pniployera' of: the''country;; ;In .'conclusion, Mr.-' rMillar;'formally, declared' the' i offices open, and. expressed'the. hope thaf'success -would continue .to'.follow-the'Department in' its'.new..: abode.; (Applause.);.' .-';.■;,

Tributesto theiDepartn-ent;,;; '.- ':'.-. "X The.Hon. C. Mi Liike, in proposing- the toast, of'. 1 the , ,- Labour;..., Department; coupled with the'name: of-the 'Minister for; remarked oh .the.;:hriifging together.■■•of."capital: and , '-labour;'- at '■ this gathering. .-. This-..wa5,.'.-he'-' thought,dem.onstratihg.: what ; -was: said -to -be a., scientific impossibility. ;:It.- was generally .'admitted'that , oil' anil: .water would, not mix. - (Laughter.)'■ Labour and Capital should go together,; continued the speaker,.;who .urged ..that .the interests, of the employer and.the employeo were identical. It, was. an -~ old' threadworn phrase to.' say that .anything .'that-made for ; .the ; well-being -and: development'of 'the'industries could riot, but: make for the good-'pf the, persons -employed-: in : these- industries, but ..it was" true.- 'iPersonally -ho: looked forward'to. aniera-of.-great prosperity,-for the They had; passed; through several 'very.-. serious 'months,' but ■' now he was sure.'we were- on the eve."of; .trial- enterpripo■ and.Kenerab development of-the industries of the.' Dominion'.: Prqb-' ably ..in.iio.part ,of,. the worltt'e; history had. the: world's,,trader looked brighter than it :did'at;present. i'-As to the Dominion, -we. had. just:, passed 'through , an ex--oellent, eeason, and wool was 'selling.'at a nigh/price.;;;Witli'.these'.two factors-and tho general- : development;bf : . the-, country as. ■ a.'. whole, everybody.. must',participate in the result: . As ;an ■ employer, he could say-that- the-Labour."Departmenii.i.had I done, a great , deal to.-promote the: good relations between the employer-and employed." Personally-he. v had-always "met' with, every treasonable courtesy .'from tie Department, and hethpught that- nothing but-success could; attend the, effortsy.of tho capable "officers who 'endeavoured 1 to administer tho Act with as• little:friction as possible. Tho Dominion was.fortunate in having, such a man-as Mr. , at tho, head: of the Department,. of.' Labour. Mr. Luke also paid a ; tribute to; the'Minr ister; for Labour, expressing. • that the Dominion' hadnever.had a'.'more .capable ■ and more ■ sympathetic; Minister for-Labour.- 'Mr.:.'Millar'was.well.versed in. the', aspirations of the■ worker, :and took a- deep and sympathetip,'interest ; in them. . "In fact," concluded \the' speaker, "the employees of. this country never had a greater.;friend'than Mr..Millar'.''.; . ■;.:■•.

For Employer or Worker?/. '■-':■'• : ' , ; Mr; \W. Noot, •president of,- the.", Trades, and 'Labour Council; 'said : h'e was.not.pre- , pared' to' cqngratulato the -Labour Depart.meat right', tarpugh.: He had not'.had-a very"'infimato' acquaintance .with' the Department, .but"speaking-,'a's :the' official head' of: the' Trades,- and" Labour he could say. as far:as .reports which-were, .brought iby';some of-:the;, ■secretaries:!, of jjabour unions -were concerned; ■ that there was '&■ preponderance' pf v opinion that the Department of Vas really, - a Dfc yartment!which : w'as .set- up: for the. benefit *ai the ,, employers 'of-the Dominion; and not for. the worker. . As he had eaid, he did 'not ■ know• .this" of' his": own'.-personal .experience, 'but; this .was the way_ 'the ■position was represented 'at./the'/Trades Council.. Only at the last;meeting ofthe council 6onle'of'the" delega.tes'had stated ;that the time wasVcoming. whon: ; a-m6ve. would, have to be made' to extinguish the Labour: Department altogether.'-.As far as he roufd gather; secretaries ! of. the labour unions.considered that af ter;awards ■had been obtained::there ; had'been-, too, much:quibbling by the-'Departmeht.:Some of them • also had not, received' the' cpur'tesy. they might have-expected. ■'...'■ ;•■ ./■The Hon! J. A. Millar, in .replying, -to :the toast of .the Department and his .own remarked' that'•■•itowas■> 15 years, .since-the':'Department: was started with Mr. Tregear alone.-.Now they had 93.officers in the Department ana'lßo inspec-' 'tors.. .This,' he. thought, must ..be: admitted, to .be. rapid.growth. The_ necessity for the 'establishment-of the Department had, lie urged,. been justified by, its operations'. They had "been-told -that: -the labour laws would cripple- capital.'now .teire, ' and-prevent '■ fresh'"'capita) from coming into the-country. In fifteen years he could 'say that "factory: hands'had 'increased from .JS7,oooV'to.\ 78)000. This did not'indicate, that-. th'e ; 'legislation:.was of a. harassing 'character. . When the .Department had been'established,' it was'to ,cbpe .with.the;question'of unemployment, which was' so\ pronounced, -between -1884 and . 1891.. 1891 - there; were -. thousands of, '"pepplei.-leaving .'New,:. Zealand ...as fast as tjiey-could, -.becanse they. could .not obtain employment. ■'• Belief-;wbrks ihad- to be', commenced, single ■. men being :.paid 2s. 6d., and. married 1 men Ss.<6d. Year -by year, since' the ! opening,'. greater ;■ responsibility .'had been : on the Department, ..until to-day, we found: students from all:. parts';of ■ the. world- coming* to this' Dominion',to • study' .our' labour • legislation- on .the spot,'not..being content:.to take"newspaper-,accounts,of ,the position. Purther,-. they frequently'..went; back. with the avowed ..object. of' trying, to ..-introduce our , 'measures'.into', their own' countries. He: thought! he!could'safely say' that no country, in- the .world'.'; could ,'show,, such progress , in-labour -legislation l -. as'. ; New Zealand, could.'. ■This,. Was : .only avyoung country, and "'we':'couldi'do what' older countries could riot try;;,'-Different' results from different'- causes were , 'seen-in the older countries,, and'.-we 'in. New,. Zealand were,, watching;- .and- • benefiting. There were-a' few . impetuous"'spirits who did their -.best--to' frighten■ the 'worker, 'but he '. thought, that the ■ good ■'sense of 'the pboplewpuia-.notYbe'affected.-by ithese.

Protection and/Not Persecution. i,;> ■ ■- : , The ;bepariment lid not.baen promoted for. purposes' of persecution,.. but for protection, and" as .long as. he was' Minister ha would'.see that:the Department .was used, for the, purpose ; for. , which .it formed.-. Beferring-'.to\. a suggestion that .certain, union Secretaries Had'been bnbed by:an appointment to inspectorships, Mr.: Millar., remarked, that no man had ever- been bribed to' come into ■' the Department.: l 'Secretaries of- unions, ; by : their very work, were- experienced' men, and knew the Acts, and so: long as they were level-headed men they could administer tno law ably and'without preference , rho secvetaries chosen.as inspectors of factories'wero. amongst the.best officers of the Dopartmeht. Indirectly the fie-1 partment had prevented many disputes which might have caused suffering'. to thousands of people. If only one of these disputes had been prevented, -.'he.' still thought the Department would have justified its existence. , He. thought that both employer and employee would grant it that the Department- was doing its .Vet i«,bath adgs.. M 1« .had..ai^ia

would, not, ;as long as he .was Minister, allow : anyone :to '■■■ persecute: people, but wherever a. breach of agreement or fiance of- the law-was seen the "Department would follow it up;.and'any officer! who did not- do his. duty, would, have to reckon with him (the Minister). The Department .was honestly; striying/.to ..benefit both sides and to bring, happiness; prosperity, and wealth to all portions of the- community.- ' ■ . : ... , the .Prime Minister Satisfied. ' , sir Joseph Ward, in' congratulating tne Department on , being' permanently housed,, expressed: his appreciation of the great work , done by the Department with human nature constituted as; it is they mighy ust as' easUy expect to reach we Pole 'and plant -a' flag - there in 24- hours as to; expect, a: great Department hke this to give .satisfaction-■' to every single individual. It was an impossibility. ..to please ■'■ everyone. ''.They:.had u> judge by;the ; net results, on what was done from year's.end to year's end, and so judging the results were entirely satisfactory. Continuing, , the Prime Minister urged that it would be, an.act "of madness to go baok. to the old .'conditions of '■ a N.1 1 j , ere the employer' 6 ■ wealth . was pitted against :the employees' inaction. Only- within the last twelve months- one of the older' colonies' had copied New ■Zealand.: by ■ instituting ..'a' Minister far Labour.'and following, the'-■New -Zealand system. This\was Canada.,-. .The. result of tie labour legislation was tnat the.people, here were, incomparably , better, off than the people of the British Dominions and the United ;• States.. It was. something, to be, proud-of. that a young .country like this could, accomplish what it had; in. fifteen or sixteen 'years.After :referring,generally-.to.'.the.;6tate of affairs,- Sir .Joseph .went; on': to ".deal with the pessimist: and.the croaker:- If these 1 ' few people .wore'not satisfied,, the'.quicker' they .shook t ihe v dfet;;bf? New: Zealand: off their feet the -better,-for .themselves and :the'.bert«.for;, Newr.Zealand.-',.(Hear, I hear.) ;.It had; been predicted- in New Zealand -and' sent oufeide'of! the-Domin-ion country, was; ruining 'on .to bankruptcy.-.:>• Only that: morning',.they 5?- pap K t^ at - dilTin K tHe'past U months there, had been, a -gain- of.''4ooo people. /Notwithstanding' the: declamatorv effusions •■ of. theT croaker we, find this iiforease: V: ' During the:, present-.'year,\>Sir .Joseph predicted,, and for some y«ars ;to come, -New-Zealand , will be,'on":the roid of continuous and 'i improving ■prosperity.: Go .where you Uke'. throughout New - Zealand;.at .the;pr«sent; time, there-' were signs of. improvement; and' even 'some.: of'.''the oroaking. family' were-:-:n6w 'pointing' :to the: oomplete; change, -. Money- was-, plentitul,,, much,. more' .so',- than I it. had been tor,-a : very'.long.;.time, and-it..-was'-in-teresting.-to note-that -the :rate of-;in- : wrest:had,just been-r«duoed'.Ky.some of the -lending institutions., • The -sooner rates; of:, interest; were -lowered.' tho 'better it would.'.be .for . the' industrialvcomm'unity, and the'peoplefgenerally.'' The Government financial- barometer .wasnotonlv pointing to;"fair"' but;beyond fair; "T^ , '' m ' ;3^« ar Pr^sed^the toast of • rhe.;New: Zealand Employers' Federation,, and the New Zealand; Trades and ! Labour--Councils' ■ Eieoutive/'-' and.'/speak--iiigjenerally,; remarked,''.-that-! ;the-, .em!?ffi s ,'' :^ed .**? ,;] ?epartm-!iiti'--hel-jed. tk e^ e !?* 9 '-? d helped As to theTrade 9a nd ; Labour: Council, evTry one of the members of the councU thatheikriew was a- pereonal..fri«nd:..of; his, and -the same .remark ,_■ applied -to ■•.:■ the', Un oi secretariea heknew: True, the-Dep'aVt- ■^ en -J?^ eth e:parbes.something.to cavil L A\'a S ny ' of ;the size; thatdid_ not must needs be: a-'.company ■': of archangels.- If the Reeling Mr., S. had Tomarked;on,-however,;had-'grown,lip,,he1 ip,,he was.suro.itwas-a brand new feelingf For. yearsthe department had-been*, a'sort of lubncant-onlhe'wheels wMch'.ground'betweon; labour and capital;- and M- did/not think, the DepartmentTshould, be blamed too. much.... -Personally,, as: most-people *new, hevlopked.upon.ths Trades'and Councils as valuable 'bodies.-' In & Uhoa h'■%* 'ereat giant, .had,.not :becn,able to express-'itself.'but it was now turning over,: and"its',babbliiiK wasbecoining'-a', little -more 'coherent.' The timo was- coming when: Labour ■would'be clear m its utterances. , :- *•' -" ■■■ ; A Mr. Pryor, secretary:of the Employers' -fe'f 1 ?..' :B-: Eeylinga' re-' plied Ao, the^toasti.. -Mr:;. Pryor: remarked on:the, tactful move' whiqh had-brought .tne employer and omployee.toßether, and characterised ;th'e Hon. Mr..Millar a^; more .of-a representative of every, class of the' people -than: : any. other,-member of Par--hament'to-day: He was trusted 1 by.-every-as; ah- honest,: shrewd'-'. Scotchman.boft and if one wanted .him. to. do anything or. take certain, action, the first :thing"to Ibe' done to convince .him, that it ; 'was , -right; •Once he made up.his'mind he went-ahead. :. ;A ? vM^Mr.^: Tregear, one saw of ■ him ;the -better" him- as,ari ■estimable"and"lovable Englist'geiitleman.' From, the employers' standpoint, However, 'he.mifrht.be too sympathetic to the'-work-'(Laughter.) Employers', complained. ,Ditterly-at times,:but they-knewi'that the ;ollicers,of ■'the Department, were .desirous ■'ofjrmng each; eide, a", square -deal;.: ■-':.'.■ ■ -Other., toasts .honouied; .were ;"The Bsi;tors" and'"The- Press"."/ Several musical items .were■given;during .the', afternoon.; '.