SLAUGHTERMEN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 852, 25 June 1910, Page 3

SLAUGHTERMEN.

ATTITUDE TO LABOUR LAWS, i MINISTER APPROACHED. OPINIONS OF THE CONFERENCE. A deputation, representative of the slaughtermen's conference, waited upon the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Labour, yesterday and brought forward a number of resolutions passed by the 'conference dealing with the labour matters. The deputation which was introduced by Mr. D. M'Laren, M.I 1 ., consisted of Messrs. Jones (president of the Federation), Sill (president of the Auckland Union), Eraser (Southland), Jackson (Gisborae), Weir (Canterbury), and M. ,T. Reardon, secretary, of the Wellington Union. ' ' Mr. Reardon said the deliberations of tie conference had been mainly confined to the question of tlie Workers Compensation for Accidents Act. The conference considered there were certain shortcomings in tho Act —for'instance, there was a clause in tlie interpretation relating to partial dependents and total dependents. Owing to the exigencies of the slaughtering trade very few of- the members of .the union were "permanently" employed. They probably started at Auckland and finished in Australia. A good many of the men. wero Australians and if an accident happened to them in New Zealand they were deprived of tho benefits of the Act'. Their work was l particularly dangerous,, principally from | the risk of blood-poisoning. The de- ! iiuition worker did not include a. man ■ who earned over £5 a week. During the season slaughtermen earned up to £8 - or, £9 a week, but the period of employment at that rate was brief., It had not been intended, lie urged, that 'men so employed should be deprived i of the benefits of tho Act. : For the purposes of the Act lie thought ¥ a computation should he made _ on the yearly earnings. In winter these men would only evon 15s. or £1 a week, so their position was not to be compared to that of the man' who got a regular salary of £250 por year. He was sure it had not been intended to class a slaughterman getting £;> a week for the busy s?a.soii with these men. After referring to the matter of the appointment of a medical referee in cases of accidents, Mr. Reardon went on to the necessity of an amending cla.use ill regard to the rights of men to contract out <?f compensations. The Act gavo the men power to dep'rivo ■ themselves of . the benefits of the Act under certain conditions, and tho union urged that it should not be in tho power of the companies to get tho men to sign away any privileges they might bo entitled to under the Act. The speaker quoted cases where this had been done, instancing particularly the case, of a large .Auckland firm. In the second schedule of tho Act, provision was made for compensation for tho loss of an eye, a ha.nd, or a foot, but there was no provision made if a man • lost • one of his fingers or toes or ajiy other - member. A slight amendment in . tills direction might' be brought in to simplify mattens. ■ Reference was then made by tho speaker to a scheme for compulsory, insurance \vith the State (reported elsewhere), and to the advisableness of considering vhether or not a medical man should be retained by tho State in the. various towns,i tlie officer to ' bo independent of either the men or the insurance companies, and in a position to determine whether a man was fit for ■employment again after an accident, and, if so, for what employment. Such a scheme would protect tho mon from what he was almost inclined to term tho rapacity of the accident insurance companies, doing business in New Zealand at the present .time. Tho facts brought out in tho case of tlic Penguin disaster with regard to passengers not bc'.ng entitled to compensation from the carrying company was an anomaly in'view of tho position if a man met with an accident whilst travelling on a train or a tram, and proved the accident due to. 'negligence on the part of the ■ carrier. Tho conditions printed on the back of a passenger ticket should not deprive a person of his righ'os at common law. The Minister interposed that ho i'houghit it would bo found if inquiry wa,s_ made that compensation had been pa,id to relatives of .passengers without court proceedings being taken. Advances to Workers Aot. "Tho slaughtermen here as you knoiv promised to bo on ttoir best'behavioui, continued Mr. Reardon, referring to tlie Advances to Workers Act, and, he continued, the union's executive h:id been' casting about for means to improve the position of members. of tho organisation. Mr. Rear-, (ion ivent on to outline a scheme by which the union should be allowed to collect subscriptions from members for the purpose of building tup.. a fund which would, with slight alterations in tho Advances to Workers Act, enable the union to fake second mortgages, and so defeat the. movements of the jerry builders and land speculators who now put up houses by really working on the Advances to Workers Act. Arbitration and Conciliation. There were, said Mr. Reardon, sevoral suggestions and amendments the union would like to put forward in regard to the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. In January last bis union ,had met the employers and had arrived at an agreement, which was signed bv tho parties. Technically, however, there was no dispute, as neither partv had been cited. ' ■ • . ' _ Mr. Millar: I am dealing with that in an- amendment I am bringing down Mr. Reardon said the union had been put in a very unsatisfactory position, and the wholo of the agreements'entered into then were not worth tho paper they wero written on. The union considered that where there was an organisation covering the whole of the Dominion, provision should bo made for a Dominion award. Tho present machinery was cumbrous, and he thought they should be allowed to have one hi" union covering the "whole of New Zealand. Slaughtermen would have clone away with local unions, but the difficulties under the Act were insuperable. MINISTER IN REPLY. After hearing .the views of three other mombers of the deputation, the Minister replied at some length. As to the Workers' Compensation for' Accidents Act, said Mr. Millar, it was impossible to soo when it was framed what might arise in legal quibbles. The intention of tho Act, however, was that the maximum benefits should be given to tho workers. He knew a case which had come under his. own personal notice where a speculative lawyer had taken action which resulted in an award for £400, But the widow concerned only received £220. This was simply feeding a class of men he did not want to benefit. There were other cases of a somewhat similar nature, where tho lawyers acting for the injured persons received sums out of all proportion. The intention of the Act was that where a man was injured he should bo paid for the loss of half time, and tho schedule of the Act provided for compensation for future loss of earning power. Australia and New Zealand. The Minister considered that where a man went through the New Zealand season and then on to Australia reciprocity should bo agreed to. The issuing of an Order-in-Counuil making tho New Zealand Act protect- Austra-

lians whilst they were here would ensuro New Zealundcrs working part of the season in Australia being protected. In reply to Mr. Reardon, the Ministor said such an Ordcr-in-Council had not been brought into force, but he would mulio inquiry as to the States in in Australia if the arrangement could be applied to. It appeared to him that there would have to bo ail amendment to deal with "seasonal" tradesslaughtering and shearing. Clauso 5 was a very difficult one, said Mr. Millar. Having regard to the number of small employers in New Zealand, if the usual seven days' leave after the accident wero done away with there would be an enormous increase in accident premiums. Such an increase would mean that the small men would b<i unable to pay the premiums, and would not bo ablo to pay compensation. Knowing the increase there would be in premiums, lie was afraid to touch this question. However., he would place the matter before Ilia colleagues. As to a man contract- , Ing himself out of the full benefits of the Act, ho personally objected .to anyone contracting himself out of his legal rights. An Important Statement. Dealing with Mr. Reard.on's suggestions as to the'advances to.workers, Mr. Millar said tho Government had decided to go on entirely different lines for the future, which would prevent the speculator using the worker and Act. Tho Government had had standard plans drawn up for. four, five, and sisroomed and two-story houses, and workers who desired to get an advance to build would get these plans free. The Government would thus know exactly the class of building they wero advancing money on, and the applicants would havo the choice of ten or twolve designs prepared by the architect'who designed tho workers' dwellings for the Government. This was not philanthropy on the part of the Government. Tho buildings had to bo paid for, but on such an easy basis that a rental of 13s. to 16s; per week, including rates and taxes, would enable tho worker to own his own place. In conclusion, Mr. Millar remarked that if employers and workers would ODly get together, they could make their settlements without going to any Court. An amendment would bo made to tho effect that where any voluntary agreement was entered into, it would have tile same effect as an award. ■ Tho question of arranging for a colonial award was also being considered. Tho matters ho had referred to would all be dealt with in legislation to bo brought forward this session, and ho hoped-the Bill would meet with tho approval of the workers.