LABOUR AND THE LAW.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 959, 28 October 1910, Page 6

LABOUR AND THE LAW.

INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. THE AMENDING BILL. WHAT THE EMPLOYERS THINX. The annual , conference of delegate from the affiliated associations.of the ' New Zealand Federation of Employers was resumed yestenjay, when, tho committee set up the previous day to draft a report upon the Industrial Concilia-. ■ tioji and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill, .now before Parliament; presented . its report, which was adopted.--: '■ ~ TH-E BILL UNDER CRITICISM. APPROWAfiS AND OBJECTIONS. ; The following is the rosumo author '"'. ised for publication;— .- ..- ' .- : i : Clause 2of the Bill, providing for the : appointment of members of ■ the Court and emergency- members, was objected to, as the .proposed alteration in proce- - : aure is considered to be cumbersome and unnecessary, and the provisions of the " present law adequate. . :-. ' . Clauses 3 and 4—name of union, to in- ' dicate the class of worker;, and cancella- ■'■' tion of registration not to affect the' ! award—were, approved; as was also Clause : i of union limited" to'di*' trict whore its" members reside. '■■"< .J Clause 6—industrial agreement may be : '"'■■ made into an award. The principle of ' ! tne conversion of industrial' agreement* ' 4 into awards was approved, subject to >: ■'■' proviso ; giving the Court power to alter ■ agreements, as it thinks.fit, before mat- ■•! ing .the awards. ,The reason for the'W- ■ quest of the proviso vis that industrial ~: agreements may. contain proposals which ' i are beyond the jurisdiction of the Court,' < and'which would therefore Tender them-. I null and void if converted into an U award. '. : : ■' \ v

Clause. 7—a dispute to cover more than • j ono industrial district—was not objected ''■ ;to,,the committee being of opinion that it '?'* simplified/ the present practice. •'. •■>*, : , Clause 8,-which:, provides' for a Donmv. "\ ion award; in .'certain cases, was ; approved' .■■■ tor the. same reason. . , ■ ~ 9,- setting out the'"procedure tt,'~ : - be adopted where no settlement is ar-?'■■■ rived at, was objected to, and Clause ML , ', providing that where there are no >Ee--gistrars of Courts the;Clerk,.of : Awards ■'-■'. be referred to, was approved. . ' . . ■; Clause U,: giving preference of ; em- f ; ployment to members of industrial unions ot. workers, was strongly objected to, ■ af : '. : ','- it made unionism practically compulsory, ' and was a tyrannical : and nnjust provi- ■-!" ivm. ' ,• , ..■'..; ._. •■:' ,x ;'j: The provision, that .contracts for per. ''■ fonnance of work , .■ to. be subject to ->i award in , certain respects, as coutained •'-'' to. Clanse 12, was objected to as imprac-' and that it .would be niinous to iseveral industries which were dependent' on'work being let by'contract.- ■ . .•■' ■' < Clause 13-' ron and after the passing ■■ of .this Act/penalties for. the breach of ■ : an award or industrial agreement (whe-ther-the breach was committed before , or I 'after the passing of this Act) shall .be. ■ recoverable, by action in the' Court of Ar-" bitration and not otherwise"—\?as strong. : ly supported. , ; - " f:- ' ■ '; ■ Clause U—awards to be .in , ' ."■-. with statutory proviswhs—was irppro'veda ' but Clause 15, providing that a- sitting' ' of.tho. Court .shall- be lield : in l Wellington, ChristcKurch, aad Dcjiedin, ' at least once in every three months, was objected ■ ' :.- . . .

The first schedule of' thed3in : was'appaw. ed.and i 2 the second schednla a furttrer' amendment to Section 10, Subjection 7, of. me' 1908 Act,' was \recomn>ended, - givingi [the right to appeal;against the registratoon oi any union-, .To Section 32, Sni--' section 4, it was decided to request thati' Beven days be' substituted instead of three, and that the alteration to Section 50, Sub-sectwn. 1, be obifected to. . . .- The'.iqllowin'g. further.icsolniion in, »•. «ard to: the proposal to prohibit cojj. ■tracts'-was'carried:—;':. - ... ■".'■•■:■■■

• .That-, this 1 federation represent "to fie~ Government the injtosttce, of Secfion JZ'r" of the Bill now ibefore the House to all ; classes of emplo|ers, '■'. inasmnbh :as it.' ■■; forces 'employers to 'guaTaiifiee 'thaf ! 'the'- :, contract price agreed upon shall .not be ' less than the 6um wnicn tie contiacfjir. ■■! and his workmen; could hafecained dra-' j ing the time. actually worked hy'thenr' s at, the'.hourly wages fixed-by the «wird, ( -,j although,'; the employer hits no ■ cqiitrol' j under' the .contract over tihe manner iw ;i which th« contractor and liis workman:';olioso to workj. and atthongh .they may. : ; work tardily or indifferently., . And- thaf ■ .'■] the federaHon do,. therefore, strenuonslj ''■'* oppose tho passing of, the olause in qnes , ' | tion."' ' ■ .'.-■' •-.■■■•■ :'.')

;.'.'-, VABWUS RESOLUTWNS, . '\% i. Various otiieV resolutions w*re adopted >, as follow;— -,' ' j ; -..- :-',-::■■■';:■:;

' ; A Magistrate's Decisions, 'v "That thie : federation.- stronglyvprofeJs;. against the. rniiags of ■Mr J HaseJdwi, ;'• 'S-Ui, in several cases of breaoh.of the pie-;? ference olause of awaids, wherein ■ lieji gave 'decisions contrary to ,fhe rulingis of;; ;the Court of Arbitration." . >:.. \i ; ;'' Cumpalsory Proferetice Protested Againitr*

-.."That .this federation desires to -enter : B an emphatic' protest against <x>mpuisp]y,.. ; :,. preference, to unionists either by itioni or by Arbitration Court Award, aadVs thai representations be mado to the Got-;;'; .eminent against jUie provision iil[. that;';f direction of ■ the amending Bill jtist nt; S troduccdi;, and especially , enjoins o:i :iv»{?< ployera the. necessity'for emphasising. thie!*'-1 principle in. proceedings before 5,1 tion Commissioners or the Arbitration'.. , ; -Court." .'••■.:■. ■ •■■•: ,-f ;V',:; • ■ Against Prospective Legislation.'/,,///;' . 'That the Federation consider the kdviii:/?? ability oi-recommending that.in conneo>A : : ■tion with'all industrial disputes euplojv'-i ers should ask the; Court to ■■insert:'ia'-'J every , award Clause 14 of the r Wfllling-LJ tan cooks' .and• waiters' award; "dafoiy.;* July 15, 1910, which .a,sallist:-:j prospective legislation." - ' M(v' : ;';'S ■ . ■ Farmers' Unions! , ..... i^ "That the Advisory Board be .requested?* to devise a sphenio.by which the farm-:.| ers of the Dominion might become affili-,i ated with, the Federation and.the.yai>'s; ious employers' associations should /endeavonr to" meet represents trees of dis-'; trict fariners'- unions to' fnrther the-ob», jects of the above." ' '' ; 'V' , Fixed Holidays-Wanted../; ■;.;'.::•''.. ■■ "That the law,should be amended/e»> • as to enable provision to be made iiieach industrial district for all Tiolidays ..ex-. ■ cept those'at Christmas, New Year, and,' Easter, to be observed on.some fiiea dcy. , 'in the week." ~. '• ... '.»-:,.■':

CONCLUDING BUSINESS.: : ,3 On the recommendation of the Finance;! Committee the conference''resolved that;! an honorarium of 25.guineas belaid, to* Mr. W. A. GrcnMl (secretary of the-; Wellington Employers' Association), v for ; assistance rendered to the Federation sefri rotary dm - ing 'the year, : . • :..■! The.levy on affiliated .associations, 'was-'; fixed on the same scale as for tho pre-3 vibiis year. . ' : : ■■:■,'s A ■■ hearty vote of thanks was accorded ■ to the president (the Hon. C. M. Luke): for his conduct of the conference, to the Advisory Board, theParliamentary, Committee, Hie Fed'; oration secretary (Mr. W. Pryor), and his assistants, and to the. Wellington Em-, ployerjs' Association for its hospitality to; tho visiting delegates. ■" ' •{ Tho next annual meeting will be held; at 'Wellington in about 12 months' time. , .: the date to TJo fixed, by tho Advisory Board. < ■ • ■ - , .■■ - .. .■ '■■'■:

Tho Colonel—"So poor old'■ Miko has: committed suicide, has ho? Well, I shouldhavo thought that would have beon the; last thing he'd have done." Tennant—] "Which it were, sor." ■ ~ ..■:.'■] "I see that some of the scientists claim! that death is largely a matter of habit; depending upon thought and all .that; .-.\ he said. "Nonsense!", she replied. 'Did; you. ever know anyone who was in thoj habit of dying?", .■;■";. .■',.- \: £\

A Scotsman took'an American intoraj bar and asked him what he would take.? "I guess I'lltako champagne," the. Yanrj kee answered. "Then ye can guess again.! and guess something neawr tuppence ttiej timeJH ■■ ; ~. , : . ~. :. :. . ; i: ;'; : ;;:j