INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1512, 7 August 1912, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

AMENDMENT OF THE ARBITRATION ACT. PROVISIONS FOE-SECRET BALLOT. It is. very ranch to be.regretted that at the present.time.there.is,in New Zealand a certain amount of industrial unrest, ami that strikes arc much more frequent than was the case some years ago. New Zealand is, of course, 110 exception in this respect, many other countries liavin.s similar troubles. Tlio strikes at Waih'i and Rcefton have, however, l>een very serious not only for those districts, but also on account of the loss to the Dominion as a whole; and the loss is not only in money, but in population, quite a number of people from the localities immediately concerned having taken' their departure for Australia and other places. shown how difficult it is to provide a remedy for such disputes, but no effort is being spared by the Government and the Labour Department to bring about a satisfactory and honourable settlement of the troubles that' have occurred. It is intended by the Government to introduce this session an amendment of the Industrial Conciliation audi Arbitration Act which will go in the direction of altering the constitution of the Arbitration Court, so that, instead of one Judge of the Arbitration Court, each Supreme Court Judge will preside over the Arbitration Court in the district in which he is .resident, except in 'eases where Dominion awards arc asked for or are being dealt with. Expert Representatives. Instead of making permanent represent tatives of the employers' associations or industrial workers' unions members of the Court, as at present, it is intended to provide for expert representatives from each side in the trade or industry affect,ed, who will sit with the President in the heaving of cases coming before the Court. Another important amendment will be a provision for a secret ballot for the decision of important questions by industrial unions of workers or by employers' associations. _ There are other matters of comparatively, minor importance which will be dealt with in the Bill. We realise that legislation is not always a remedy: but the Government trusts by strict impartiality, and with the assistance of right-thinking people both in Parliament and of it, to remove causes of friction, and restore industrial peace and prosperitv to both clashes connected with those industries in which matters are at present in a somewhat, unsatisfactory state. Tt. should he tlie object of every State which has the welfare of it- wage-earners at heart to set an example in the matter of the treatment of its own employees. The State should, a= far as lies within if.s power, be a model emnloyer; the Government will snare no effort to shoulder 1 its responsibilities in this respect. WORKERS' HOMES. EXTENSION OF THE SCHEME. It is intended by the Government to ask Parliament for the necessary authority to extend and modify the workers' home; scheme so ns to make it apply more satisfactorily to country districts' and to the requirements of married farm-workers and others. An amendment of the Loans to Local Bodies Act will be introduced, giving county councils the right to borrow for the purpose of providing workers' homes, so that, local authorities it t.iiev feel so inclined, may undertake this ver'v desirable work for themselves; but the Government will also l>e prepared, on a reasonable guarantee being given by a local body or a certain number of responsible men, to provide humes in suitable localities tor persons accustomed to farm work who prefer life in the country to life in the cities or towns. The area ol land will be. from one 1.0 ten acres in e/uih r.iue, acftordiuj to tho i of the occupant*, file annual payment

will be calculated at 5 per cent, interest, ■ with sufficient sinking fund to pay off the • capital value in, say, twenly-fivc years. > It is hoped by (lie-e 'proposal's H provide • bright ami healthy sui-rmindinss, nnd sa ■ make country lifo more attractive (o many rwho are jit present urmvilvd into the centres of population. Already thu population of the towns and citios'oceeds the , population of the country districts. This .„ is a state of affairs which must, be remet died if prosperity is to continue, and the , lioveniinont is of opinion that the propo- . sals referred to will increase the number nf producers and assist in properlv adjusting the population a- between" town ' and country. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. A SPECIAL SINKING ITXII. "At present we erect buildings out of . loan moneys, and it they ore destroyed '»' , Jj,*, 0 . , v? i' e build them out of loan moneys.'" - i ft ' s an ra fi'act from a memorandum i' v i i '""'ifT-fcerctarv for Public AVork-s » dated June 8 last. The Government can- • not allow sr.ch an unsatisfactory conjli.ion of things to continue for a day longer. Tho matter was submitted to the > (-tovcrnmeiit Actuary, and he has rccom- ■ mended that a special sinking fund be ■ established to meet fire insurance losses, ■ and that .£IO,OOO per annum should be > Paul nut of Consolidated Fund and ini vested with (ho Public Trustee, who • should be intruded to keep the fund •airly liquid, lie further suggests (hat when the fund reaches .£IOO,OOO no furl her payments need be made out of the Consolidated Fund; that the State should continue to run (he risk as at present of losses that occur until the payments into the fund, accumulated at compound in- ! ter-ost, amount (o j≥loo.ooo. The Govern- ; ment has decided to adopt the Actuary's ; suggestions with the exception nf the last one. It is so obviously unsound to ieplace buildings destroyed by fire out nf ' tho Public Works Fund that it has been • decided to meet these out of the Con- • splidated Fund, instead of cut of the Puh- • lie Works Fund as in the fast, taking a ■ iportiou of the cost from the accumulated • sinking fund above referred to, but so ■ that the sinking fund is never less than i .£IO,OOO. With good fortune in resp.-cl of ■ fires, it is hoped that, in a few years' time. ■ the accumulation of the sinking fund • will amount to .£IOO.OOO, when, the Actuary reports, the contributions from ■ the Consolidated Fund may cease. ROADS AND BRIDGES. ASSISTING PIOXEER SETTLERS. The Government are fully impre.-sej with tho urgent necessity of improving tho,means of communication for the settlers in the out-districts. Owing to the financial condition prevailing in Britain, it may bo necessary to restrict in other directions the expenditure from tl\e Public Works Fund, "but every effort will be made to provide not less than tho usual amount for the opening up of tho back-counlry and assisting pioneer settlers.