MILITANT LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1764, 31 May 1913, Page 6

MILITANT LABOUR.

WAGES BOARD PROPOSAL,

A DISCUSSION BY FARMERS.

"NO INTIMIDATION."

(By Telearraph.—Press Association.)

Christchurch, May 30. At the Farmers' Union Conference Mr. - Ci. W. Leadley, Dominion vice-president . moved:—'"That this conference.is of opin- i ion that recent and present methods of I militant labour unions are seriously re- 1 tarding tho progress and development of this iiominiou and that in order lo protect our' workers against tho tyranny of labour unionism, to promote industrial , peace, and to eiicourage private enterprise in expenditure and employment of capital, it is imperatively necessary to recast and amend our labour laws, and we therefore urge that: - "(1) Arbitration Courts and Conciliation Councils be abolished, und in lieu thereof there bo substituted Wages Boards, consisting of representatives of employers and . workers in equal numbers, with a Supreme Court Judge as president. That the functions of the said boards shall be limited to fixing the rate of. wages and hours of labour in each industry." "(2) That compulsory preference of employment to any person or persons bo absolutely abolished, and that freedom of contract (under the awards of the said Wages Boards, when such awards exist) as to all other conditions shall be granted to all alike." - "(8) That legislation shall be enacted making it u criminal oifenco for any person or persons, by threatening or ottering personal violence, using or making insulting or offensive remarks or epithets, or in any other way seeking to intimidate, deter, dissuade, or prevent any person or persons from working at, or following, or proceeding to or from their ordinary work or calling." Mr.: Leadley said there might be a good deal of criticism advanced against theso proposals. But the reason farmers took • up the matter was because they were tho most interested. All additional imposts filtered down to the farmers, who were the greatest purchasers of manufactured articles in the Dominion, because they were the most numerous. Tamers could not advance the prices of their goods, however, and the Arbitration Court could not help them one penny piece. Militant labour—unionism—was ccrtaiiily retarding the progress of the Dominion, ai.d men hesitated in launching forth on enterprises because they did not know what was going to' happsu to them. I'irst ot all the unions were satisfied Wl th the Arbitration Court, but when the Court could not' admit unreasonable demands they defied its authority and a reign of chaos began. A Wages Board Would be an advantage, because there were now two bodies dealing with one condition. The Arbitration Court and tli© Conciliation Counoii were slow. Tho latter had expert knowledge but no authority, and the former had authority and lacked expert knowledge: A Wages Board would include the good features of both the present bodies, as it would have both expert knowledge and authority, lie thought militant unionism would probably accept the findings of a W ages Board quite as well as it accepted the findings of tho present authority. At any rate ii would shorten and ease tho work ox adjudicators upon industrial matters. Referring to preference, the speaker asked what kind ol & howl would be raided it the farmers asked for and obtained preference. Continuing, he faid that no man who was not a unionist should send them stuff by .-railways,, yet they # had a perfect right to do this, but in his opinion no tribunal had any right to deprivo anv man of the rignt to earn a living it' he was prepared to work, under fair and proper conditions and, earn an honest livelihood. . . ~ Speaking to tho third section of the motion, tho moved described the intimidation that had been shown. Iho free ' labour'trouble at Timaru was due merely j to intimidation and the fear oi one man that he might get lluns - over the cliiis into the sea. The speaker referred toother cases of intimidation that had, wnie bafore him, and emphasised the fact that the motions be .brought forward were not moved with any feeling o£ hostility towards the genuine und honest labourer, but for the cause of eciual justice to-all. He' struck at the militant atheistic and anarchistic labour system which was the cause of all the dreadful troubles that ■had come upon ( the Dominion, especially •atvWailii. . ... ' Ho moved that the following committee be set up to discuss the matter Messrs. Sheat, Evans, Grigg, Horre 11, Beid, Ensor,*Jones, and Leadley, and pointed out that- the conference could discuss it later on. This course wa3 agreed to. The special committeo set up to consider the matter brought up by Leadley, presented tho. following finding: Phat we are of opinion that while the utterances of Mr; Leadley have called attention to the peculiar state of labour the time is not opportune to change from the Arbitration Act to a Wages Board. We desire,' 'however, to emphasise the fact that preference to unionists is- unfair, and against the interest of tho working population and the whole body politic, and that whilst not desiring to interfere with any -.existing industrial agreement or award, we strongly protest against any further preference being given to any section of workers, and further that a stringent measure be enacted to deal with intimidation of # any person or persons wishing to .work."