PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1904, 12 November 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY Opinions on the strike situation wore fexchangcd by tho Leader of the. Opposition and tho Prime Minister when tho Houso mot yesterday afternoon. Sir Joseph Ward asked the Prime Minister to mako a statement to tho House Regarding tho strike, and Mr. Massey Wid so. He said in offect that negotiations had brokon down, but that the iporgo at the ports was being handled lj)y new workers, who would have to ho considered in any subsequent terms of [Settlement. 1 Then Sir. Joseph Ward went on to at some length his ideas of |the situation. He enlarged. upon the fjhann' being wrought by tho deadlock, (jand urged! that Parliament ought to /toko the trouble out of the hands of the parties, and; by legislation, vset up an independent tribunal which ("could draft terms_ of settlement. If '.either party were dissatisfied they could ( appeal to a tribunal of three Supremo : Court Judges. If this appeal court : ratified the terras, they could be em--1 bodied in a binding agreement by Order-(in-Council. . 1 Mr. Massey said he hact no such faith !'3n the efficacy of legislation in Buch a f case as the present, as tho Leader_oi '. the Opposition appeared to have. The ! trouble, he said, was that tbo employi jers would not treat with the Federation i of Labour, being determined to extm- ! guish this body once and for all. He ' expressed his own opinion, without t mincing his words, about the foreign ; agitators who are the leaders of th« ! Federation, and su'ggosted that the > sooner these persons shako the dust or cAhis country from their feet tho better lit would be. He also said . that _ the •speech of the Leader of the Opposition Iflvould probably prolong the troublo.. } Tho interrupted debate on the motion nor leavo to bring in the Second Ballot ijlill was the first item on. the Order Paper, but it was further adjourned tntil noxt sitting day. ' The Prime Minister made his promised statement as to tho business to como forward this session. As appears from the statement, ■ the programme is a fairly formidable one. . The debate on the Board of Agriculture Bill was resumed, and' the discussion went on. into the night. Generally tho Bill found support from the Government members, and the Opposition members sought to damn the Bill ,\vith faint praise. ■ . . , The Railways Authorisation Bill was l-ead a second time after a brief debate. The House rose at 0.20 a.m. In the Legislative Council the Mutual •J?ire Insurance Amendment Bill was fead a first time, and two Bills were received from tho House of Representatives.