THE GOVERNMENT'S TASK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1912, 21 November 1913, Page 8

THE GOVERNMENT'S TASK.

AN APPRECIATION. v ' FARMERS ON THE LABOUR LAWS. i ■ (By Teleuraph.—Press Association.! \ ■ ' Hawera, November 20. At/ a meeting of the Taranaki Provincial Executive of the Farmers' Union to-day, the following resolution, was carried unanimously:—"That this executive desires to tender to tlie. Government its. hearty, congratulations on the manner in . which .it has met the present very grave industrial crisis, and, further, the executive wishes to stato that, it recognises what a very difficult* position the Government, and especially the Hon. Minister of Justice, has been placed in in connection with the preservation of the peace." A motion was also passed regretting the present industrial trouble, and stating that the execntivo is of opinion that some of.the labour legislation how: oil the Statute Book is partly responsible for it. The executive considers that the law should be altered in the direction of preventing a repetition of the present crisis, and asking the Dominion Advisory Committeo of tho Union to'closely watch any Bill deal-' ing with future industrial legislation. A further resolution was agreed to in which the executive stated that it had always been opposed to anything in the direction of preference tounion- . ists, and pointing out that this industrial trouble convinced it that it "'as •essential to the welfare of tho primary industries and the Dominion as a whole that every labourer should .have absolute freedom to work as ho wished whether he belouged to a union or not, and that ho be secured against any form of intimidation. The executive hoped that the Government, when introducing legislation dealing .with labour, will bring this about. A resolution of thanks was passed to Mr. J. G-. Wilson, Dominion president, for tho valuable services which he had rendered 'to the farming community _ and tho country generally in connection with tho present trouble, •