LABOUR'S CLAIMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3132, 10 July 1917, Page 6

LABOUR'S CLAIMS

AMENDMENTS TO LEGISLATION

ECHO OF WAIHI STRIKE

A deputation representing the Labour Congress held in Wellington last week interviewed the Hon. W. U. Hemes yes(uidiiy in order to place before him some of the resolutions of the congress. Mr. lk-nies received the deputation in the absence of the Minister of Labour, tho liight Hon.'W. ¥. Massey. The delegates ivere introduced by Mr. A. J. Walker, M.P.

Mr. Howard said there was the tendency at tlie present time for Parliament to confine its attention to matters connected-directly with the war. The result was not to the advantage of NewZealand. Labour felt that it was slipping back. The timo when the Dominion led the ' way in industrial and social reform had passed, and the workers felt that they were not being treated fairly. Parliament ought not to postpone attention to their needs until the d\>se of the war. Nobody could say that tho war would end wfttifn any rensonablo period. The losses of Hie contending ap r pcared to be about equal. The cost to the British Empire amounted to about Is. Gd. per head of Hie white population daily, and there seemed to be no economic rnnson ifhy the struggle should not continue for many years. It misht continue, like -the battle of the Kilkenny eats, until there was nothing left but the tails. The Labour Congress felt, under these conditions, that matters of importance to tho workers ought to receive consideration. Mr. Howard proceeded to enumerate the matters that in the opinion of the Labour Congress required attention: They included amendments to the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act;, the adoption of a universal Sriurday half-holiday, free legal assistance for appellants before Military Service Boards, and the prevention of victimisation in connection with past strikes at Waihi and elsewhere. Mr. Howard . mentioned that the congress had arranged for the drafting of a Bill amending the Conciliation and Arbitration Act in tho direction of permitting the registration of federations of workers.

The Hon. J. T. Paul mentioned the need for improved regulations for the heating of shops and factories. Evoryody recognised that the war was the outstanding fitft of the national life at the present time, but the war had continued for three years, and might not end until other years had passed. The people, of New Zealand were playing their 'part in the war, and it was not reasonable to ask them to neglect domestic affairs altogether. The war was proving "a perfect-. God-send" to some people, lint excusing them from doing things that required to be done for the welfare of the people of the Doitiinion. The ordinal activities of tho nation need not bo suspended on account of the war. Mr. K. Jude, representing the Waihi Miners' Union, made a special appeal for the ending of "victimisation" in connection with the 1913 strike at Waihi and elsewhere. He said that the mining company had resolutely refused to employ certain men, ever since the 1913 strike. Most of the; men were married and had , children dependent upon them. There were twentynine of these men in Waihi and about forty outsiiie the district who would return old occupation if allowed , to do so. The mine superintendent had stated that sixty 'men now working at Waihi who had been loyal to the company in 1913, now objected to any of tho "black-listed" men being employed in the mines. Mr. Jude added that the people of New Zealand had been asked to drop all private and sectional differences in time of war. and he urgfd that the men who were denied employment at Waihi had lieen punished sufficiently for aiiy fault auejfd against them. The old quarrel should be dropped. Mr. Hetties: It would have to apply to both sides. There would have to bo no victimisation by the union. .Mr.-Jude: We have tried every means short of victimisation on our part"to bring about a settlement. v Mr Herries, in reply, said that the reason why Parliament was not being osked to handle domestic legislation -was that controversial matter could not be handled by a National Government formed for war purposes, and by a Farliampnt that had airreed to sink party for tho time being. Machinery amendments to existing legislation would not come under the ban, but the deputation would 1 understand that an amending Bill would onen up the whole field of controversy. He would place the views of the deputation before Cabinet and see what could lie .done in the directions suggested by the deputation. .He agreed that defects in existing legislation should be amended with as little delay as possible.