THE ARBITRATION ACT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2077, 11 May 1907, Page 1

THE ARBITRATION ACT.

In the course of his speech at Timaru on May 3rd the Acting-Premier said that one matter which had not been without its effect on tlic prosperity of the colony was the recent industrial trouble which had arisen in rogard to tlic frozen meat trade. The Arbitration Act had’ been in operation for a number of years, and he believed ho correctly gauged the feeling of working men on the question when lie said they wished that Act to stand. The workers realised that their position had been improved under its provisions, and that if its clauses were not enforced they could not hope to retain the ground which they had gained. He believed that the position of the woi'kers would be improved still further anil that il they took a poll of working men they would say “Let the Arbitration law he maintained.” He was sorry when he saw events occur which might have been avoided, if appeal had

been made to the Arbitration Com t to settle .the differences which existed. In tlic case of a strike both employers and employees suffered, for

the plant and machinery of the employers had to ho idle, returning no

interest on the capital sunk in their construction, and the employee lost the wherewithal to properly maintain himself and his family. When there was a judicial tribunal which could deal with disputes, and which had dealt with them in the past, he urged every working man in the colony to see that disputes were referred to that Court. If this were not done the result would be that a great deal of bad feeling would arise. Strikes embittered .-all who were connected with them, and left a lot of bad feeling behind them. The final course of the Arbitration Act was quite clear. Those who offended against its pio visions were fined, and if the fines

were not paid the offender was liable to imprisonment. They must not enforce the law against one individual, and not 1 against another. There must ho no such tiling as “one law for the rich and another for the poor.” It was the clear duty of the Administration to see that the law was administered in its entirety. That duty might he a painful one, but it was not to be avoided. He had heard that some of those who had penalties imposed upon them in connection with the recent strike had not yetpaid their fines. Let him say that tlroy were acting unwisely in taking that course, for the law would be strictly enforced. The greatest "faultin the Arbitration Act was that there had boon some delay in dealing with

cases submitted to the Court

doubt ,the events which had recently occurred had brought this defect more prominently under" his notice than might otherwise have been the case. In any event it was now evident that an alteration was necessary, so that when an application was made for an award by any person, either employer or employee, the case should be dealt with within a reasonable time. The machinery of the Act would have to be arranged so that a case should-be heard within at least one month of an application being made,