EMPLOYERS’ FEDERATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2173, 31 August 1907, Page 1

EMPLOYERS’ FEDERATION.

AMENDMENT OF COMPENSATION ACT WANTED. Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 29. The Employers’ Federation to-night passed a resolution protesting against the proposed inclusion -of clause 19a in the Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill. The Federation considered the Amending Arbitration Bill, and decided to wait on the Premier and Minister of Labor to-morrow.

It was decided in regard to the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act tlujt the Parliamentary Committee take action' with the object of getting clause 2 of the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act, 1905, altered to provide that compensation shall not exceed the amount lost by the employee through such accident. The following officers were elected for the .ensuing term: —President, Mr: H. Innes; vice-president,’Mr. W. G. Foster; treasurer, Mr. F. C. Crease; trustee, Mr. W. H. Bennett; auditor, Mr. W. C. Stephens; Parliamentary committee, the Hon. C. M. Luke, Mr. James Allen, iM.H.R., and Messrs. H. Seaton, J. Nicoll, J. Godber, N. F. Marke.v, G. H. Chapman, S. S. Brown, and R. A. Scott. It was decided to get a report of the' proceedings of the conference printed for distribution. The allocation for the ensuing fir aucial year was fixed on the sa.. terms as last j'e'ar. It was decided'that the head office be in Wellington during tlio next 12 months, and that the next annual meeting bo held in this city.

VLEAVE ON THE ARBITRATION ACT. INDUSTRIAL COUNCILS OBJECTED TO.

WELLINGTON, August 30. Members of the Employers’ Federation waited upon the Minister for Labor to-day and placed before him the resolution passed at the' conference. Referring to the new Arbitration Bill, Mr. Hobbs said the point they wanted to discuss was the proposed amendment to the Act. The Association in tho past had done its best to uphold the existing Act. Full consideration had been given to the new Bill, and he could say the Association was very disappointed with it. Tho Association did not) think the appointment of industrial councils would effect the object aimed at.' Tho Association’s views wore embodied in the following resolution:— “This Federation, after giving full consideration to the proposed .amendis strongly opposed to the inclusion of either Conciliation Boards or Industrial Councils. It is of the opijiion that the Arbitration Courts shduld bo the solo courts to deal both- with disputes and enforcements arising out of the Arbitration Act. It is further of tho opinion that in order to provide for the settlement of cjispii tes within a reasonable time a Court should be provided for each island, and that whore a dispute involves trades the products of which enter into competition throughout the colony, the two Courts shall sit together, and decide whether a colonial award should not be made.” Other matters, were discussed at length by the deputation, and the Minister, in reply, said one objection to the Boards in the past had been that men were found dealing with matters which they knew nothing about. To put an end to all this he thought the true form of conciliation would bo to form industrial councils of the kind provided in the Bill. Though the Association did not think they coidd act satisfactorily, it was a strange thing that a Board of the same description was the only one that had formed a satisfactory settlement to a dispute at Auckland, where tho Mayor acted as Chairman. He would like to see bis scheme given .a trial. It would, lie thought, be productive of more beneficial results than the employers were at present inclined to think. The Minister replied in detail to other points raised.