PARLIAMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 23 November 1927, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ARBITRATION AMENDMENT. REPORT OF LABOUR BILLS COMMITTEE, Wellington, Nov. 22. In the House ol Representatives this afternoon. Sir John Luke brought down the report of the Labour Bills Committee ou the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill, which recommended that the bill be allowed to proceed with amendments shown ou a copy ol the bill attached. All the clauses dealing with the proposed alteration to the lonstibu tion of the Arbitration Court have been struck out by the committee If agreed to the effect of this recom mendation will be that the constitution of the Court and the method of bringing disputes before it will remain unchanged. The proposal to give the Minister of Labour power vo call compulsory conferences to avoid strikes and lock-outs has also been deleted. The committee recommends that the clauses be retained which provide for the exemption of the f irming industry from the jurisdiction of the Arbitration Court, and lor payment bv results, and also the clause which requires the Court, in fixing wages, to take into account, in addition to the standard of living, the economic and financial conditions of me industry concerned, and also of trade and industry generally in the Dom mon The committee further siiggeev.i the retention of the clause which niol-ea it clear that the Judge’s decis.on is to Re final when the assessors cn.inoi ntiee. and the clause which civos the Court power to, amend awards so as to facilitate the adoption of new methods in an industry. Tn legard to the excepted industry, the com mitteo suggests that it be made eleai that building work on n farm is not to he counted as farm work for the purposes- of exemption. In <-onnec tion with awards now applying to industries that are to bo ex<zk ( .i«i it is recommended that these oe allowed to run out their full term if the date of expiration’ is later than July 31 next, or to July 31 next if. under ordinary circumstances, they would have terminated before that, date. DELETION OF CLAUSES. Sir John Luke briefly referred to the amendments amongst which was the deletion of clauses two to ten inclusive, dealing with the constitution of the Court. There were also several consequential amendments necessitated by these deletions. Or charding had been exempted from tile operations of the Court along with the farming industry. Every award or industrial agreeme.it in torca io which the bill applied, that was to say with reference to the fanning industry or dairy factories, would cease to operate on July 31. 1928. Continuing Sir John Luke said ho had not regarded the bill from the point of view of the fanners in New Zealand alone. He had considered it from the point of view of the farming industry world-wide. Farming in New Zealand was not so attractive as ,t formerly was. and they had to regard the effect of that fact upon the question of unemployment. Two things were undoubtedly linked up and there was a great need of something being done to improve the position of the farming industry. The fanning in dustry stood apart from all others, it had difficulties not shared bv other industries in the cities, and for that reason some greater latitude for it was required. He therefore favoured exempting it from the operation of the bill, to give it elbow room to expand and produce the best results. He did not stand for the reduction >1 wages, but he stood for the removal of the impediments which prevented farmers reaching their full development. NOT A REPORT AT ALL. Mr, E. J Howard (Christchurch South) said the Labour Bills Committee sat lor weeks on the bill and heard 44 witnesses, ranging from workers to university professors, but not a word of that evidence had the chairman of the committee given to the House. He had left severely alone a bill which proposed to alter an Act on which this country had borrowed millions of pounds. The report was not a report on the bill at all; it was a few words conveying the chairman’s opinion o n the condition of this country. Ho then proceeded to review the evidence given before the committee, which, he said, was overwhelmingly against the bill. Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) attacked the report of the committee and defended the principle of preference to unionists.

Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) said the chairman Had defended the bill because it was in the interests of the farmers, but there was nothing in the bill that interested farmers. Mr. W J. Jordan (Manukau) declared that the motive behind the bill was to force down wages, and to do that the Reform party was seeking to abolish arbitration

Mr. G. W. Forbes (Leader of the Nationalists) said the question of arbitration should not be treated as a party one. Such a great principle in our industrial life should receive the hearty support of both parties. Personally foe favoured the constitution of the Court as stated m the bill as originally brought down, and he regretted that no explanation had been given as to why those clauses had been struck out. The whole position required thorough investigation. PREMIER’S MOTION. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m. the Prime Minister moved the suspension of the Standinf Orders for the purpose of permitting the debate on the report of the Labour Bills Committee to proceed. He added that when this report was adopted there were other commmittee reports which they were anxious to get before tho House. Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Opposition): Do you propose to bring them up to-niglit. The Prim e Minister: That is for the House to say. Mr Holland strongly objected to tho House agreeing to the motion. It meant that important legislation was being set aside to make wav for a bill which no one asked far and ne ono wanted. Tb,. bid . ,ein ; -

posed from one end of the country to the other, and he objected to its being given precedence over other maesures which wer e of greater urgency. Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill) said ho could not understand why in a contentious matter such as tills evidently was, tho Minister of Labour did not get up and tell members what h e wanted and what it was proposed to do. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central) declared that tho House was entitled to som e reason for the course propos ed by the Government. There was no clamour for this bill, but there was a clamour for the Licensing Bill, and the Gaming Bill which were bemg set aside. It was unfair to rush and scurry legislation of this kind through at what everyone believed was tb 0 end of the session. The objection to the motion was continued by Mr W. A. Voitch (Wanganui) and Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon) on lines which look like well organised opposition. • The opposition was continued until 10.15 p.m., when the whips were keen m conference and, obviously under some arrangement a division was taken, when the motion was agreed to by 53 to 14. Sir John Luke then replied to tho original debat e and tho report of the Labour Bills Committee was adopied. The bill was set down for consideration to-morrow. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to the Leader of the Opposition the Prime Minister said he would endeavour to give members an opportunity of discussing the report of the, last Imperial Conference at an early date, but whether it would be this week or next he was not able to say at the moment. Replying to the Lender of th e Opposition, tho Prime Minister said he was not aware that the report, of the Samoan Royal Commission had yet been dealt with by the Commission. Neither he nor the Minister of External Affairs had any information on tnc subject. In reply to -Mr H. Atmore (Nelson), the Prime Minister Raid he was in negotiation with members on the subject of the Licensing Bill, and when ihoso negotiations are completed he would make a further statement on the subject.

Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) gave notice to ask: “Will the Prime Minister take ’ immediate steps to investigate particulars of aa agreement or a proposed agreement, by which Messrs Sims, Cooper and Co., Ltd., meat exporters, and Messrs Wright, Steph enson and Co., Ltd., are to have a working interest for a long term ol years in the Wellington Meat Export Compayn’s works, and particularly to ascertain if Messrs Wright, Stephen son and Co., Ltd., aie acquiring such interest on behalf of one of the American meat trust firms and if there are any grounds for suggesting that, the said firm is being financed by or on behalf of any one of the American meat trust firms.”

“There is clear evidence that Mr W. D. Hunt, who is a member of tho Moat Board, was a party to such negotiations, and that if any such agree meat is allowed it is contrary to the spirit and intention of the legislation passed by this House,” said Mr Lys oar.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Legislative Council met at 2.3 V p.m. to-day.

Tho Noxious Weeds and Slaughtering Amendment Bills were reported by the Agricultural and Stock Committee without amendments and put through all stages and passed without discussion.

The Public Service Amendment Bill, Ashley River Improvement Bill and Child Welfar 0 Amendment Bill were received from the House and read the first time, the Public Service Amendment Bill being also read the second time pro forma and referred to the Statues lievision Committee.

The Council adjourned at 2.55 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-morrow,