OUR INDUSTRIES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 6 December 1927, Page 7

OUR INDUSTRIES

SOLVING THE PROBLEMS THE PREMIER’S PROPOSAL, COMMITTEE TO BE SET UP. Wellington, December 5. The Prime Minister said in the House of Representatives this afternoon that he desired to ask whether the House would approve of a suggestion he desired to make in connection with the. conference on. the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill, of which the House had approved. That conference required some organisation, and since the matter had come from Parliament it was necessary that Parliament should set up some machinery to carry out its own wishes. He proposed that an administrative committee be set up, and l for want of a better term, the members of the committee would be described as directors or commissioners. He did not see how the Prime Minister could very well lie left off that committee, because he must be in touch with what they were doing. He proposed that the committee should consist of four members from the Government side, two from the Labour party and two from the Nationalist party, and their business would be to draw up a scheme dr polie for submission to a conference. The Government party members he suggested would be the Minister of Labour, Mr F. Waite (Clutha), Mr J. A. Nash I Palmerston), and Sir John Luke (Wellington North). Labour’s representatives might be the Leader of the Opposition and Mr M. J Savage (Auckland AVest) or any other member whom Mr Holland might nominate. The Nationalist party members might be Mr G. W. Forbes and Mr E. A. Ransom. This conference would have extensive possibilities in bringing employer and employee closer together, and in making recommendations that would create a better feeling throughout our industries. It would also endeavour to discover where the farmer was getting to and whether those engaged in our primary indus tries are being effected in the way some people allege that they are. The whole subject was too wide to be lightlv set aside, and he hoped they would be able to come to some agreement as to the setting up of ar administrative committee before the House rose.

MR HOLLAND IN AGREEMENT. Mr Holland said he agreed with what the Prime Minister proposed. The constitution of the committee seemed fair, and the setting of it up was the first step to take in the formulation of plans determining what elements were to come before the conference. The procedure now suggested was vastly preferable to what would have followed had an attempt been made to force the Bill through. He personally would not oe able to take part in the pi tags of the committee, as he would be obliged to lay up for a month for a rest before getting into Harness again. He, however would nominate Mr Savage and Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central), the latter of whom was on the spot. At the same time, if he could in any way assist the committee to reach success he would only be too pleased to do so. Mr Forbes said no doubt the time had come when our labour legislation reguired an overhaul, hut this could not be done calmly and impartially during the progress of the session. The committee and the conference as proposed could, however. db a great deal, and many causes of friction in our industries could be removed. At the same time, such consideration as these problems would now receive would satisfy the farmers that their difficulties were not being overlooked. WANTED TWO CONFERENCES. Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said he hoped the Prime Minister would not attempt to set up one big conference. He wanted to see two coi> ferences. one considering the nroblems of primary industries and one those of the secondary industries. If one. bir- conference were held the farmers would be overwhelmed by other representatives and the conference would be a failure. Mr J. G. Eliott (Oroua) said he must object to the representatives selected from the Government side. Town interests were predominant.' The farmers were not sufficiently considered and he would not bind himself to agree to anything the committee might do. EACH PHASE TO BE CONSIDERED The Prime Minister, replying to Mr Lysnar, said the conference would naturally divide itself into various sections, and each phase of industry would be considered in turn. It would, qf,course, make its survey of the position as wide as nossible. With regard to Mr Eliott's objection, his nomination of Government representatives had been purely tentative, and Parliament would, of course, select its own representatives. He could not see. however, how they could leave Sir John Luke, chairman of the Labour Bills Committee, out. The discussion then dropped, it being tacitly agreed that the administration committee would be set