PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1920, Page 1

PARLIAMENT

[per press association. —copyright.) THE house; WELLINGTON, Nov. 10. At the afternoon sitting of the Hous. the discussion on Mr Holland’s am endment to report progress on th( Industrial Conciliation and Arbitratioi Bill was continued till 4.55, when La hour’s right to speak on that motioi was exhausted, and they had to let i go to a vote, when it was rejected by '4c to 8. The discussion then reverted to tin merit of Clause two. 'This continues: till 8 o’clock at the evening sitting when Sir W. Henries announced lit would withdraw the clause which was agreed t*. "Oii Clause three, he said, he proposed to amend it in the following forir —(3) In any proceeding before a Conii cii or Court relating to any industryany organisation of employers or organisation of workers consisting hot less than fifteen members concerted with the industry iin the locality (c which the proceedings relates, shall tje entitled to appear and be heard in every respect, as if they were parties to shell proceedings. . If, in the opinion of the Commission where such proceeding is before the Council of Court such organisation of. employers or workers or members thereof, may in any manner -be affected by any result of such proceedings. Against this amendment of the clause,, Labour members, continued to argue , till after 2 o’clock. , Shortly after 2 o’clock, the Labour Party’s stonewall on Clause 3 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill collapsed and on division the clause''w'as> adopted by 39 to 14. Mr Holland nioved to add a proviso “that every such organisation of emor workers shall be registered as an Industrial Union of Workers. - Tile Minister indicated he could not accept the proviso which was rejected by 40 to 11. The Clause, as amended by the Minister, was then agreed to. Clause 4 was struck out on the motion of the Minister and the remaining clauses were passed without discussion. The Minister then moved the following new clause—(l) Section eighteen of War Legislation- and Statue Law Amendment Act 1918 is hereby amended by repealing sub-sections three and four thereof and substituting the following sub-section in lieu thereof; (2) Tjie powers conferred on the Court by tins section are discretionary and may 'be exercised only if the Court, after taking into consideration any alteration since the date of an award or agreement in the conditions affecting an industry or industries to which such award or agreement relates and any increase or decrease sin.ee the date of the award or agreement in the cost of living affecting workers or any class of workers engaged jn any such industry or industries, anil all other relevant considerations is satisfied (a) that it is just and equitable to the employers and workers in such industry or industries . -that the award should be amended and (b) that the economic continuance of such industry or industries will not be unduly imperilled by the effect of any such, amendment upon the cost of production. Mr McCombs declared .Lie amendment was designed to take away from workers increased bonus as cost of living rises and lie predicted a storm of indignation would burst over the country when organised labour- realised that the only means of getting the increased cost of living which had been given them was now being taken away. Mr Wilford said the amendment was a-rap over the knuckles for Justice Stringer. The logic of the position was ( that every man was entitled to have a living wage and the industry in which lie is engaged must either pay it or burst. That might increase the cost of | living in some cases, Irat it would not get over the fact that men were entitled to a living wage. Mr Massey said there was iio intention to go back pn the recent decision of the - Court, -with regard to a bonus, but they could not go on as they had been doing, increasing wages by means of bonuses. If they did then certain industries must close down, as fie could show the House, if lie could quote letters lie had received. They had been simply following a vicious circle and he was anxious to break it.. That was the intention of the Clause, but lie was willing to add a proviso that the Court must aim at establishing a living wage. What lie was driving at was to give the Court more discretionary power to save industries and so prevent unemployment. Justice Stringer had asked for this power. Mr Holland maintained that the first essential was a living wage, and if anything had to-be sacrificed, it should be the industries and not the workers. iJ.r Howard declared this .was simply panic legislation, and so far from breaking the vicious circle it would fill the country with pessimism. There was much in the spirit of the country and y.ef here in the country where motor .cars were rolling in thousands and then were evidences of wealth on every hand the Premier was trying to create th< impression that we were going bank rapt. Mr Sullivan said tlie Premier wa digging the grave of the Covernmeii by legislation such as. this. It mean that for the future an Arbitratio Court need not raise wages in keepin with the increased cost of living. Hov I,p asked, was that going to be viewi by ten’s of thousands of workers, wl knew the only way to meet the i creased cost of living was by raisii wages. He regarded this legislation a tragedy. Mr Kellett said that everything c pt tided on the view taken by the Cor

sir. to wlmt was a living wage. He fear ed the position was frought with dange lor the workers. Mr Fraser sa.id they had subsidisec butter because it was said that withop a subsidy, the producer would not b< so well oil as before the war, but bj ‘ doing this they increased the cost o: * living to the worker, and now they wen 3 tolling the Court that it need not giv< 1 working classes anything with' which t( - meet that increased cost. i Mr Massey reiterated that if some t such clause were not passed, industrie! 1 would now be closed down and unem ployment would prevail. He mention 3 ed two large engineering works wliicl 1 .lie was assured could not be carried or * if increases in wages continued mud ’ longer. He again emphasised the fact * that Judge Stringer had asked for the clause. ■ , On division the clause was agreed ti 1 by 36 to 13. A new proviso was added to the I clause on the motion of the Premier, providing for living wages being as- * sured to the worker in any award or 1 agreement made under the clause. The 1 Bill was then reported with amend 1 merits. 1 On the third reading the Labou 1 Party reiterated their protests agains ■ the Bill. While tlie Premier was re plying, the electric lights went out am ' his speech was delivered in the dark On lights being restored, the discussiqi proceeded till six o’clock when a di ' vision was taken, the third reading being carried by 38 to 12. The Bill was then passed and the House rose at 6.11 a.m. till noon.