COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1924, Page 1

COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.

TI.MAHP. July L’S>. Addressing a meeting of the South (. aulorhtir.v Employer.-.’ Association, .Mr Hammond, assistant secretary ol the Employers’ A."oci'ilion. dealt with the compulsory arbitration system, and industrial affairs generally. Speaking of tlm Arbitration Court, he said there was some room for criticism. hut it was levelled at the system by employers and workers alike, and was based on a titi-euncep-l uni of the position at tlm time of its ini option. Its object wits to remedy tlm condition of a Hairs which allowed of ’•sweating" on one hand, and militant trades tioiniiism on the other: it had been 'tieeessitil in killing I alt those evil-: .and hv the gradual development of it' machination- from time to time il hnd become what it was to-day llie .simplest. sanest and safest method of regulating industrial conditions in operation in any part of the world. Economic (audit inn-, were the same in all countries. yet industrial conditions dilferod gree.tlv. In Xew /calami the Arbitration Court acted as a brake on tlm wage movement : it was true the Court had ma.de mistakes, hut. 100 ollen employers were apt to blame the system for mistakes arising out of ndniinistra-

Alauv of the obnoxious clauses appearing in the awards were clauses first conieded l:V the employers t Item-elves ie. the Conciliation Council, and subsequently renewed by tim Court. Ihe speaker's opinion was that one el the ohjof defects in the system was tlm met hud of tricnninlly electing lay members. There lias! been several .suggestion:: made from time to time regarding |ha constitution of lit" Court: the most, frequent repeated being that tffmanenl lav nminlmrs should Im replaced ! v a diiferent pair of assessors tor each dispute, chosen from the trade or industry under review. I hat sounded all tight, in theory. hut in practice it was unite unworkable. Another unfortunate eireitm tane" in connection

with (he system was that depart administration left much to he desired: the -time respect for awards of the Court was not exai led from till parties alike Tt was considered hv employers, and tmferttmalelv not without cause, that while little or no mercy was shown employer-, who were delinquents, considerable leniency was often shown on the other side, and mere often than net tn these in particular, wlm were least entitled to it. Cttferl tiuat-dy. politics were entering largely into me industrial life of the Dominion and employers had more ro fear on that aeeomit in tlm future than in the past. Employers were inclined to play ostriches with the position. hut if that aliunde continued, or they were t : remain indifferent or emit In-tie to the ( lend .gathering over their lm:td-. they would have no one rJiut themselves to blame for any further handicaps placed upon them in the

.-(.niiiif-t of their loi-ini-Kmnloy-ers’’ Associations endeavottted tit maintain wage- at a level emnnmnsiirate with till- services rendered in return, and the ability of an indu-try to pay. Alt Hammond then went on to deal with matters concerning employers' interests. generally, and at the conclusion cf his address he was heartilv thanked.