ARBITRATION AMENDMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 November 1927, Page 3

ARBITRATION AMENDMENT.

(By Telegraph—l’er Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Nov. 1

Further evidence from the employers’ side regarding the I.C.A. Act, was given before the Labour Bills Committee this morning. Charles Henry Chapman, secretary of Wellington Tyqographic.nl Union, said he was instructed to ask for the withdrawal of the Bill on the grounds that it would cause industrial disturbance. Unions were opposed to the limitation of choice of nssesors. While there had been cases where it appeared the Court had favoured one side more than the other, in the light of the evidence, the weight of opinion in the Typographical Union was in favour of its retention in its present form.

In regjml to piecework, witness said lie neither favoured it nor was against it. hut he did say it would only work well under collective bargaining, and that individual (agreements would make trouble. Mr Poison, representing the Farmers’ Union, said that while his organisation approved generally of the Bill there were points it did not approve It would prefer a judge alone or three Judges, preferably the latter. Assessors wore invariably violently partisan subject to re-election every three years It seemed the principle of replacing men .at the end of their term, who did not give equable judgments, was subversive of British justice. The Act already admitted of the provision of experts when necessary, so that three Judges would he a suitable arrangement. They were not seeking the abolition of preference to unionists which he considered desirable, but if there were preference, there should he no striking. Ho asked that preference should automatically cease when any union had committed a breach of the law. In disputes, in which farmers were substantially concerned ti'.iey should be permitted to appear as a body at the Court. The shearing inlust ry affected farmers to only a trilling extent, as compared with the effect of all the awards in which they were interested.

'The Chairman: You condemn the exemption of the farmers’ industry including shearing and freezing —Yes. WELLINGTON. Nov. 3.

At the conclusion of his evidence to the Labour Bills Commilte, Mr Poison placed (lie view's of the farmers ol(ic'ially before the committee. Yfr Nicholson Secretary of the New Zealand Shoepowners’ Federation said the Bill would only give partial relief juul did not go to the root of the matter. because the indirect charges through the cost of production in the Dominion were a bigger burden to the producer tV.ni any direct charges through the awards of the Court which apply to factories, hut not to the farm The Court should he entirely independent of outside influence and its judgments should he purely on the evidence, lie believed the cost of every ’.article had increased because it was economical. T.ast year in spite of the cost of living having gone down the Court increased the shearers wages at the time of depression.

lie wbis asked if an industry that could not pay a living wage should not cease to exist. "Witness said that it could not he applied to a primary industry. WELLINGTON, Nov. 3. There is a possibility that a conference of those concerned in the operation of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act will he held, representative of both Amending Bill now before Parliament is allowed to go on to the Statute Book. The Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister of Labour) says that such a conference is impracticable at present because before the conference can he held, there must, he .something for them to discuss. For this reason it u.is desirable that’ evidence should continue to bo taken before the committee now sitting, so that as idea mi'dit ho ascertained what was in the minds of those who were giving testimony on the merits of the Govern-

moots’s proposal. In response to a suggestion from the Opposition side of the House that the Minister was having‘a hard time with the Bill, Mr Anderson said: “Oh I don’t want your sympathy. I am getting along alright.’