The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY. APRIL 21, 1928.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 April 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY. APRIL 21, 1928.

pj THE INDUSTRIAL PHOBLKM Thu impoi’tiint conference proceed mg !i at Wellington just nmv with regard to the Arbitration Act appears to Ik' comin,g to grips on vital aspects, and genii'! eralv there is a mure hopeful feeing p| that while much has been attempted, ll there are lietter hopes now of something being accomplished. The point -j appears to he that an objective will he "S reached, and that there is a real possig hi.li.ty of influencing important changes in the .Dominion’s labour legislation. This week’s proceedings were note- • worthy for some special reasons. First, -the employers’ representatives and | workers’ spokesmen expressed their jg views regarding the Arbitration sys«ill tern, both interests showing lack of | confidence in the Act as it stands to- | day, the condemnation hv the works ers being, if anything, more definite I than that by the employers. The lat- | ter, a ter reviewing, the operation of I the Act, stated their conclusions that I the machinery of the present system j must he preserved as far as possible, j but that the onus of settling disputes ! should he thrown on Conciliation j Councils, and that appeals to the Arj bitnftion Court from the latter body should he dependent on tlie iiuaniniom j vote of the Conciliation Cmmeil. Faili ing agreement by the council, either on terms of settlemont or of reference to the Arbitration Court, the award in that industry should to operate. It is pointed out that the advantages which may he looked for if those proposals are adopted are:—(l) A decrease in the number of disputes filed. (2) An increase in the number of complete .settlements arrived at bv direct -negotiation between tlie parties. (3) The restoration of tlie Court of Arbitration to the position it was originally intended to fill—that of an arbitrator in real disputes—instead of that of an industrial regulations factory. (4) A greater freedom of tlie parties in any particular industry to embody in an agreement provisions designed to meet special conditions peculiar to the industry. On tlie other band a deadlock may be reached in some eases. However, this has hap- 1 pened during the last few years under ’ the present law, and there is no 1 reason to think that under the pro- ’ posed system it would happen more I frequently. Neither employers'" asses- I sore nor workers’ assessors would nr- 1 oept lightly the reponsibilitv of refits- > ing to refer a dispute to the Court for settlement if serious industrial trouble were thentenincr. In an analysis of the law, a critical statement savs the Arbitration Act lias given ns * p a greater measure of industrial peace than has been enjoyed by any other British community during the period o of its operation. Tt has broken down <_ the old hostility of employers to trade E unions and produced a friendly at- g

nnisphcre of collective bargaining. It lias acted as a governing factor over wages, regulating the rate of increase and decrease,, preventing .too rapid fluctuation in either direction—a national evil, as causing corresponding excessive fluctuations in prices. On the other hand the arbitration system

is not compulsory, but operates in any industry at the option of the workers. Although the great majority of unions accept awards made by the Court, experience has shown that awards are not lenforceablo against strong unions against their will. Awards of tlio Court are unavoidably inelastic and restrictive as to details. Lack of elasticity in times of severe trade depression is apt to impede recovery. The system does not prevent, though it may be an in--11 uence against, tile making of agreements between employers and their employees, contrary to .public interest. Naturallv the workers’ attitude

is a prime I'notor in regard to any possible agreement to be reached. Labour’s attitude towards the Arbitration Court was defined in a paper read by Mr J. Huberts, secretary of the Alliance of Labour. Tts tenor ts contained in the statement. “We desire it to lie definitely understood that the Labour movement lias no hallucinations whatever about the Court of Arbitration. We say unhesitatingly that wo have not received justice from that institution for many years.” They recognised that strikes were generally undesirable and often eairsed economic loss to the community. They were of the opinion that it should be tile duty of legislators to amend the law in such a, way as would give the parties (onccriicd every opportunity of adjusting anv industrial dispute that might arise, and wore in favour of arbitration as against the strike weapon, but in saying that they desired to assure the conference that the-,- did mil desire an arbitration system which was loaded against them The Act at .nresent was far too narrow in its outlook. There .should he a provision for national unions and national awards and agreements. The Act gave to much power to the Court, which should be compelled to follow certain definite rules in regard to wages, hours of work and conditions of employment. In the course of .supplementray remarks Mr Roberts, expressing the views of the workers, said unite emphatically that they did not approve of the Act as at present framed, ami tbougin disputes could rjiti tc* well lie settled by other means. The method lie suggested was the creation of permanent industrial councils or disputes committees m every industry, with a National industrial Council as a final court of appeal. Failing settlement of disputes by these councils, presumably the awards would (■eases to operate, as had been suggested by Lbe employer.-,’ proposals. It was significant that, Mr W. .T. Poison, president of the Farmers’ Union, when asking a ipiestion regarding the Employees' Federation paper. Jmi.do the positive statement that he approved of the conclusions reached by the federation, and the representative of the Associated Chandlers of ’Commerce expressed similar agreement. These expressions of opinion show that the way is cpiite clear to a definite agreement among all sections of employers, and if would he no surprise to find, in view of this development, the whole of the employers adopting as their common policy the proposals outlined by the spokesman of the Employers' Federation. The ( (inference is having the result of causing represenUiilives of the primary, producers, including the dairy farmers, to waive their objection to including their industries in the scope of the Arbitral ion -system provided the compulsory clauses of the Act are eliminated.