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Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1931, Page 4

Rkcknti.y the Prime Minister intimated that the Arbitration Court system was being examined with a view to its improvement. It will be readily agreed that some improvement to present conditions would be caused if there were some lessening of the hampering restrictions at present in force. Tt should he possible to loosen some of the ties of awards without doing injustice to the wage-earner. It might be wiser policy, indeed, to leave more of the details of working arrangements between employers and employees to the parties themselves. The Court would always be there to fix wages and to settle important questions of conditions. For, as the President of the Canterbury Employers’ Association says, the Court protects the good employer from unfair competition, and provides a constitutional 'method of adjustment uetwecii the employer and the wageearner. One member, of a recent deputation suggested that unemployment could be lessened by doing aw.tv with overtime and shortening the working week so as to make room for more workers. Both ’these remedies are being tried to some extent. Already there is a good deal of rationing of work, and probably this system could lie extended beneficially. Tt would not be possible, however, for employers to pay the same wage for a four or five day as for a six day week, for the burdens on manufacture require to be lightened, not increased.