ARBITRATION ACT

Hokitika Guardian, 16 December 1931, Page 5

ARBITRATION ACT

INTERFERENCE WITH AWARDS (By Telegraph—Per Press Association) AUCKLAND, Dec. 15. “It will mean direct action and that is playing into the hands of the C-onn-munists,” said Mr E. J. l'heian, a prominent union secretary, when discussing Mr Downie Stewart’s remarks, regarding the Arbitration Court, yesterday, when the Minister received a deputation from the Farmer’s Union.

Mr Downie Stewart said: “Until something is done to help the farmer the rest of New Zealand is hound to have unemployment. The whole thing at present is to get down to internal costs. We have on the stocks some proposals regarding the Arbitration Act, although I do not think they will help nearly as much as farmers think they wiil. 1 thought the best way might be by suspension of awards, but all the expertsjsou this subject say that that would not meet the case at all and that he would have to alter the constiution of the Court.” 3lr Stewart added that it appeared that it was the irritating ' conditions knat were the cause of the trouble.

Referring to the foregoing remarks, Mr Phehm (who is secetary of the Timber Workers’ Union) added that he knew that the abolition of the Court would suit the militant section of Labour, but it was looked on with grave concern by the genuine trade union movement,

Mr Parry, M.P. said the workers desired settlement of industrial disputes hv the Court. They did not want to revert to the old method of fighting it out by use of a. strike, which went hand in hand with misery and waste. Mr Parry said the Government was not given a mandate to render the Arbitration Act abortive. Industrial centres had unmiijstakablv voiced their disapproval of any interference with Court.