IN THE HOUSE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1932, Page 5

IN THE HOUSE

ARBITRATION BILL AMENDMENT BY LABOUR. r 'By Telegraph—Per Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 15. The debate o,n the second reading oi the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration (Bill was continued in the House of Representatives last evening. The Leader of the Opposition, iMr Holland, said that -he had noted 'that when several members of the Government party had risen to support the Bill, they had had in their lianas a statement of the 'Employers’ Federation, of which he also had a copy. He had noted in nearly every case 'that the arguments had been identical with the matter contained in the statement, and this fact seemed to be significant-

Hon. J. G. Coates said 'that it had been 'recognised by experts that it would take at least two years for tlie Arbitration Court to review the position of all industries in the light of altered economic conditions, and it was thought that a quick method of reaching readjustment was to enable the parties themselves to get together aiid arrive at a satisfactory agreement, It had been .said that employers Were out to force "down condition®! He pointed oltt that conciliation proceedings would ba open. , o the Press, and public opinion would -vfford a protection for the workers. lie ilso considered the statement that a bad employer would predominate would prove to be a fallacy, but, if this position -did arise, it would not take the Government long to provide a remedy. No man in this country was going to stand for unwholesome conditions.

Mr J. McCombs (Lab. Lyttelton), moved as an amendment, that the Bill be referred hack to the Government with the recommendation that it be re-drafted in order to preserve- the essential feature of the New Zealand arbitration law, namely, the settlement >f industrial disputes by compulsory arbitration. where, in only a small per•jeii'tage of ‘industrial disputes, a -settlement is not -arrived at by agreement, or (conciliation. 'He .s'tated, as his ghouncß, ithat 'the original legislation took three and a half years t-o be enacted, and that the originator, Hon. W. P. Reeves, insisted that-- legislation was useless unless it provided for finality in the settlement of disputes, that the experience during the past thirty-scuen years had proved the soundness of the originators of the central idea, that the Prime Minister, during the- recent general election period, gave a definite assurance that it was not intended to destroy the Arbitration Act, that proposed legislation would, in fact, destroy evorv foundation Of the system, and that the interests Of the whole comniuiiUv could bast be (safeguarded by a legal tribunal to give a final decision in the event of disagreement between parties. Mr Fraser (Lab. Wellington Central) seconded the Amendment-. The debate was interrupted when -the House rose at midnight".