CAUSE OF MISERY

Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1932, Page 3

CAUSE OF MISERY

THE ARBITRATION -SYSTEM

PLEASURE AT ABOLITION

WELLINGTON, Jur.g 29. Stating that the industrial arbitration system had brought misery to .(New Zealand, Mr H. D. Aclarid, president of th e New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation, in moving the adoption of the annual report, commented that if the author of the system knew the effect that what he had placed on the .Statute Book in 1893 had had in 1932, he would wish he had never been in political life. g'Y'Y'-o Act imposed upon New Zealand industry” an immense burden of cost and restrictions, and in many cases useless conditions, and nothing

f i is • ' n’oW remains but to clean up the mess with as little injury’ to every class as possible,” said Mr \Aeland. “(Economic law, like any other law can be flouted for a time, but sooner <.r later the law-breaker is arrested and brought to trial. The economic policeman had been busy for the last year or two, and has much '-work to do yet.”

Deflation of prices of primary products without ,;i corresponding reduction in costs, had continued, Mr A eland said, and at present the ‘ whole- world seemed to be in danger of either bankruptcy or revolution.

The sheep-raising industry had courageously faced the problem of internal costs. Working expenses had been cut to the bone, with; he feared, in many cases severe deterioration of farming land and spread of noxious weeds,-jjfhilo a valiant endeavour to increase output with a view to counteracting the effect of lowered prices had been made.

Members would welcome the great and beneficial reforms that the present Government had made in the industrial arbitration laws. The federation had, since its inception, consistently opposed the principle of statutory fixation of production costs under the Industrial Arbitration and Conciliation Act, contending that -such was against economic laws, and could not, be maintained on a falling overseas market, and it bat increases in costs in any industry must ultimately be borne by the exporter.

In thi-s respect, the federation for many years fought a battle practically single-handed, being opposed by Ihe employers / in the trades sheltered either by geographical conditions or by means of tariff.

For the first time for a generation, employers would be able to meet workers’ unions on equal terms in conference with a view to settling the terms of employment. He sincerely . trusted that both parries would fully avail themselves of the privilege, and recognise th e necessity of mutual agreements being made on lines which would enable industry to be carried on without undue hardship to any section of tee community, and with a prospect of the reabsorption into industry of the whol 6 of the available labour on a basis that would admit of trade and industry being continued on sound economic lines.

One regrettable social result of tbc principles of compulsion as -set out in the old Arbitration Act had been the unhealthy growth of big towns in New Zealand, for which at no time had there been , any real economic necessity.

Asa consequence, the Government was now faced with the almost insoluable problem of finding a remedy to prevent thousands of good and -deserving people from starving.