PARLIAMENT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 627, 13 December 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

NEW LABOUR BILL. DISCUSSED IN HOUSE. COMPULSORY CONCILIATION. OPPOSITION CRITICISM. CONDEMNATION OF SYNDICALISM. The Houoe resumed at 2.30 p.m.

The Prims Minister moved tho second reading of the Labour Disputes Investigating Bill, which he explained contained part of the Industrial and Conciliation Bill, which was brought down earlier in the session. It provided for time being taken for consderation of a case before a strike took place. The Bill could not set lie a strike, but he was convinced it would prevent a strike or lock-out occurring. If the legislation bad bcon on the Statute Book he was sure there would not have been the trouble which existed now. The Bill gave the men time for considering the position be fore the final step was taken. He thought that on reflection strikes would be exceedingly rare, as men Usually acted in haste, and were sorry for their attitude after mature reflection. He wished to sav that the Arbitration Act and Arbitration Court bad been exceedingly useful and had had stood the test of nineteen years. He would get up and move to abolish either. Though the proposals in the Bill were new features to New Zealand they were not new in other parts of the world, having been in operation in Canada and parts of Australia for years. Fourteen days' notice must be given of the intention to strike, or lock-out, and after seven days a secret ballot must be taken. Provision was aIBO made for the setting up of a committee of arbitration. Before the strike, or lock-out, the party precipitating the same must notify the Minister in writing fuurteen days beforehand, setting out the differences between the parties. Sir Joseph Ward said thanks were due to the Conciliation and Arbitration Act for the manner in which it had assisted both employer and employee during the recent trouble. This country had prospered in a mar- j vellous way during the past nineteen years, which fact was to be attributed | to that Act, Thai; could be verified by j the action of the employers at the | present time insisting they would j have nothing bjt the Arbitration Act. j He hope! the Bill before the House would act up to the expectations of the Premier. When the Bill got into committee he would move to have a clause inserted providing for a secret ballot for the employers before the country could be put under the domi- i nation of any section of men on either bide. He would move in addition that a secret ballot be taken by those behind th<= representations of sections of employer? who had it in their power to move in such a contingency. They, as members, had no | right to allow any section of the \ community to bring the industries of j the community to a standstill without j their having a word to say regarding it. He dealt with what he called the j attack upon him for his attitude dur- j ing the strike. At the beginning of j the trouble the Liberal party had met ! and decided to assist in keeping the ] ports open, and to assist in settling j the trouble, and he regretted that a i politicial party had attempted to j make political capital out of his j utterances which were directed against j the strike. He had hundreds of ! wires from all over the country ask- J ing him to do something to settle j the'strike. He had received one i from Port Chalmers that afternoon, j Some wires were from supporters of Mr Massey. He had never supported syndicalim, and never would. He i had been fought by the Federation of Labour at the last election, but Mr Massey had supported ths Federation, and had counselled his supporters to vote for its members. Mr Massey wa? the oniy Premier in the history j of New Zealand who had ever sup- \ ported syndicalism. Had h° been in j Mr Masseys' place at the inception of the strike, he would have gone down to the wharf among the men, and bad a heart to heart talk with them. Ths Hon. Mr Herdmai said if the tram strike of Wellington two years ago had been handled firmly by the Government, the Waihi strike would never have occurred. He explained why mounted men had to be em ployed during the strike. The regularfl'were insufficient in numbers, and help had to be obtained from otuside. He admitted that in some cases strikes were justifiable, but the present one had absolutely nothing to recommend it. The Bill under discusison aimed at making conciliation mandatory before the trade of the country was disrupted. Mr Russell asked what Mr Massey had done during the strike for the small shopkeepers and non-combatants. They had been ignored completely. The only faction that appeared to interest the Minister were those attached to the Employers' Federation. ' There was a power outside the House which had run the country during the recent trouble. He had been ap- 1 preached two weeks after the strike ' by representatives of labour, and in- I formed that the men were prepared to load the butter and cheese which was ! in the trucks, but the Harbour Board i informed him no men would be allowed to work cargo until the whole trouble ; was over. <

Mr Webb contended that the employers had not desired a settlement from the very first, They had manoeuvred ever since the Government came into power in order to crush the Federation of Labour, The Liberal party had never made such a mess of things as the present Government had, nor would they. Their Government had been characterised by tact, intelligence, and judgment, which factors had been responsible for the industrial peace which had existed in this country during their regime.

I The debate on the Labour Disputes J Bill was contiued during the evening | sitting. The provisions of the Bill I were generally commended The Opi position's criticism was mainly (against the attempt to link the ! Liberal party up wiih the Red Feds. j After the telegraph olnce closed at 2 a.m. this morning, Mr Webb called ; for a division on the second reading : was carried by 54 votes to 4. Messrs Hindmarsh, Robertson and Parata vcfj ing with Mr Webb. I When the Bill was in committee Mr I Maesev said, in reply to Sir Joseph Ward that lv would have a clause ; inserted in the Ppper House providing for a secret ballot of employers con j cerned in a strii ? or lock-out'. j ! Th Bill was r :porteri with machini ery amendment ; . I SHOPS AN.> OFFICES KILL. I ; The Shops ar '. Offices Act Amendj menfc Bill was '.:rought down by Go- | i vomer's niessa '. | In reply to :'ir Joseph Ward, Mr i Massey said it va? a new Bill, and i was supplement iry to the one on the I Order Paper. It only contained seven or eight clauses. In reply to M; Webb, the Premier said the Bill dealt with the six-day week for hotel employees. The Bill was read a first time. LAW PRACTITIONERS AMEND- ' ME.N'T BILL. The Law Practitioners Amendment Bill was paused through committee, a new clause being added providing that on and after April. 1;»I4, solicitors shall at their own cost have their trust accounts audited on a penalty of £IOO. The House adjourned at 3.55, till II o'clock.