THE SHIPPING COMBINE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 64, 15 November 1913, Page 2

THE SHIPPING COMBINE.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE. Wellington, November 14. When the House met at 2.30, in moving for leave to introduce the ! Settlement of the 1913 Industrial j Strike and Lock-out Bill, Mr P. C. | Webb said that he was actuated by i desire to effect a settlement of the existing industrial iqi-isrs, so as to allow the industries H)f the country to continue. He submitted that the Federation of Labor wsU a perfectly legal organisation, duly constituted in conformity with‘tho lat\|i. The law of the land had not been injfeiflged or broken n any- way by the sjbi;ikers. The Bill suggested a penalty for strikers or ock-outs, the cases to be heard before i magistrate, whose decision shall be anal. If the strike continued there svould be thousands of. ; farmers -and a msiness men ruined and I thousands of vorking people would be reduced to valit. If Parliament did what o.it ihould do the trouble would be ended his week. Hundreds of thousands »f people were looking tp Parliament ;o effect a settlement. The shipping ‘ompanies should not be allowed to lictate to the workers just how they ihould organise, nor should they be illowed to keep their ships out in the stream, holding up the whole of the fominion commerce on; account of dognatism. \ '■ v., ■

Mr Robertson spoke in support of he motion. ' Mr G. W. Russell fe|ftd that it was im.e.that Pai-liamsaßt into t its lands the settlemcmjfW ttjjk greatest strike, New Zealand! had; k*iowni.;iHe Iwelt upon the enpajmous ' anvouhjjtj of money the strike costing if (the country both in tjhfcj eij&iof thejjj^rb•>ervation of order jLiaHhe hffi .'ni-irtiWs ahd busingj'uion. He put It' o the Prime MinijstAmflfcther he did 'tdt'ihink it would'• be a'statesmanlike hing to realise that some assistance • as desirable to bring this disastrous hing to an end. He did not JlunkJ.he, >resent state of affairs should'continue ror one day while the people were leing ruined. It was Parliament's duty ;o step in and put the matter right Sri':i'righteous basis. jtsw&tt*

Mr W. A. Veitcli said that it was ..:e'ry -difficult for sit to"the louse clay •after day Hewing 'minor natters being dealt Willi, while tthe

greatest crisis known to'tlie country ■xisted. If the strike were allowed o fizzle out the workers would go back n anything but a peaceful frame of hind, and the trouble would be by no neans over. The trouble was one vhere two. extremes had clashed. They :ad on one hand the syndicalist unionsts, and on the other hand combined vealth, neither of which were in the niterests of the country. He asked, vfia't had the Employers' Association lone to assist in a settlement? They mew who were going down, and he vantod to know what would happen ;o the country if it were /wholly eonirolled by full-pursed combines. The .vhole cause of the discontent amongst ;be wage-earners was the actions of vealthy monopolies. He submitted •hat there were five per cent, of lawess people in the strikers, and the •est were decent working people, and .hose people were going to go down unless Parliament took a stand. He suggested tlie setting up of a Parlianentary.committee to arrive at a fair means of settlement.

Mr J. Payne submitted, that the shipping combine was taking up an illegal attitude, and was over-riding the law and Parliament by-saying that the men should not he provided with vork unless they registered under the Arbitration Act. He pleaded forythe extermination of what he termed "the niddleman octopus—the Employers' Federation," which rode on the backs if farmers and workers. Mr A. H. Hindmarsh said that the >enalty for a breach of contract pro-

■ided in the Bill was just as efficient \s the Arbitration Court award. Experience had proved that the ultimate •esult ef the strike was of some bene't to the workers, whether they" -won ir lost. Ho felt convinced that the vharf laborers' conditions would in i'uure receive the attention of the Tiegisiture. He was satisfied that Parlinnent could do something to sojve the lifficulty. The House divided, and the motion was negatived by -15 to 13.