PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 88, 13 December 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LABOR DISPUTES.

INVESTIGATION BILL

[Per Press (Association.] AiWellington, December 12; | In the House of Representatives | chis afternoon, the Priine Minister 'the Hon. W. F. Massey) moved the second reading of the Labor disputes investigation Bill, which, he'explani•d, contained part of the Industrial did Concilia'tijm Bill, which was irought' down"earlier in the session. ! .fc provideWfor time being takeni ||pr 'uiisidenitlon ’of tlje case h’eforo,, a trike look' place. The Bill cotild not ettlo-a strike/|ljiit he Was convilldbd i liat'it would' prevent a strike or a ock-but ochurring. If the legislation ,j lad been on the Statute Book before, le was sure ’ that f there W'oVilcl' snot j Ave beeh trouble existing now." The ] Jill gave 1 men time for considering lefpre the final step Was taken. He ; thought that oh reflection strikes Would le exceedingly rare, as the men tistihlly cted in diaste : ahd Welte 1 ' for : heir attithde after mature reflection, db wished to say tliat t'he Arbitration Vet arid the Arbitration ‘Coilrt’ had men exceedingly useful, and bad stood \ test of nineteen years. He would be i bold man who would get up and move’ 0 abolish either. Though the proposes in this Bill were new features to lew' Zealand, they wbi'e riot hew m ther paHs''bf Tllh World, having been 1 operation in' Cslnada and parts of \ustralih Fourteen days’ uitiCe nuist he given of hn intention to j IrtkeV or l of a“lbck-out,’ ’and after j den days 'a ,l 'sfccret ballot must -tits akeltJ fPriiVisidh was also made pgr t ■ ’fie sbttihgdip'bf a Cbhiiriitthe of Arbl'ratinnh'before a/ strike or 'a :Mlockmt.” The phffy prbcipitatiiig a strike sr W “iddkWiit’’ 1 didst--notify the Minis:er in writing,‘fourteen days hefore.and, setting out the difference hewhen the pdtdieii' l . Sir Joseph Ward said that thanks ~-ere due tb the Conciliation 'and Arhxratibii Act fbr the manner In which 3 had assisted hbth'dlfe chiplbybr and he employee 'in “recent 'ttbjiblbs. This ountry had prospered in a marvellous bay during; the --past.-nineteen • ‘high fact ‘was to. be attributed ftp hat Act. That'cbUld life 'verified by iib action of the employers at the pretime* in'ihsistirig tlidt they would ave nothing .hid the Arbitration Act. i' ■To Jiopd,dtiHat, tjid'Biil l iiotv 'hefbre ’the ’ 'Abuse; would W9fe.hp to the .expectations; j ,1‘ .'(lljjssr Brime When The .'Bill ! pt i into ’Com'niittdo lib would nihvei , o have'] a ■ 'clahflfci inserted; prbvidljig., .nd a V3 /hgkbt .-for, 'dhiildyers -dje] I ice the cbniitV;y',yvo,trld I)b f <pht' undjor , he dominaHnn.aif any set of men onj; ay side. 'TTejWWId move, in addition,:U h lit a secret .ballot bo taken by those I eliind tl:ib:;i!dp)WOfitdtiyes of any secjdnSiOf the nmplßvers; whk*’.had ; it pi ’jpbweri tb- ,n)pve in ‘(Swbh. .a- icoh/tlgendy. (They, -as incmhCTs, had : no ight to allow' any fceotion to bring the idustries of , the country to a stand.HUr without, diawlag _^ r \vordioto,,iisays* ..bfnit; it. W . J-

Mr P. C. Webb contended that the' •niployers had not desire^p^g^tl© ' ho.'trouble from the'•very -first. They MuWWflffe eyer Patent Government came into power, in tj}g|£’pdera£ion of Labop. <% .pjfifj {o^ti»\ngs v af : ;t^p,. l pr.9.fpnt >pfldv. f/er ■jo so. Their Government had, been , :v hpraete;;i,ye(| )u \v taet,';/ jmigiHynt,. faptorsjia# been •psi i K)nsi!)le forj the peace which ■- hair Txistetl ( m ''jjifls Vountry' <Junng their jegime.' ' ; :' ' _ ' V, When the : House resumed at 7.80 inm., the c lion. j. A. Millar said that id had boon in the Labor movement iince 1882. He had since 'then seen three big strikes, and he was Avonderihg Avhen the Workers ,would learn that, they 'pout'd hot ’sucPbed by of a stride. Which .was one Action ol the community lighting all the rest: He could not understand' any Labor mip opposing the Bill, because, it supplied: the missing link in our legislatippT 1 ~.' . V,, , Mr -WV A. Vbitch said that the Minister Tor Labor'was to bo ;, crtniPiehdod ,au introducing the Mill. The Bill conained much that lie approved of, esIpbially as it HfaineVl to the workers liile right Id strike.' Clause 13 exposed i 'secretary of a union t’o thuiger, and if should be.te-cLst. W ‘

Mr L, ! 'k; 'characterised the at- | ’ wSlorMrietti ■Pa rty to 1, Vrand the ! Opposition as sympathetic with “Red l''e i deralionistn’’ r as most ontemptjhle party tactics. The Op- / Position lin'd hvdfch' twitted with’ having j trladc no practical suggestion for end- I ihgth'e sftlkb;,"£hey.had’made- atdcast ( oho valuable siiggestioaV” via;,’ that » •’ Short Bill he passed compelling the j. Waterside Workors’klJniori ‘to take a j secret ballot, so that the majority of , the men, who \vere"aglvinSt the strike, j thigh tliaVe' a fair opportunity of‘as- ; sorting themselves against the lead- : evs, who were dominating-them. ! Mr Massey They -refuged-it.

Mv Isitt:* Who ‘refused it? . The loaders, who you say are dominating the men, "but not the groat mass of t'lie then. ,!

The* ‘debate was 1 continued pntil 2 ji.m., when the telegraph office closed.