EMPLOYEES' FEDERATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 30 August 1907, Page 2

EMPLOYEES' FEDERATION.

THE ARBITRATION ACT CRITICISED Per Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. At the Conference of the Employers' Federation, Mr W. Scott, of Otago, delivered an address on the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, ana-, lysing the results of its operations. i'.ej considered the Act had proved a failure. It had not prevented strikes. Never had workers of the colony been more discontented nor had friction been greater than to-day. The result of a high minimum or standard wage was

inferior work and less of it at much greater cost. Mr Scott urged that unions rather than individuals should be held responsible for strikes, as there could be no strikes without organisation.

After saying that during the past thirteen years there had been no period of depression to test the Act, Mr Scott] asserted, "Apart from this there are two points from which the Act can be surveyed—its effect on manufacturing industries and its effect on workers. With regard to industries the Act has not made for better work nor improved methods, nor has it fostered trade, as it has greatly increased the cost of production to the detriment of trade and the best interests of all concerned." Summing, up, Mr Scott said, "I am

r ully persuaded in my own mind that

tho advantages of an Act such as we have at tho present time are more than outweighed by the many serious disadvantages, and that. the workers, employers, and industries alike would have been better off to-day had the Act never been introduced. As the Act stands today it has failed in many things, it has failed to conciliate. The conciliation part of it is as dead as Jnlins Caesar. It has not made for industrial peace. It has not improved the quality or quantity of work. It has not fostered trade. It has not bettered the real position of the workers, in whose

interests it was introduced. On the contrary it lias created strife, manufactured disputes, impaired tho work, restricted the output, increased the cost of production, put up the cost of living to such an extent that a pound to-day goes no further than did sixteen shillings _in 1894 to the detriment of ailespecially the good worker, as his wages have not been increased. The latest statistics show the increase of wages to be from 8% to 10 per cent, and the increased cost of living from 25 to 30 per cent. The only good thing the Act lias

done that could not have been accom-

plished through the medium of the Factories Act is that it has to a consider-

able extent protected the honest liberalminded employer ngainst his unscrupulous and dishonest competitor,hut evsn this boon has been purchased at too great a cost. Under these circumstances it is manifest that if the Act is to be mado a permanent and lasting measure, it must be greatly mended. Some say it were better ended."

'At the Conference to-day the following resolution was passed:—"That it be an instruction to the Parliamentary Committee to endeavor to have the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act amended in the following directions: That the following sub-clause ba added to section 84—'Any member of the Court wishing to dissent from the majority may do so in writing and such dissent shall be attached to the award'; that section 4 of the Amendment Act of 1005 be amended by inserting the word 'Court' in place of tho word 'President' in the first line; that section 3a of the Amendment Act be amended by inserting the word 'shall' in place of the word 'may.'"

Wellington, Last night. At the Eniploycrs*-Federation it was decided, in regard to the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act, "that the Parliamentary Committee take action with the object of getting clause 2 of the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act, 1805, altered, to provide that compensation shall not exceed the amount lost by the employee through such accident." The following officers were elected for the ensuing term: President, Mr H. Inniss; vice-president, Mr W. G. Foster; treasurer, Mr F, C. Crease; trustee, Mr W. H. Bennett; auditor, Mr W. C. Stephens; Parliamentary committee, the Hon. C. M. Luke, M.L.C., Mr James Allen, M.H.R., and Messrs H. Seaton, J. Nicol, J. Godber, N. F. Markey, G. H. Chapman, S. S. Brown, and R. A. Scott. It was decided to get a report of tho proceedings of the conference printed for distribution. The allocation for the ensuing financial year was fixed on the same terms as'last year. It was decided that the head office be in Wellington during the next twelve months, and that the next annual meeting be held in this city.

The Federation to-night passed a resolution protesting against the proposed inclusion of Clause 10a in the Coal Alines Act Amendment Bill. The Federation considered the amending of the Arbitration Bill, and decided to wait on the .Premier and Minister of Labor to-mor-row.