INDUSTRIAL LEGISLATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 163, 1 July 1908, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL LEGISLATION.

ileccivul 30lh, 10.5 l>-»i----j Sydney, June 30. lilt! Arbitrat'in Aft has ceased to exist auij tile. jiduslrinl Disputes Act takes ij pliit-i 1 , operating from to-iuor-row. !

1A1)/01!XA\I' M'LCfCUI JiV Jill 1 MIIJJAK.

By ;i'i!U ,l 'i;iili.—I'ress Association. ; ° iVcllii'gt.oii, Lust Night. Kpeiiking in ;l presentation to tie lion. J. lUgg " liny, the lion. J, A. Millar Minister W 1-abor, referred to thei clilHfiijti's »l. -olving Hie proolem of l] u , itiiititm if t-.tpitiil to labor. Amendment ito the; Arbitration Act wanted l,v some wfio i<»jt't-U'il liv others. What was wanted "it a r "»' contract. The tloyo)nmeiit vas picpnytd to go as far „ ill, laiioi- legislation as ever it had u-iiiuiitr ilie i'l4- Tl '° present position was (lot saliV l '' lol '. l > lini l be wanted an opportunity " n 11: t tbo Act. It it were' not i'oiml more effective, tlien thev ! could Kl'i'iil it. A considerable niuiilier of tn"'■' H- 1 "of Parliament hiul slated tbe.v intended, if possible, to repeal the Arliiration Act.' That would he one «f U" «' ori ' tilings that could happen. Orlfm classes of skilled workers cmild I'volt't-'t". themselves, Act or no Act, but unskilled laborers and women reipiifed the protection of tile Act. It hatl been of tl»' greatest benefit to them and its ri-ptul would put them in it terrible position. The information Mint tli"i-e was a movement in the House to repeal the Aft was of the very best. They were willing to repeal it iimneili' ately. If lie eould not get the assistance of tile worker*, lie could-mot hold to bis point 1,1 maintain the Act. I Unionists vero striking in the law, mil other unionists througlTout the country were parsing votes of svmpatliy. If that were the general feeling, and the men wanted to strike, it was ipiitf e!e;i': lliev did not want the Arbitration Act. If strikes were wanted liv Die Yorkers, well the best thing was to do a vay with the Aft. What was tin' goid of amending the Act if the worlien were going to ignore it? He did not Inotv what moment he might get a telegnm announcing a strike. The conclusion vas (lint, the workers were in revolt a?ainst the Act. The Labor Department had fairly and honestly tried to aiininister the Act. Of the lines inllictiil on eiup'olvers, A3 per cent, had been tollocted, while 73 per cent, of the lines imposed on employees had been paid. Over -C7OO had been collected out of £1750 inflicted on the shiiighteriii'n, being eollcrtcd by; vlvkly instalments, There had Ih'cii nj distinction made in administeriig (he Judgment summonses w;tte against employers aitf nnplwjd w'h'en tines were not ]>ai<l7 This \ijU a most critical,, year, lie solve the problem. The country had jbeen prosperous, but was now going liatk a bit; and it was n bad time for the workers to strike. TJie strikers did not reiilisc the present position, and it won id be his endeavor to ■save them from themselves.