AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 230, 27 March 1912, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

THE ARBITRATION BILL. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, March 2C. A conference between the Assembly and the Council on the Arbitration Bill discussed the clauses in relation to preference to unionists. The Council eventually agreed on the inclusion of the preference clause, provided that where the declaration of preference was made in favor of union, such preference should be cancelled by the Arbitration Court in the event of a substantial number of the members of the union striking or aiding a strike. If a lesser number strike, the court may suspend the declaration for any period. A new clause was added enabling the Minister to constitute a conciliation committee in any occupation other than mining, where more than 500 persons are employed. The Assembly then agreed to thu Council's other amendments, taking away the right to strike.

SUPERSEDING RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS. Sydney, March 26. The Government's first action to supersede the powers of railway commissioners was mentioned in the Assembly. Mr. Griffiths announced that a board consisting of the Ministers of Railways and Works and the Chipf Commissioner will be appointed for carrying out railway duplication and deviation work. He stated in two years Parliament voted £2,000,000 for duplication work, and the Commissioner had spent less than half that sum. The congestion was becoming a serious menace.