ARBITRATION—NOT THE END.
AGITATORS. NOT LEADERS. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Auckland. Last Night. When replying to speeches of wglcome to-day, Mr Andrew Fisher, the Federal Premier, remarked that he could not express an opinion about the affairs of New Zealand, although he had followed its political and its commercial history for 30 years. "But Ido say," he added, "that however much you may be disappointed with your position to-day, you should not forget that in the- earlier days New Zealand did a good deal to lead the way in industrial legislation. No one can actually believe that arbitration is the end of all things, (Hear, hear). When first inaugurated it was perhaps a better system than that of strikes, but the expense of it is unjustifiable in every way. The tedious process of getting to the courts, especially with the dual Parliament of the Commonwealth, makes it a burden almost too heavy to bear." That, Mr Fisher added, was because people would not remove the disabilities under which they were placed by the constitution. "I think that the position in New Zealand," he added, "has been that you have had men as leaders who were not Labor men, keen, shrewd men who just kept a little in front of public opinion." I In response to ''Hear, hears," Mr Fisher added: "Well, they' are not to blame for that." He said that Hie difficulties here were not as great as those in Australia, where they spent half their time in trying to circumvent the weak and ~ difficult constitution. A When speaking at the welcome ,to»sh.e Prime Minister of Australia JJris. morning, the secretary of the-. Garters and Drivers' Union (Mr G. Davis-), said he had thought it might be possible to discuss with A[r Fisher the good and bad features of the conciliation and arbitra-. tion system. , "The system in thla s country," he added, ■ "does Dot settle disputes, it manufactures them. . Erom „ the time an award is given the.ro is One continual wrangle." The speaker was proceeding to refer in an unconiplhncn- , ' tary manner to the way in which the judges framed awards wH&jijl- ,ho was checked by tin- visiting PrinlJrMinistcr. "I would not -ay that," suggested Mr Fisher, "for the judges in this country, as well as in. "other countries, rightly or wrongly, interpret the laws." Sir Davis accepted the advice, and went on to sav that _the carters here were working fill'hours a week for from £2 8s to £2 12a a week. They found that awards were not framed on the evidence given in the Arbitration Court. For instance, hoh'dnys had been reduced from- . nine'to eight,"and the percentage of b'ify- ' labo**}ftd been nodlflod •fl'heri neither ■•<■'», alteration had Itfen fon. - ,*;|3«y
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 174, 31 December 1914, Page 5
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453ARBITRATION—NOT THE END. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 174, 31 December 1914, Page 5
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