THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7933, 5 January 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1906.

To those who aro interested in the industrial and commercial development of the country the proceedings of the Parliament of Labour, which will meet at Ohristoburoh on the 20th February, should prove in the highest degree interesting, There are, no doubt, those who oousidor that some,.if not all the questions that will be discussed should be dealt with by Parliament, and that 'the representatives of the people' should be capable of legislating satisfatorily upon questions of public moment without the aid of conferences. If the Government, however, feel that they would very muoh rather be guided by some other institutions' advice they must certainly be congratulated upon the

modesty of their attitude. What, however, is of great importance is that the Government should not ignore the recommendations of men who must be accepted as authorities on industrial questions. If the work of the Parliament of Labour be not supplemented by comprehensible, moderate and progressive legislation, then it will certainly be .a matter for regret that the Parliament referred to was ever instituted. * * * * * This conference of employers' re-, presentatives and delegates from workers' organizations has been rather uunappily named, "The Par- ! liament of Laoour," a title which will, no doubt, mislead many of the public as to its true character. As 7 a matter of fact, it is a conference to discuss matters regarding trade, commerce, and industry, with equal representation for the agricultural, manufacturing and working classes. The more correct term, therefore, as has been pointed out, would have been "Industrial Parliament." The decision of the Farmers' Union not to be represented seems, to say the least, to be a very unfortunate one. In an official letter to the Minister foi Labour the Union stated that tne ground of their declining was that they had no matter to bring before the conference. But surely, in view of the fact that questions of vital interest to farmers are going to be discussed at the Conference, the Union might very advisedly have decided to be represented. ***** Regarding the attitude of the Farmers' Union, the colonial secretary, Mr A. J. McOurdy, says the matter of representation was decided in committee. The colonial president announced in his speech in open Council that the Union had been informed that it would be entitled to six delegates only. In conversation with delegates outside of the Council meetings, opinions were expressed that the conference between farmers, employers and workers should have been arranged by the Department of Commerce aDd Industries, and not by the Labour' Department, especially in view of the fact that the farm products accounted for £13,000,000 of last year's exports, out of a total of some £15,000,000 exports, and the looal consumption was probably upwards of-£5,000,000. "The matler of the number of representatives was not deemed of so much importance," said Mr McCurdy, "as whether any delegates we might send could benefit the farmer." * * * * * Mr McCurdy admits that the farmers are interested in the operations of the Harvester Trust, but declares that the Act of last session dealing with the subject is quite sufficient protection should the looal industries be threatened. Recently, in conversation with a representative of the press, Mr McCurdy stated that the Farmers' Union "have a mass of information on the subject from Canada, the United States, and the Commonwealth of Australia, and, as a prominent New Zealand implement maker has only this week expressed the opinion that the Harvester Trust was a perfectly legitimate organisation, and so far as be could ascertain had not raised the price of their implements, there was probably not much to be feared in New Zealand." Now opinions differ greatly as to the operations of the Harvester Trust, and ia view of the statements made by a denutation to the Premier last session, and the letters subsequently published in the press by the Now Zealand Manager for the Harvester Trust, it would certainly be well if the Farmers' Union placed "the mass of information" that is in their possession before the conference. ***** Suggestions for the agenda paper have already oeen received from parties to the conference. Tariff reform, compulsory insurance, and the amendment of the Arbitration Act are amongst these. One sug- j gestion is, "Do our labour laws retard or facilitate the development of our industrial and labour interests?" Another suggestion is the following: "That in the interests of the employers and employees engaged in the manufacture of agricultural implements, is it desirable that legislation be provided to restrict the operation of foreign trusts engaged in the distributing of agricultural implements in the colony?" On this same question another suggested topic is: "What effect would the suggested restrictions have upon the farming interests of the colony?" Another query which will open up much debatable matter, asks, "Is it desirable that the State should enter'into further commercial and industrial .enterprises?"