TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9149, 23 July 1908, Page 5

TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

ARBITRATION ACT

GOVERNMENT'S NEW BILL

DISCUSSED

BY TEr,E«RAVH--P:iIES6 ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, July 22. At the Trades and Labour Council's Conference, to-day, a resolution was passed after along discursive discussion, affirming the principles of the original Industrial, Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1894. In dealing with the Govsrnment's new bill it was resolved that the Conference disapprove of all sections in part one of the Bill, excepting clause 8 (which proposes ti> repeal section 15 of the 1905 Act dealing with the recqvery of fines, etc.). It was decided to allow clause 11, part 2 of the Bill (dealing with the transference of enforcements of awards from the Court to Stipendiary Magistrates) to stand, with the addition that Magistrates should have the assistance of assessors to advise them on technicalities. Clause 12 (application of provisions as to enforcement of awards and agreements) was approved. Clause 13, providing for a fine of£loo for breach of an award, was amended by inserting the words, "not exceeding" before £IOO. It was decided that appeals to the Arbitration Court from a Magistrate's decision should be allowed on points of law only. Clause 21 (deduction of wages for payment of fines) was disapproved. Clause 25 of part 3, abolishing Conciliation Boards and leading up to the appointment of the proposed new councils of conciliation was disapproved. The Confprencc will proceed to discuss the rest of the measure tomorrow.