The Conciliation Act

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 251, 4 September 1902, Page 3

The Conciliation Act

THE AGENT - GENERAL’S STATEMENT,

Wellington, September 2. In the House this afterno »n Mr Monk asked the Acting-Premier if he would advise the Agent-General to refrain from making official statements on the labour conditions of the colony as at present affected by the working of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. In a recent cablegram from London the Agt*nt-Gwneral was reported as having stated in the London Press that the Conciliation and Arbitration Act was working satisfactoiily in the colony. Mr Monk takes exception to this statement, holding that Mr Beeves, not being on the spot, is not in a position to give an opinion on this subject, and today he asked the Acting-Premier if he would advise the Agent-General to refrain from making such* statements.

The Acting-Premier stated, in reply, that the duty of the AgentGeneral was to see that no misrepresentations of the colony took place in London, and hem t;mi to time he, as representative of the colony, had to correct such misrepresentations, either by writing to the papers, or in any other way he considered best. In regard to this particular matter, the AgentGeneral advised the Government that a statement had been published from a correspondent in New Zealand, implying that the Arbitration Act was not working satisfactorily, that it was meeting with the general disapproval of the workers of the colony, and wa« likely to break down. That, as a matter of fact, was not correct. The Painters’ Union dissented from a decision of the Court, and expressed itself to that effect, but that was.all. The Act had done splendid work in the colony. There might be some who were opposed to it, and some would be glad to see the whole system break down, but he thought it would be a great misfortune to the colony if the policy of the Act was to be abolished, ana if we returned to the old state of things. Even if there were difficulties it did not follow that the Act was likely to break down. The Ageut-General had done no mote than his duty in placing on record in the London papers the correct position. —Press.