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From Trades and Laboub Council, Christchurch. Clause 5 : Amended so as to make it " seven," in lieu of " ten," for workers wishing to organize. Clause 16 :" One acre " deleted. Clause 85, subsection (3): " The industrial district or districts to which the award relates." The remainder of this cause we wish deleted. Clause 93, subsection (4): Paragraph 2 struck out. Clause 104, subsection (9), deleted. Clause 113 struck out, and the following substituted in lieu thereof : " That the Government be amenable to the provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and awards of the Court, and industrial agreements, in the particular trades affected." The council suggests a very important addition to the new measure, which is clause 29 of the old Acts of 1894, providing for the restriction of strikes and lockouts, which it considers must have inadvertently been left out of the new Bill in its reconstruction, but it trusts it will be included in the new Bill, with a maximum penalty provided of £100.' The council are not quite sure as to whether clause 74 will exclude the "legal fraternity" from acting as counsel in breaches, as the Judge rules a breach is a quasi-cnminsA case, so it has left this matter in your hands, and wish to obtain your opinion on this clause. Christchurch, 10th July, 1900.

From the President of the New Zealand Federated Boot Trade Association of Industrial Workers and the President of the New Zealand Boot-managers' Association Union op Employers. The points we desire to urge are : First, that it is absolutely necessary that a clause should be inserted in the Bill by which all awards relating to industries which produce goods of an interchangeable character should be. made to apply throughout New Zealand, and not to provincial districts only. The Court to have the discretionary power to declare a particular class as interchangeable goods. With regard to the product of labour which is not interchangeable, the Court should have power to make its award apply to one or more industrial districts. The second point is that the Bill should be so worded as to remove the possibility of doubt that every award made is to apply to every worker and to every person who employs a worker in connection with the industry, whether union or non-union, or whether he or they were made parties to the award when given. The organizations which we have the honour to represent, and by whose authorioy we act, are the New Zealand Federated Boot Trade Industrial Union of Workers, which represents fully 95 per cent, of all the workers employed in that industry in New Zealand, and the New Zealand Boot-manufacturers' Association Union of Employers, which includes all the largest employers of the labour in the trade in Wellington and the whole of the South Island. We respectfully request your Committee to insert clauses in the Arbitration Bill which will provide for the two points we raise, and that you will support by vote and influence these proposals when before the House.

From the Secretary of the Federated Seamen's Union, Dunedin. The Seamen's Union desire to bring under your notice certain sections of the proposed amended Conciliation and Arbitration Act which we are positive will be inimical to the interests of our federation if permitted to become law in their present shape. The first which calls for comment is section 11, which gives the Registrar or Conciliation Board power to determine whether a union shall be entitled to establish a branch where another union exists purporting to deal with an industry of a similar nature. That proviso would probably be judicious and beneficial provided that all industries were thoroughly organized and established in the colony. Such, however, is not the case. The Seamen's Union have a serious difficulty to contend with, inasmuch as a very small section, styling themselves the Wellington Branch of the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand, have seceded from the main body of the federation and]established themselves in Wellington under the foregoing title in entire opposition to the wishes of the large majority of the members of the federation. And while they are masquerading under our name they have absolutely no connection with the federation, and have been repudiated by all the branches both in New Zealand and Australia. We would therefore ask you to seriously consider the advisability of modifying section 11 of the proposed new Act so as to allow the federation to establish themselves in Wellington. We think that could be effected by leaving it to a majority of the members to say whether that should be done or not. We find that section 21 will also debar us from forming an industrial association, for the reason that we do not posses four branches. Experience has shown that three branches are sufficient for our requirements, and, being a large and powerful organization, we claim the right to become an associated body if we so desire it. As you are thoroughly conversant with the nature of our organization I refrain from minute detail, and would respectfully ask that your undoubted influence with your committee be exercised in conserving our interests as far as possible. 12i'i July, 1900.