W. PBYOK, 1

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1.—9.

41. How would it do if, when a dispute first conies forward, a notice in the Gazette should be considered a citation to all the parties in that industry; the notice would be bound to be copied into the newspapers? —It xvould be absolutely useless. We had the point raised in a case here, and 1 do not think, after that, the Court will ever again agree to a newspaper citation. 42. lion. Mr. Millarr.] This only expects them to do under an industrial agreement what they can do in regard to an award of the Court?—So long as that is made clear, that is what we want. I think the present law says, " after hearing the parties." Section 56, " Awards to prevail over contracts of service in cases of conflict " : Objection is particularly made to the reference to apprenticeship. Change of award would make void any apprenticeship agreement, or even apprenticeship under the provisions of an axvard. It would vary it. We say that arrangements legally entered into, and especially in connection with apprenticeship, should not be varied simply because another axvard comes into force. Section 57, the "exertion wage" proposal, is opposed by the whole Federation as being impracticable. " Impracticable " is also put down opposite the proposal for two assessors to be added to the Court. We say, first of all, that there is ample provision in the principal Act for the appointment of assessors if it is thought fit. What is going to be the result in practice if you appoint these assessors ? In the forthcoming sitting of the Arbitration Court 1 am appearing in seven disputes. The Court after sitting in Wellington goes to Masterton, Napier, Wanganui, Palmerston North, and then back to Wellington, where it sits again. That means that you would require fourteen men to act as assessors in these cases. These fourteen men must be present at the first sitting in Wellington, and the Court xvill be here the best part of fourteen days. These men xvill have to be in all the places I have mentioned, and be carried with the Court to hear evidence in the cases. We should have quite a royal train. After returning to Wellington they would have to hang about until the decisions were given, and these cannot be given on the spur of theVnoment—time is required for consideration. 43. The assessors ought to sit in the four centres, and there should be quarterly sittings of the Court?— The demand will become so strong and insistent from all parties that you will have to make smaller industrial districts. 44. It is coming now; I have already four applications? —Then you would have to provide for the Arbitration Court to sit in those districts. 45. You cannot make a perfect system?—No; but I am pointing out the impracticability of this proposal for assessors. If you appoint these, you have only one more man on each side trying to get the best he can for those he represents. You are no further ahead. Subsection (3) of section 60: This provides: " The said assessors shall irot be parties to the dispute, or members or officials of any industrial union or industrial association which is a party to the dispute." What we are wondering at is xvhere the assessors are to come from. 46. You can take them from Christchurch for Wellington, and from Otago for Canterbury? —The matter of the expense does not trouble us so much as the difficulty of getting men who understand the conditions of an industry, and are willing to leave their business to take up these positions. And yet you gain nothing after all, because you will have the same conditions as you have noxv. Subsection (9), "The assessors shall, before entering upon their office, make the same oath or affirmation as is required from the other members of the Court by section seventy-three of the principal Act " : I want to point out that it is a very dangerous element, this appointing so many different assessors, in many cases to some extent irresponsible men. The oath of secrecy xvill not be so valuable under these circumstances as xx'here you have permanent men. The danger of that must appeal to you as men of the world. Now, finally, there is an additional clause asked for xvith regard to the registration of unions or associations under the Act. The clause is this: " That any trade-union, trade association, or representative number of employers shall have the right to appeal to the Court against the Registrar in registering, cancelling the registration of, or refusing to register a trade-union or trade association, and the Court may on hearing evidence make an order instructing the Registrar as it thinks fit." This provides practically the right of appeal for all the parties against registering or refusing to register. It xvas found in the sailmakers' case in Dunedin that the parties had no power to appeal against the Department's decision. There is a difficulty about the matter; it is not clearly laid down, and it is just as xvell to simplify it. I have to thank the Committee for the patient hearing given me, and shall be pleased to answer any questions that may be put to me. Walter Lewis Thompson examined. (No. 14.) 1. The Chairman.] What are you?—l represent the Federated Builders of New Zealand. 1 do not think I can add very much to what Mr. Pryor and Mr. Booth have already said in regard to the proposals contained in this Bill. Mr. Booth's criticism of the Act, I think, xvas on all-fours xvith the feeling that the Federation have with regard to the xvorking of the Act as it has so far progressed, and also with regard to the incompetency or inefficiency of the worker as we find him to-day.' Mr. Booth mentioned that it xvas a case of going slow. 2. The " ca' cannie " principle?— Yes. We find it in our particular business that, although the worker's wages have not increased more than about ten per cent, on what they were twelve or fourteen years ago, his efficiency, or the amount of work we get done, is not more than 50 per cent, of xvhat.it was twelve years ago. I xvill tell you xvhy, if I may mention an instance. About fourteen years ago I had a contract, and allowed 6s. per 100 ft. for labour on the raw material. 1 made a profit of 6d. out of that; xvhile I have frequently now allowed 10s. for the same amount of xvork and made a loss, although it is exactly the same class of work. That simply goes to shoxv that there is less xvork being done by the worker now than there xvas twelve or fourteen years ago, xvhile the xvages have not increased probably more than 10 per cent. That accounts in a very large degree for the increased cost in building.