The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-01
AUSTRALIA PLANS
INDUSTRIAL COURT
Advisory Councils Will Con-
slider Causes of Unrest and
Propose Remedies.

by Prime Minister hughes recently In
speech delivered In the Australian
Parliament. Speaking In favor Of the
pointed out that the Arbitration Court
of the Commonwealth. well known
throughout the world as an instrument
for settling labor disputes, has done ex-
cellent work, but Is seriously hampered,
and always has been, by congestion.
To supplement the court, Prime Min
lister Hughes advocated. according to an
imprint of the speech received by the
Commissioner for Australia In the
United States. Mark Sheldon, the estab-
lishment of new machinery for indus
trial tranquility, as provided for by the
industrial peace bill. In moving the
second reading of the measure Mr..
Hughes described the Observation-Disclosures
at its command as follows:
I'm this bill machinery is provided for
the establishment OF central and dis
trict councils composed of an equal
number of employers and employees.
The function of these councils VIII be
advisory. Their purview will cover the
whole industrial sphere. They will con-
slider the causes Of Industrial unrest I;
they will propose remedies. They Will
by their several actions, to promote the
peaceful settlement of existing. disputes.
II will take a case which will Illus
trate what | mean. The Melbourne
Trades Hall has body. which has
been in existence for some time, called
the industrial disputes committee. That
body has done very good--indeed. ex-
cellent work. II is composed OF men
who. for the most part. are not directly
concerned in the dispute which they
are attempting to settle. They endeavor
to bring the parties together. They do
not preach Industrial turmoil but
strive To bring about peaceful settle
ment.
The law proposes to make use OF
such body as that. and by adding TO
1t similar number of employers 70
create a council which. by using it's in
fluence with the warning parties. shall
bring them together to smooth out their
difficulties.
This measure provides for two things
quite distinct in their natures. One 4
for the establishment Of councils of in.
dustries, whose business shall be to sur
vey the whole of the Industrial sphere
consider what are the basic causes of in.
dustrial unrest and propose remedies fol-
the appropriate body. There would oe
one council for the commonwealth and o
council in each State, composed in each
case OF an equal number of representa-
tives of organized labor and organized
capital or employers. They will have
equal status. They will receive a fee
| Their business will be to advise the Gov.
eminent and the party what should bt
| done"
| Besides the prevention OF labor dis
putes by the friendly discussion methods
\ fp1, f1.A 1%f 80 Bot -
commonwealth councils the Prime Min.
lister stated that special tribunals under
| the bill will be appointed to settle, tn,
de facto disputes occurring in specia
industries. All the councils will have
! chairmen. mutually agreed upon by Ia.
Dor and capital, or IL the latter cannot
agree on 4 chairman the Ministry vii
appoint one.
Mr.. Hughes would make no fabulous
promises for the new measure. although
| he thought IL an extremely importan,
and useful one. On this head he said:
II do not pretend for one moment
that this is q panacea for Industrial un-
rest but ! say that It Is a distinctive
advance on existing legislation. 1 be.
lieve that 1t will prove OF infinite Scr
vice.
The special tribunals and councils
have spoken of will prove q great ster
forward. These councils will give or.
ganlzed labor n recognized status, and
the advice OF these councils will be mos,
useful to the Legislature. The object
Of the creation of these special tribunals
however, Is not to supersede, but to sup
plement. the Arbitration Court. and the
Arbitration Court win continue. All
award or decision of the tribunal will
be binding in law. IL will have the
same effect as the award OF the Arbi-
tration Court. A tribunal. after II has
given decision. may appoint stand
Ing tribunal to interpret lis award and
give effect to it,
The Prime Minister mentioned the
successful settlement Of the coal mining
and shipbuilding disputes In Australia
through the action of tribunals exactly
like those contemplated by the industrial
peace bill. Continuing. he said:
I'm the circumstances, therefore. IL
there we're no other reasons for intro
ducing this measurs than those affect
ing the coal mining industry and tn.
shipbuilding industry. the Ministry would
be amply justified in it's action. In my
opinion, however. the experience OF the
shipbullding tribunal warrants our ex-
tending the principle to other industries
I believe that tribunals of this kind.
flexible. convenient. expeditions and eco
nomical are much more likely 10 pro-
mote Industrial peace and prevent indus
trial turmoil than the court as II exists
to day.
OF the existing Arbitration Court Mr..
Hughes had this to say:
Under the powers given TO the Com
monwealth we have an Arbitration
Court, with president and deputy
president This court has done excel
lent work, but the present position OF
the court Is one Of great congestion
The hearing OF the dispute cases IL very
protracted for many reasons. One Is
that the Judge Is necessarily unfariii-
lar with the trade and industry, the
conditions of which he Is called upon
{, settle. All this delay obviously makes
for Industrial unrest. There are two
raln methods OF settling disputes. One
IA By direct action--by strikes. tn
other IL by recourse to some form OF
arbitration.
1T would be doing q very grievous
wrong to say that the court has not
done great service>to Australia. but no
body will deny that experience has
srown that for many reasons 1t Is not
the ideal method of settling disputes"