NEW ZEALAND 



The original Act included all the workers in factories 

 and mines, builders, painters, carpenters, butchers, sea- 

 men, railway men, etc., but was held by the Court in 1899 

 not to include grocer clerks, street car men or livery stable 

 employees. In 1900 however, an amending and consoli- 

 dating act was passed extending the act to store men, 

 clerks, farm laborers and all who work for wages or salaries 

 except some employees of the National Government, most 

 of whom are otherwise provided for. At the same time 

 the Court was authorized to make awards for three years 

 instead of two as under the original law, and it was further 

 enacted that even after its term had expired an award 

 should continue in force until one of the parties thereto 

 applied to the Court for a revision. This means that only 

 by the legal dissolution of all the registered unions of a 

 trade, or the express fiat of the Court itself can a trade 

 once regulated cease to be regulated. The Court was em- 

 powered to make awards binding throughout the Colony 

 instead of making a series of district awards as before ; to 

 hold non-unionists to obedience to awards in their trade, and 

 to hold new comers or persons entering the trade after the 

 award bound by it without citing them into court for a 

 hearing. The conclusions of the conciliation boards were 

 made binding unless appeals were taken to the court in= 

 stead of being as formerly mere recommendations for the 

 enforcement of which the successful party must appeal to 

 the court. Another amendment in 1901 permits either party 

 to take the case straight to the court instead of going to 

 the local board first. All the points of the law cannot here 

 be stated, but mention must not be omitted of the referen- 

 dum amendment of 1898, requiring that before a union 

 initiates arbitration proceedings it shall be ascertained by 

 ballot that a majority of its members wish to do so. 



