8.—6

XXV

whereby military detention may be substituted. The House will be asked to approve this amendment at an early opportunity, together with other amendments which, as our experience of the past year has shown us, are necessary to assure the proper working of the scheme. Every effort has been made in the direction of meeting the wishes of employers as well as employees, and it may truly be said that no great hardship has been felt by any of the business firms in the Dominion who employ a large number of hands, through the absence of their employees while undergoing the training laid down in accordance with the Act. I venture to express the opinion that as time'rgoes onjj every young NewZealander will learn to take his military training as": a part of his citizenship, so that, if at any time the necessity should unhappily arise, every man will be found qualified to assist in the defence of his country from foreign aggression. VOLUNTEEES. The Volunteers have been previously thanked for their services in connection with the Defences of this Dominion, and it would, indeed, be impossible adequately to acknowledge the additional debt which New Zealand owes to those officers, noncommissioned officers, and men who have remained in the Force and have given their valuable services towards helping to make the new scheme a success. LIGHTHOUSES. The question of effective lighting on the New Zealand coast has been impressed upon the Government, and close attention is being paid to the matter at the present time. The action of the previous Administration in agreeing to the erection of a light in the vicinity of Terawhiti has been confirmed by the Government, whilst the proposal to erect a new lighthouse at the North Cape, which was agreed to by our predecessors, has been temporarily held over owing to the strong representations which have been made as to the advisability of the light being erected upon the Three Kings. INDUSTRIAL MATTEES. It is very much to be regretted that at the present time there is in New Zealand a certain amount of industrial unrest, and that strikes are much more frequent than was the case some years ago. New Zealand is, of course, no exception in this respect, many other countries having similar troubles. The strikes at Waihi and Reefton have, however, been very serious not only for those districts, but also on account of the loss to the Dominion as a whole; and the loss is not only in money, but in population, quite a number of people from the localities immediately concerned having taken their departure for Australia and othei places. Experience has shown how difficult it is to provide a remedy for such disputes, but no effort is being spared by the Government and the Labour Department to bring about a satisfactory and honourable settlement of the troubles that have occurred. It is intended by the Government to introduce this session an amendment of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act which will go in the direction of altering the constitution of the Arbitration Court, so that, instead of one Judge of the Arbitration Court, each Supreme Court Judge will preside over the Arbitration Court in the district in which he is resident, except in cases where Dominion awards are asked for or are being dealt with. Instead of making permanent representatives of the employers' associations or industrial workers' unions members of the Court as at present, it is intended to provide for expert representatives from each side in the trade or industry affected, who will sit with the President in the hearing of cases coming before the Court. Another important amendment will be a provision for a secret ballot for the decision of important questions by industrial unions of workers or by employers' associations. There are other matters of comparatively minor importance which will be dealt with in the Bill. We realize that legislation is not always a remedy, but the Government trusts by strict impartiality, and with the assistance of right-thinking people both in Parliament and outside of it, to remove causes of friction and restore industrial peace and prosperity to both classes connected with those industries in which matters are at present in a somewhat unsatisfactory state.

iv—B. 6,