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3. That in cases of lump-sum payments the Court be empowered to make the payment in such a way as will give protection to all dependants, appointing, if necessary, guardians for children. Discussion on Report. Mr. Bloodworth: I move, That the report of the sub-committee be received. In doing so, may I add one or two words ? I take it that all of us when we met in this Conference felt a sense of the responsibility which rested upon each and all of us to do our very best to solve some of the problems committed to us ; and I am sure that each member of the sub-committee, when appointed to that committee, felt an added sense of responsibility attaching to him in view of the very important matters we were called upon to deal with. I can truthfully say on behalf of every member of the sub-committee that they one and all attacked the problems before them in line with the first line of the agenda paper submitted to the Conference —that is to say, they looked at every problem from the point of view of the welfare of the country. Each and every one of the matters submitted to us was subjected to long consideration, having been argued out not merely line by line, but, I may truthfully say, word by word. And the deliberations of the committee have been carried out with the utmost good feeling by all parties concerned. There have been many times when it would have been quite possible to break off and say that the end had come ; but every one was determined to carry the thing through and see if we could possibly reach agreement on the matters submitted to us. I have in the course of a very long experience taken part in many committee meetings on industrial matters, but I have never taken part in one where the feeling was better than in the committee that it has been my privilege to preside over during the past fortnight. I feel sure that that is a consequence of the long and intimate association we have had the one side with the other. lam sure that, even if there were no definite results that we were able to put down on paper, thfere would be this very good result: that as a consequence of our long and intimate association with each other every one of us understands the other's point of view far better than he could possibly have done but for the opportunity we have had of discussing our various points of view so intimately together during the past few days. With these few remarks, I move that the committee's report be received. Hon. Mr. Weston: Sir, as the oldest member on the employers' side of that sub-committee, I have very much pleasure in seconding Mr. Bloodworth's motion ; and I would venture to say that the measure of agreement which ,we have reached on the three important issues set out in the first section of our report is a striking tribute to the wisdom of the Government in suggesting the holding of this Conference, and to the wisdom of Parliament in unanimously adopting the Government's suggestion. I can corroborate all Mr. Bloodworth has said as to the very pleasant nature of the work on that committee. I may say that, personally, I have learnt more and have got to understand the motives and objects of the other side to a greater extent than I have done at any other conference with labour in my experience. It was a very pleasant committee. We discussed everything very fully and frankly, and I think every one of us was most anxious to arrive at conclusions that would be in the interests of the country as a whole. Personally, I shall always look back upon the fortnight we spent on that committee as a very pleasant one ; and I am sure that the members on the labour side have just as pleasant feelings towards myself and the other members on our side as I have, and all of us on this side have, towards them. I have very much pleasure in seconding the motion. Motion agreed to. Unemployment. The Chairman: We have next to deal with the different recommendations of the sub-committee. The motion is that the recommendation of the Committee with regard to unemployment be adopted. Mr. Mcßrine: Sir, I have pleasure in moving that the finding of the committee on the question of unemployment be adopted by this Conference. In doing so, I wish to anticipate an objection that may arise—the objection that this question was not definitely set out in the order of reference to this Conference. That point may be raised by some person or persons interested, but I want the Conference and all concerned to take note of the facts of the position. For the first time in the history of the Dominion the principal parties in industry on both sides have been called together on a national basis to consider the industrial and economic life of the nation, and to make recommendations to the Government with respect to the welfare of the country among other things ; and no body of people with the best interests of the public in view, and especially no body of people intimately connected with the industries of the country and with the life of the workers generally, could possibly ignore the question of unemployment at the present time. I wholeheartedly believe that this pronouncement of the committee with regard to unemployment, if adopted by this Conference, must carry greater weight than any pronouncement made on this question on any previous occasion, because both the sub-committee which has prepared the report and this Conference to whom it is presented are the people who have their finger on the pulse of the industrial life of the Dominion more intimately than any others. The report carries with it a great weight and responsibility, commensurate with the importance of its findings. I will not refer to all the findings with regard to unemployment, but will refer to them briefly in passing. The first is that "We are agreed that at present the problem of unemployment in the Dominion is acute." Not that there is in existence some passing surplus of unemployed, but that the unemployed problem is acute. And this finding was come to after consideration in the main committees, in conference, and in the sub-committee —after a very thorough and exhaustive discussion and the evidence of many people with first-hand knowledge of the question. We not only agreed that the problem is acute and pressing with us now ; but we were also unanimous that a temporary remedy must be provided, and must be provided from a certain definite quarter, not

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