24 MINIMUM WAGE LEGISLATION IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES

applies only to unions which have registered of their own accord,’
and agreements and awards are binding only in these cases. Disputes
 arising between parties which have not registered come under
the labor disputes investigation act of 1913, which provides only for
a cooling-off period before strikes may be declared. In practice,
however, up to 1924, only 50 disputes had been filed by 23 unions
under that act; the remaining 415 unions preferred the conditions
of the industrial conciliation and arbitration act. Only 12 awards
were in force at the beginning of 1925 under the voluntary labor
disputes investigation act and 551 under the other compulsory
conciliation and arbitration act.1
As the legislation in New Zealand is frequently considered the most
complete attempt to achieve industrial peace and legal fixation of
wages and is the endeavor of longest duration, it may be advisable
to refer more in detail to the main provisions of the two acts as they
now stand on the statute books. The industrial conciliation and arbitration
 act and its various amendments, in so far as they have not been
repealed, were consolidated on October 1, 1925. Unions of at least
15 members and employers’ associations with at least 3 members
may be registered under the act. (Art. 5.) By registration such
associations become subject to the jurisdiction of the councils of conciliation
 and the court of arbitration established under the act. (Art.
12.) Only registered associations can be parties to the agreements
under the act. (Art. 28.) These agreements are binding not only
on the associations which have concluded them but also on their
members. (Art. 80.) If the court accepts it as proved that an industrial
 agreement binds employers who employ a majority of the
workers in the industry in the district for which the agreement is
made, the court may, on the application of any party to the agreement
or of any person under the agreement, extend the operation of the
agreement to all employers in the industry in the district, and the
agreement shall thereby have binding force for them. (Art. 82.)
The court shall convert the agreement into an award, unless it finds
the provisions are against the public good or in excess of its jurisdiction.
 (Art. 83.) No disputes shall be submitted to the court
unless they have first been referred to a council of conciliation. These
councils are formed of commissioners appointed by the Governor General
 and assessors from the parties to the disputes appointed by the
commissioners. - (Art. 40-41.) The council may make recommendations
 for the amicable settlement of disputes. (Art. 54.) These
councils may, however, on their own initiative, transmit disputes to
the court (art. 56), and parties may appeal from the advice of councils
 to the court (art. 57).
The court of arbitration consists of three members appointed by
the Governor General, two of them nominated by the associations of
employers and of employees. (Arts. 63-65.) Awards of the court
shall bind not only the parties to the dispute but all employers and
trade-unions in the industry and in the district in which the award
has been made. (Art. 89.)" The court may even extend the binding
force of its awards to the whole of the particular industry in the
country. (Art. 92.) The court may, in its awards or by orders,
® New Zealand. Précis of the Labor Laws of New Zealand, administered by the Deang
 et han Compiled March. 1925. Wellington, p. 1.