THE ABORTIVE CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 276, 19 November 1913, Page 7

THE ABORTIVE CONFERENCE.

INTIMIDATION SUGGESTED. A QUESTION ABOUT THE SHIPPING COMPANIES. (By Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLING Tl) N, Tuesday. Tiie member for Otaki has given notice of the following question:—"Will the Government take steps to ascertaiu if it is a fact that a few days after the conference between the employers' representatives and the representatives, of the Federation of Labour, presided over by the Prime Minister, on Tuesday, the 2Sth October, the representatives! of the shipping companies concerned were agreeable to discussing a settlement on a basis of a proposal previously submitted by them at the said conference, which proposal has since been offered, and is still offered by the Federation of l_.bour as a basis of settlement, and that the representatives of the Merchants' Association in Wellington intimidated the shipping companies into withdrawing this offer by threatening to tix up freight contracts with an outside shipping company; and, if this is found to be true, will the Government take steps to see that such intimidation is put au end to. in order that the industries of the country may be no longer held up at the behest of a combine which has already been proved to be operating to the detriment of commerce, and which at the present time, by raising the price of commodities, is gaining advantage for itself by the continuance of the strike V