MASTER PRINTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 269, 12 November 1937, Page 3

MASTER PRINTERS.

VOLUNTARY CO-OPERATION.

DECISION* OF MEETING. A Ui rge and representative meeting of Auckland city and provincial master printers was held in the Chamber of Commerce last evening, to consider proposals formulated by a special committee of the New Zealand Master Printers' Federation relative to the industry and the Industrial Efficiency Act. Mr. F. J. Dawson, president of the Auckland Master Printers' Association, was in the chair. The chairman reviewed the course of recent events in the industry, and summarised the deliberations of the last federation conference, which had devoted a lo*t of time to a plan for the betterment of the printing business. This had called for more intensive internal organisation and co-operation among printers in the direction of fair trading and improved prices for printing products. Every possible avenue of action, apart from the Industrial Efficiency Act. had been explored by the special committee, and several consultations had been held with responsible officials in the Department of Industries and Commerce, with the hope of validating an alternative course of action. The Minister in charge had negatived any alternative proposals to the Government provisions, and the meeting had been convened to consider any future united action bv master printers. After a lengthy discussion, in which a proposal by Mr. F. W. Hickson. to convene a special federation conference, was negatived, the meeting, on the motion of Mr. .T. M. Hardcastle, unanimously affirmed its decision to remain aloof from the provision of the Industrial Efficiency Act. It was further resolved to make a local effort in the direction of the ideals of the association, and the plan committee of the federation, with the addition of country representatives and outside printers, is to be reconvened to formulate proposals , for future consideration.