CONCILIATION BOARD.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9814, 25 August 1897, Page 6

CONCILIATION BOARD.

(PR_SS ASSOCIATION TELEGKAM.)

AUCKLAND, August 24. The Conciliation Board sat again to*day, and, the case of the Northern Steamship Company being closed, the cases of A. McGregor, manager of the steamers Kiora, Rose Casey and Maori ; Captain Shaw, of the Terrauoraj Messrs Leyland and O'Bl'ion, owners of the Stella, were gone into. Captain Braid wood, of the steamer Akaroa, did not appear, but it is understood that lie cast in his lot with the steamship owners. The Board will sit in camera to-morrow to consider the evidence, and probably give their award on Thursday,

.In his evidence Mr Hanson, manager of the Northern' Steamship Company, stated I that a calculation showed that what the Union asks for would involve approximately lan additional expenditure of £3500 per annum. The proposal made by the Company, annexed to its letter of the 28th July, 1897, it is considered, fairly and generously met any demand for increased consideration to any ot the men interested. To carry into effect these proposals would involve an additional expenditure approximately of £1500 per annum, but the Company was prepared to expend this sum rather than disturb the present relations with its men. Mr Shera asked—Are you, Mr Ranson, prepared to inform the Board that rou hope to reimburse your Company the £1500 per annum that you are prepared to concede? Mr Ranson said— That is a very grave consideration. It seems to us there are only three things to be done—first, we will have to lay up some of our vessels aiid do away with some employment ; another course will be to put oil engines into our smaller vessels; we may also have to raise the charge lor passages as we cannot increase freights, and we may have to reduce the hands, as we are now carrying over the number of men required by the Act. The other men will have to work a little harder, but we shall have to consider these points when the Board of Directors meet.