EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13875, 28 October 1910, Page 7

EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION.

CONFERENCE AT WELLINGTON

(PBJSSB ASSOCIATION TXUteBAM.) . WELLINGTON, October 26. Tho New Zealand Federation of Employers met to-day. Tho Hon. C. M. Luke presided, and delegates were present from Wellington, Auckland, Wanganui, Hawko's Bay, Wairarapa, Poverty Bay, Feilding and Manawatu, Nelson, West Coast, Canterbury, and Otago. Tho bootmaking, flaxmilling, •shcepowncrs', builders', and National Dairying Associations of Employers, vrc.ro also represented. Tlid Conference was summoned principally to adopt tho annual report and to consider legislation affecting labour and the Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. Tho annual report of tho General Executive stated that the Federation had in many w-ays been able to assi&t employers of labour with regard Ut labour legislation administration and other matters affecting their interests. The membership of the Federation was reported us, being the same as at the time of tho last annual report, except that an Employers' Association had b< en formed at' Feilding, and the affiliation of tho New Zealand Sheepowners' Federation hats been secured. Tho affiliation of the hitter body was considered to l>e important in that it includes as a part of the organisation many thousands of those engaged in one of the. most important primary industries. It regretted that the New Zealand Farmers , Union had not yet become a part of the Federation. "If tho affiliation of that body wero secured," the report continues, '"'our organisation would then represent industrially tho wholo of the labouremploying classes of the Dominion, and

in tJiat caso representations mado by tho Federation would have the whole weight of tho individual influence of employers engaged in all trades and industries." it added that although, the 1910 session lia<l been m progress for some weeks, little had been uone. Many legislative proposals, wJuch it <nven <'ifwt to would still inrther burden our industries, had been introduced by private members, out had little chance of becoming lan". lho legislation introduced by Government was, however, a different matter, and eight Bills, viz., Shops and Offices, Stone Quarries, Tramways, Factories, Workers' Compensation, Education, Coal .Mines, Mining. would each, it" passed int-o law, impose further disabilities on trades and industries, many of which wero not in a position t-o bear additional burdens. It was deemed advisable to make a .strong protest 10 tho Government against th'> imposition of further burdens Tho support of all employers of Inboui throughout the Dor.union was asked for. Last year's report tlip-t the general depression in tho tiade was the principle reason for tho experience of comparative industrial peace had been been amply borne out i>y recent experiences. tiigns pro not wanting, especially amongst tho stronger njid better organised tr;ido unions to show that they realise that the Industrial Concilia!ion and Arbitration Act had dono as much ior them as is possible, and that they were now prepared to adopt the "might is right" attitude, and so drift back to the old order of things. The State coal, mine strike indicated that tho Union controlling the; workers at the Point Elizabeth mine was propurod to adopt that principle. The .Slaughtermen's Federation showed its contempt for the Act when it gave employers fourteen days' notice of its intention to strike if tho rate of pay for killing sheep were not increased by 2s per 100, from 23s to 2os. Tho claim had been consideted by those interested, and it had been decided to pay tho irereased rate demanded. Fears were entertained that the easy victory gained in this case would act as an incentive to demands being mado for higher rates still, and it is said that colour is lent to tho opinion by thv> recent demands mado by tho slaughtermen in Australia for 27s (3d per 100. Tho kShearers' Federation had made a demand on tho tkcepowners of tho Dominion for an all-round shearing rate ot 20s per 100, and had plainly intimated that if the» demand wcro not agreed to steps would bo taken to prevent shearers accepting employment. Inference was made to tho benefits secured to tho workers by the Act. The report continues: —"Notwithstanding this, it would appear that a day of reckoning is not far off, nnd that ero long the question whether tho Arbitration law is to remain will havo to be faced. Thero must either be a> law governing Labour conditions, or the workers must depend on the strength of their organisations to secure their rights. The present half-and-half position is most unsatisfactory, and cither the workers, as a whole, must bo loyal to the Act or the Act must go. "Whether the best interests of the country would b© served by the application of the survival of the fittest principle was a mat- " ter for serious consideration by all concerned —employers, workers, and the public. Thero could be no two opinions expressed about the necessity of all affected being loyal to the Act if it was ■ to remain on the statute book. Tho platform of tho New Zealand Labour Party calls for attention by reason of the growing, if veiled, Socialistic tendencies therein disclosed. Tho demand, for the gradual public ownership of aIL means of production, distribution, and exchange, meant nothing at all if it did not mean.Socialism. Such a proposal was opposed to private interests, and Vould, if any attempt wero made to put it into operation, kill all enterprise and progress. Other proposals, equally revolutionary in character, were included in the platform, and demanded consideration by the Federation, Altogether, the. industrial outlook was not so reassuring or so satisfactory as it had. appeared at the date of the last report; The Hon. C. M. Luke was elected president, and. Mr W. Hopkirk vicepresident. Mr H. Broadhead was apappoiuted reporter. The following were i elected members of the Finance mittee:—Hon. C. M.-liuko, Messrs IX Goldie, T Hodgson, J. A. Frcstick. A. W. Beaven, W. Hopkirk, T. Bailinger, J. C. Thomson, R. Chiskolm, H. . Warr-n, K. G. Turner, A. E. Bennett. The Federation secretary, Mr William Scott, was again nominated as employers' representative on the Arbitration Court, and Mr William Pryor was also again nominated as deputy representative. The Bill amending the Arbitration Act was considered, copies being beforo the meeting. It was resolved that the Finance Committee and the secretaries present consider tho Bill and report the next day. There was a large attendance at the complimentary luncheon tendered to tho visiting delegatos by the president jiind executive or the. Wellington Employers' Association this afternoon. Mho president of the Association, Mr W. Hopkirk, presided, and formally, welcomed tho delegates. Apology was taade for tho absence of the ririme i Minister and the Hon. J. A. Millar. Mr R. Chisholm, Dunedin, in proposing the toast ,of "Parliament," de-> ciared that while the members of Parliament were not as they should be, still they were what the people mad© tiiem. He paid tribute to the straightforward work of Mr James Allen, coupling his name with tho toast. In reply, Mr Allen apologised for the absence of Mr Massey. '.touching on the difficulties that confronted Parliament, Mr Allen said it was extremely difficult to control the relation between employers and employees. Tho success of our great industries leant more on the faith of the individual man and woman in New Zealand than on legislation. Tho more it was attempted to solve the problem by legislation, the more difficult the problem appeared. Where the light was coming from he did not know.

Tho President proposed tho New Zealand Employers' Federation, and coupled it with tho name of tho Hon. C. M. Luke. Hβ stress on tho non-party policy of the Federation. In reply, the Hon. C. M. Luke said that the Federation was representative of all classes of employers, and had reason to be proud of its present strength and wonderful growth. Tho speaker declared that the employers took their present stand because common cause was made against them. They stood in self-defence. A serious aspect of the present condition of a flairs was that, despite the fact that tho country was at tho height of it 3 prosperity, there were 2000 fewer factory hands than tbero had been years ago.