DRIVERS' WAGES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16369, 14 November 1918, Page 3

DRIVERS' WAGES.

.DOMINION -CONFERENCE. Mr Hiram Hunter, secretary of the .Canterbury IMvers' Union, arrived in Christchurch .irom Wellington on Tuesday morning, where ihe had boon in attendance at a conteronco between representatives of the Now .Zealand Drivers' 'Federation and the employers of drivers throughout the Dominion, to discuss the terms of. a new agreement to supersede '..present; .award, which expires on the 27-th iiristnnt. ' The Drivers' Federation was reprosented by:—Messrs QDavis and J. Cowsill (Auckland), J. Ross oV ail £ ami j)> M, . -Crawford (Napier), A. PaTlano (Wellington), H. Hunter (Chi'istchurch), and AV. Herbert (Dunediri). The employers wei'e represented by Messrs C. H. Fleming and ■F. 8.. Winstone (Auckland), W. Pry or and T. _ Munt (Wejlington), B. B. Creagh (Napier), A. Young (Masterton), 'C. H. 'Beadel (Christ--church), and R. T. Duthie and J. Spencer (Dunedin). There wore many other employers present, hut those named were the actual participants at the conference. The conference opened on Thursday morning, ,Mr C. H. Fleming, of Auckland, being appointed chairman. Messrs G. Davis and H. Hunter conducted tho negotiations on behalf of tho Drivers'. Federation. After a full day's "discussion it was resolved to appoint a committee of three from oach side, to meet that night to endeavour to arrive at an agreement, and make a recommendation to the full conferencc the following •morning. On Friday, when the conference resumed, the committee reported that it had sat from 7.30 p.m. until 10 p.m. tho previous day. but could not agree to any recommendation. Tho employers, however, made' an offer, without prejudice, such offer to Temain open until Monday. November IBth> at noon. The,drivers' delegates were not prepared to accept the terms offered, but undertook to submit them to their -respective unions, and reply through their Federation 011 the 18th instant. Mi* Hunter has convened a special' meeting of the Canterbury Drivers' TJnion at the Trades' Hall to-morrow, when he will explain the terms offered, and ascertain the mete's wishes in regard thereto. In the meantime, the parties have agreed to withhold any further information outside their own organisations.