TRAMWAY CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16701, 9 December 1919, Page 6

TRAMWAY CONFERENCE

A STATEMENT REFUTED. Rojvrtintj to tho Tramway Ho-ird yn terdav. the \V-tU< and Tralile Committee si.itixl that a< tl'.e i 'l i. reneo in Wi llnijiton bet we -:i reprc-cntatives «»f the various tramu ay ::t:«'.ert.ikinps and me r ; in NVu />■ iland i .'d tailed to arrive at a nation.>l .i;":v "tr.e-it. and as tiie (.'..ristehin. ii award expired on October 1-t 1 the ei '•.mil; '!■ ]'..id iti- \ ti'.e exee:it:v.> the C'hri-iehurch l'nio:i t.i a e. e en I>.-, .•nilnr r.'i'.i, with tee <!»;•-.: . f arramimp a lir\v -i ila ef v. ie.e> an I otacr c'i. '.u ;or,s of cup! eyn-.en:. Tile »•:. i lie. ill H «l. lVvr' paid that an ar.i le iiad appoitcd in the local l'-v-s fuiiii t!<> '\\ 7, I"r.ireport Worker." and t' e v.. :om-M::- made were tint in ,-e ■ u d.im it 1: ;• t. Tiie article referreii t" state i in e!'te,; that t' e e:i"'l y v.en net dcari u- of arrivi'ii; e.t an a:' l eeia t. That »'.i« Cn*» tile'y eemi' ry te. ft. 11l pivot e| tli.it he w :e! ;e st";. i: »!:•• nti mhor* of t'v i ei: ;'e: one d i!; i.r.-t v. itli tho t] lie-.'.ion .i' .. lVnilnien award. That they in l-' i V: ike -\ < ttlement shev sat for two d y-. mi- li'iini'; tie drawm ; up i ."id'tie:* • f-'r |'m> ulu'lo P -nvnien. That w a.- a rather 1 iree under: a!; ill;:. as ail the e.moon's ropreseme iat ihv <onfei,nie I'id adopted m-aae.;. ei" i" \na .eniei t e• ll flu" t: r:;» one with r.uotho". l'"iill' e-niere. there were cert tin enip! ye'-; ei a disf.n't das.* working m v..; eof the -1-■:* i, and the-e ela---"s were not uniform all thronuii the different M'-tcn-. In dra;tir. ; _' a -".itahle Dominion :iiroenieni. theref-ae. il was iioeo--:iry that certain of the undertakings should make sierifi es in e'linovou uitli their w rkin-: e uid '.ions. ('hi isvenn h sacri'•ein : ?on et'iini: that had I>o mi in its eca.lit I'Mis tor a eoiiMilerahle time, namely, the "snare list." In the new eon.lit ions t lie "sp ire 1!m" was dropped entirely, tiioirrlt it had Keen a ;:n at advantage to th.e lizard in nidi time<, as miller tl'e 10-i a I'ertai'i 1-rei.ortion of employees eenl l In 1 worked o\er the onii'.ary hours. Chii-t •! uri-li had sacrilie (1 th'r.t entirely, anil annual holidays had also lx-en ('.ranted to classes of workers who, ni> lo the present time had not received them in the same w.-tv as motorn'on and condiiciors. Ev ry centre had to :. ' e sacritiees in the same way, ami it had lieen done in the hest spirt, with the view of corninj; t<i a I>aminieii agreement. That, surely. was s.;flieh"!it to show that there was an hoip'»'t desire on tlii > part of these cathered together to come to nil amicalile stM'.lement. It hid :iK'i Keen slated, said Mr Rut. that tln< employers liad tint entered into any argument whether tiie proposals cave a livinjr wa«'e tir not. to the employees. The answer to that was tint the "ennd'iyers were not there to tall; ilatittii!cs\ hut. to come to an practical aaivinent. In acceding tn the demands of the union in Christchureh, they must, that they would mean an ineren«e in, expcrses of not I 'ss than £3"i,000; lie said net. lens liorarse that amount applied principally tn increases of wapes. Thn altered conditions would no donht mean inrrensed expanses also, hut it was not j>of,sihlo to define tlicvii in terms of £ s. <1. in any case, it would mean a considerable amount throughout tho Pamiuion, and the employers' represent ilivcs had to take that into considerate. He lmd not intended to make the=e remark*, lint for tho appearance of thn article referred to. 110 veuld say that all through the conference the utmost (: n °d feelin*i prevailed. Rith sides preferred to leave the hulk of tho speaking to certain specified representatives, nnd this accounted for th" larrro pnrt lie had taken in the deliberations. The chairman stated that, the Arbitration Court had nd'vispd thnt certain increases nmoiinting to about Id per hour were due to workers, and the Kaard had de-ided not tn wait, until an award wao completed, hut to add the increase to the wa«*cs of all members of tho union from that day.