CONCILATION BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 146, 14 March 1908, Page 7

CONCILATION BOARD.

THE SHEARERS' DISPUTE. AGREEMENT ADOPTED, . ; .'A sitting of tho Conciliation" Board was held in Wellington yesterday for tho purpose' pf considering the draft . prepared .by tho Board of tho agrcemcnti arrived at'by; tho parties to tlib' shearers' disputo'wlien in con-: fcrenco at Palmerston North on March ,4. . ! By invitation of tho Board, Mossrs. J.. C.. Cooper anfl. E. /W.-Abbott, representing the flockowners and . the Shearers'. Union respectively, were in attendance. ".• v. '.*• [ After about, air hour's deliberation in caniora/,; the■' draft;' wa's 'adopted with : slight amendments. . ~ .On tho proceedings" being resumed/in; open Board,vtho; chairman(Mr... P. J. .o.',R£gnn)j : on behalf .- congratulated ..the parties on i.the.;, satisfactory, .nature ,of tho .agreement; arrived , at, as. well as upon tho spirit which. had eh'araotcrised tli'o proceedings from tho outset. The result had-shown' conclusively,ltliat/where there;,was a ,mritii(il desiro" to' settle, a; dispute amicably,..a-.siitisfac-. tbry -agreement,'could be' achieved. ■ Whilst; complimenting, ihe , parties, he-felt bound in fairness . to say that, after the conference ,had been held, . the. good offices of the labour .representatives 'hadbeen-' used to induce tho Union to ratify the. agreement arrived at, .and ho. was able .to 'add that their' services had been useful.' .v;,:■' ■ -v,\--yj- ".y: ~ Mr. J. C. Cooper said that, on behalf of the .. employers,..ho dpsired to ■ say.that the conference at .had beeri':a;'pleasure .to'tliem; :and 'they* never. hoped' to 1 meet, better : men:tliah',tho ! at'tho'cdnferencei The conference''had established/a :'precederit which he. hoped would yet bo more extensively followed.,.,He;-also, tie-, sired . to !.thank, : :the;.chairman'.' aijd -members, of tho Conciliation- Board'; for ,their ,:good offices, and : ili'-'partieular'. ■.wiebotl' to'add that any : littlo- unpleasahtriess^which, had' 'tpkon - place., at 'the ;oiiUet of; tliV. proceedings 'had not involved,' so .far;as \fKey.werb'concerned, the slightest want of confidence/oi/rcspect towards the' Board; i They .had. ma'do one individual objection, but even on. that gentleman not tho slightest' personal reflection was intended. He could, in conclusion, only thank the Board and 1 all;concerned.; . ;; yy

M;r.'Abbott, on behalf of the.sjiearers, said he also, felt called upon to "say;;soiriethirig.; They.: had:-.expected;;very vlittlei: satisfaction frorii' the ' conference; at 'Palmerston; North, 'b'lit they ' had ' been ' agreeably deceived, and the result of. the conference had been to incroaso the respect entertained by the. shearers toward tho . employers. :Ho also desired-, to thank tho chairman of tho Board for hisiun',failirig;;ca,ui'tesy; arid ;the imeinbers for- their 'good Jdffices.y ; fio;also hoped ".that" the'agreement 1 arriyed : at-.would. bo ,■ a precedont to be more extensively, followed in tho futuro. .. Tho. Board. will hold a short;-sitting;this morning, after, which tlies agreement will ,bo filed as, the Board's recommendation: Dur-.Court/tlie'document.-will b'e formally 1 referred to it> by the- Union,- and.\bothy-parties- will 'makoj.joint .Application' to the:', Court ';to. ! have •tho., samo >convorted ■ into an: award. As, -however,: a largo number of ■ cmpldyers are juot included initho citation lists, application will bo made under Section 3 of.tiie Industrial Conciliation ;and Arbitration Act : to have [uricited .cmplpyers-mado, parties • by, adysrtiseinbnt. y ■ V"'