CONCILIATION BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 185, 30 April 1908, Page 4

CONCILIATION BOARD.

GENERAL LABOURERS' DISPUTE. . CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRY' ■..■■.• •. districts. ■' . ' . Tho Board of Conciliation mot yesterday further consider the conditions under wjiich general' labourers':''work in' the country, dis- ' tricts. " .. : Evidence' bad previously been beard at • Wanganui, Palmcrston' North, Masterton, : 'and Napier.' Mr. Reardon, on behalf .of the workers; submitted that the evidence''already tendered supported.tho claims .for an 'increase in wages. Not one of tho witnesses; who had included officers, of Corporations; leading contractors, etc.,' had • stated that* the 'w'ofkers.• wero inot entitled to an advanco. In'very > many :iji->, .stances the.'employers wbre quite'satisfied to grant tlio increase. : Evidence' had also bfeen' ; given by contractors that > thy wore' already paying higher wages than "those claimed by'--: the workers.' The Union was claiming for- a. ■week of 46 hours. 11l Wellington, the award • fixed 48 hours, but tho practice generally followed wasto work 47" hours'.'-' 'At rJlastertoa-ib. it was stated that'work for 'ivhicli'thn Union ' was claiming Is. 6d;-per hour was being paid ; for at 'the : rate *;of ISsV per day. ~'An! agree- •: ment had been come to with the Napier Sorr- >■ ougli Council whereby the demands of'.the Union had been substantially agreed to."'lt' was his intention to call evidence oil Friday; . with reforencb to the 'work performed by. labourers employed at meat'works. : He would ' ask tho Board to fix tho hours, to bo -worked ,by labourers on 'buildings, 'iso-'asl to..,niakp ■ thorn consistent witlirthe;'hours" in other branches of the building trades.' Tho (majority of tho witnesses,' representing ipublio bodies and private employers,'had, supported - the claims of the Union in respect: of-pay-ment for overtime,' number of holidays,' pay- • ment' of' wages weekly; suburban work, tools, and preference. With regard to tho, claim of .■'■ Is.. 6d. per hour, for'crushers, he .would'pn {Friday call a witness'.who-had had to bo sentto asanatorium after having worked at, crushing for a few months. There-was abnn-. dant evidence in support of the demand for an increase in: respcct of tho. wages-paid-for. casual - labour. The Union,, of .wliicl). .thero... were brauehes at'Palmcrston; Wanganui,-and'. - Napier; consisted of ,1200; members! At..Mas-'-'", terton .there was- av separate- Union,- ; ;with v which :t}io .main::Tlliionj,.wag leaking-. a** !•©-<•- ciprocal arrangement. •'■» , ' ...,■/" .V '" /; ' Tlio ■ Board; .their adjourned until 'i 0.30 . o clock on Friday morning. - ' ■ ' ■\ ' THE TAILORS' DISPUTE. '-i .. , The Board will'pit'as 'follows to investi' '• ;.gato tho'dispute iu the tailoring-trade :— Napier, Monday, :May ; lß. , Mastertoii, Thursday; May 21. .'. i; 'Wanganui; Wednesday. Juno' 3. '' : Palmerston North,; Friday,' , ' Wellington, Monday, Juno 8. -'; > FARM LABOURERS DISPUTE. . '.iV lav TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.! \Chrlstchurcli, Ajiril '29. In the course, of- his summing lip in tEb' .farm labourers, dispute.jbefc'roUhe Concilia- v tion Board tb-day, : Mr; ! Aclahd; one 'of the farmers' -ropresonitatwes,- "saiaf'.thai; tHe' 'ofc' iject of the' Union demands was practically 1 political. Mr. Thorn alleged in'his opening remarks that the ■ Union ', "requested tho large body of intelligent opinion ■ aiiioiig ' farm' labourers,!' but lie (Mr.' Aclaiid) would' ' 'bo very ' sorry' to''think "that. tho class 'of'-' :ineii'brought before thO'Eoafd' hy' the.TJniqn' '' represented tho' class of 'inch he' .well, >. arid fbr.' whom ho.: had 'the' greatest""' respect. The' 'class of "men met with' on stations consisted of somo of the finest' fel- 1 llowij m,' tho world;. .In his evidence Mr. ,*'•». /fhorn had said:' "He "did' not think that/' ; thrift .'and 'industry would, settle' tho' laboiir"' ■question'. ' If everybody ."was . thrifty: thei'o.'.' rould bo.many ,unemployed.'.'' 'Apparently the ' , . ■leaders of the'labour: inovbriionts were going "' :on the 'assumption:. that for a country 1 to;' succeed it . was 'uecessary for everyone to bo unthrifty. \ ;The adoption 'of that: policy.: would/be vpry :unfortunate for' New Zealand. 1 All the evidence showed that tho' demands:' were 1 simply, 'those a', few, extremists .: in ; Christchurch, The''farmers . said to. such': "Leave us alone aud'attend to your affairs in town; we don't wiuit you' in the country.'•' If you como out you \yill injure' the .whole country. ' You will gradually'; ruin it, l>£ ,causo you do ngt understand the conditions." ■Tho evidence further showed that, the socalled "Agricultural and Pastoral' Labourers'' .-.Union" did not represent I 'the agricultural .and'., pasforal labourers. 'Ho questioned " .jkvhot'hcr 'ajny award c'oiild deil satisfactorily 'AvStli tho farmer 7,who ] also employment ' 'oy': the farms of .othera. ■ ..-.V . I'.' V .