CONCILIATION BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 223, 13 June 1908, Page 6

CONCILIATION BOARD.

-« . . engineers; dispute." i Tho Conciliation Board, consisting of Messrs. P. J., O'Regan (chairman) and H. Inaiss (representative of the employers), and 'A. Collins (representative of the employees), sat yesterday in connection with the engineers' dispute. Mr. .Gronfell "appeared for the employers, andvMessrs. F. Chaplain, :W. H. Westbrooko, DS P n ) and C. "Griffin for the union. Mr. .Greiifell-'said that-the employers did •not intend; to take part iii tho dispute before the Board I They wished to go at once to tho Arbitration Court, as a conference had been hold with tho union, and thci'o was no chance of an agreement being .reached. Mr. Westbrooke said that the employers had declined tlio union's suggestion to hold a second conference, v They , had also objected to tho presence of railway men at the conference. ■ The Chairman: Is that why the conference was- abortive? - ' ' Mr. Westbrooke 1 : I bolicvc so,'sir. The - Chairman: If that is so, we cannot go. into tho matter of reasons. We can com-pel-the employers to give evidence by subpoena, but that is hardly a 'matter of conciliation. Mr. Westbrooke suggested that as tho em-! ploy-ees desired evidonce to be given and the employers were [indisposed to give it, the Board should visit,the-meu in several of tho shops and obtalin evidence there. The Chairman agreed that the Beard lind this powor, but stated that they would like to take tho evidence of employees then. ' Mr. Westbrooko outlined tho claims of the men.- The opinion of the. men was, in view of the; great increased tho cost of living,' that'they should havo a" slight increaso m tho rate of pay. -With regard to apprentices, several omployers-had -a-largo number of these, which was bad for the boys, the engineer and the public generally. The tradesmen, asked for the limitation of tho employment to one apprentice-t-0 1 four journeymen. "Dirt money', of Is.'a'day extra was asked for very dirty work; alsti"2s. extra for night shifts. Preference was asked-for; also a forty-four hour week. - Evidence will' be taken when the Board returns to Wellington "next week.