PAINTERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 229, 20 June 1908, Page 7

PAINTERS' DISPUTE.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER FOR LABOUR. PROPOSED INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL. (BT TELEGRAPH.—-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) i Napier, Juno 19. A deputation from tho local Painters' Union (raited on the Hon. J. A. Millar to-ni a ht in reference to tho action by the Conciliation Board in altering tho-terns of:.the'agree-ment-arrived at with tho employors. it was pointed out that after an amicable arrangement had been come to as the . result of a , conforenco bctwaon the ■ omuloyors and employees, the chairman of tho.; Conciliation Board, m his recommendation to the Arbitration > Court, had considerably ' altered tho agreement, with the result that when it was received back from', TVellingtoiY neither party would agree to the altered conditions. Tho deputation further pointed out tho waste or. time involved to the employers and themselves, and complained thafaV the last two sittings of the Board in Napier noither Mr. O Rogan (tho chairman) nor Air.. Cooper (the Labour representative), had boon present, lney asked that in'futuro the Board should be proparly constituted. Mr. Millar,said that, as Minister for La-. bour,.ho did not interfere with either tho Board or the. Court;, but if a mistake had been made, jind tho recommendation of tho •"t j!? tlon ' Eoard utterly, at varianco wiLfa the agreement arrived at between tho employers and . employees, ■ lie would feel it his duty to call tho v attention of Mr. o'Regan, -o what had been brought before him by the deputation. Had the parties concerned only known, the matter could havo been settled without tho Conciliation Board coming into tho matter at . allj 'because the Arbitration Court could hate' been asked to make the agreement arrived at an award.' This was only an instance" of ;what he .had been striving to .get to/support him in obtaining, namely, an Industrial Council in lieu Of tho Conciliation Boards. He 'contended that there was sufficient ability in tho unions of tho country to discuss the conditions of labour with the employers, and artJvo a t an agreement; Tho Conciliation Boards had developed into Courts of Arhitra- i tion, and lio'iio!d that if there was going to - be a Court at all there , should only bo one, j and they "should; ke.ep,' outsiders out of it! In the first place,'let those who had every- j thing-to gain : and everything to lose come together and try .to come* to-■ an agreement,' which : was tho only- way they could effect conciliation.. . . The' Minister concluded .by { ■stating that he would, on his return to Wei- J lington, bring tho matter undor the notice * of-.-'Mr; o'Regan, - and ask him to make his / recommondatipn to the Arbitration Court in \ accordance .with the original agreement arrived at.