EMPLOYERS CONFER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2568, 16 September 1915, Page 7

EMPLOYERS CONFER

NEW' ZEALAND, FEDERATION ANNUAL MEETING . The annual meeting of tho New Zealand Employers' Federation was held in Wellington yesterday, the president (Mr. T. Shailer Weston) being in the chair: Annual Report. In the coui'sb of the annual Teporl, it was stated that, "thanks to the British Navy having maintained its supremacy of the seas, all trade routes have been kept clear. Consequently our primary industries liavo .been enabled to take advantage of the enhanced prices of their products, due partly to the war and' partly to tlie Australian drought. Money has flowed into tho Dominion, and this, combined with the Government war expenditure upon war equipment for our Expeditionary Forces, has prevented in the main any serious dislocation of our internal trade. Tho values of imported raw material have increased considerably, the delay and uncertainty in securing supplies have made it difficult to maintain ordinary conditions' of trade, wli-ilo the enlistment of many of the most promising employees has necessitated changes in the organisation of many businesses.

Cost of Living. "With a great war being waged, increased costs being imposed owing to war risks and other abnormal conditions, and tho increased values in our primary products caused by urgent overseas demands, it was inevitable that the pinch of 'increased cost of li'vitie' would bo experienced. Although sucli cost has increased in New Zealand as tho result of tho war, it has not increased by the 20. per cent, to 40 per cent, so frequently stated by certain persons. The Government Statistician is to be congratulated upon the exhaustive reports he had published in the June, July, and August numbers of tho 'Labour Journal,' in the last-mentioned of which he shows that in the three principal groups of food stuffs (groceries, dairy produce and meat) the averago increase for the whole Dominion since the war started is 12.15 per cent. The Industrial Situation. "Rccent disputes before the Arbitration Court have resulted in information being extracted from Government statistics showing that our manufacturing industries are not in anything like a satisfactory condition. In tho engineers' disputes recently heard it was proved that in tb'o last ten to fifteen years the rato of pay had increased by 30 per cent., while the output per hand employed had decreased by 20 [>cr cent., thus indicating a definite limitation of output. The 3'ear has been comparatively clear of industrial strife. At the same time there aro indications that some of tho leaders of tho Federation of Labour responsible for the 1913 strike are already forgetting the lessons of that period and the disastrous results which their selfish and foolish plans brought upon their loyal followers. In the coal-mining industry thero appears to be a movement to causo workers to become dissatisfied with their positions under the industrial agreements entered into at that time. -In connection with seamen and firemen, of whose union tho president of the Federation of Labour at the timo of the strike is secretary, several disturbing circumstances have occurred, causing considerable dislocation of trade. Four different steamers have been delayed recently by excessive demajids made by seamen nn<i firemen for the voyago from New Zeato Australia. Other cases of breaches °f tb© strike clauses of the Act .were committed bv bricklayers in Auckland and by general labourers employed on sewage works- at Wcstport. There can be no question but that in; each of-the above matters breaches of the strike clauses of the Act were committed, and it is a significant fact that no action whatever was taken by. tho Labour Department in any ot these cases." The report was adopted. ■ President's Address. In moving the adoption of the report, the president referred at length to the condition of labour in New Zealand, to ..the trend of- recont Arbitration Court proceedings, to war taxation, municipal trading, and other questions. On the su H°t °f alleged victimisation, he said: ■ i.! m Pj°S ers mus t and do Tecognise the right ot tho employee to combine to secure fair treatment. At the same time can am- sane being expeot an employer tO . in his service any man who \nietner from ignorance, bigotry or solfish motites is deliberately pledged to sabotage, limitation of output, and other unfair and destructive doctrines encouraged by the I.W.W. and kindred organisations. You might as well ask a peaceful householder to give accommodation to an avowed burglar, or to ask an English possession to give free passage through its forts' and arsehals to a German spy. Men imbued with . the .(iojpnas or syndicalistic principles harm not only employers but also employees, 2 j *V as of their actions they find it necessary to. leave this Dominion, ■this country is better off and the country tney. go to is to be sympathised with. Election of Officers. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follow:—President, Mr. T. S Weston; vice-president, Mr. W. A Flavelltreaisurer. Mr. T. Ballhiger; trustees .Messrs. W. H. Bennett, A. H. Myers, A. ir' -hwV t -k l ? lavdil; auditor, S' Stephens; Parliamentary committee, the members of the Advisory C. M. Banks, S. S. Kirkcaldie, H.- F. Allen, C. B. Norwood, , L ™ Th .T pson '.,f E - C. Cathie, and W. Allan,, with power to add to the | number. I Resolutions. The meeting resolved: "That in view of the shortage of skilled labour, strong representations should be made to secure provision for more apprentices in future awards in trades and industries where the supply of capable workmen is inadequate to the demand."

It was further resolved: "That this conferenca expresses its strong approval of the proposal by the National Cabinet to impose a preferential tariff against goods of countries at present at war with the Empire even after the declaration of peace, and its members pledge themselves individually to do all in their power to prevent the use of such articles in New Zealand after the war." Resolutions were also carried, recommending certain amendments to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. It was agreed that the federation should give every assistance possible with a view to securing labour for the forthcoming harvest. Appreciation of the work of our soldiers at the front was expressed by resolution, and the meeting expressed its sympathy with the relatives of killed and wounded soldiers.