ENGINEERS’ CASE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 30, 29 October 1932, Page 13

ENGINEERS’ CASE

Lively Discussion in Conciliation SITTING CONTINUES When the engineers’ dispute was re-opened in Conciliation Council yesterday, it was not long before a lively discussion took place as to whether the conference should proceed without the presence of the moulders’ representatives, who had intimated their inability to be present on account of short notice. Eventually it was decided that the parties represented should do their best to arrive at an agreement, and leave it open to the moulders to concur if they so desired. The Commissioner, Mr. W. Newton, presided. The following assessors represented the Boilermakers' Federation: Messrs. A. Bassett and R. Burlinsou (Christchurch), T. Kellan (Dunedin), P. E. Warner and J. McGuinness (Wellington), J. Morton and E. McDonald (Auckland). The Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades Union was represented by Messrs. G. T. Thurston (Canterbury), A. J. Ross (Otago), A. Black (Wellington), W. Montgomery (Nelson), and J. Hattersley (Christchurch); and the Federated Ironmasters’ Federation by Messrs. A. C. Mitchell, J. Cable, and T. O, Bishop (Wellington), Geo. Gray (Dunedin),,G. A. Pascoe and Geo. M. Hall (Christchurch), R. C. Porter and W. J. Buckley (Auckland). Mr. Thurston said he was of opinion that any agreement arrived at should involve the three organisations concerned. Their first duty was to decide the constitution of the council. The Commissioner: I don't quite know what you mean. Mr. Thurston: The engineers have filed a separate application, and so have the moulders. Each has the right to claim that its citation is in order. It is the desire of the workers that all parties should he represented here to-day. • Mr. Bishop: Conic to the point. How do you suggest the Council should be constituted? The Commissioner: The Council has already been constituted. We are not in a position to-day to combine the three disputes. That can only be done by mutual arrangement. Mr. Bishop: We are here with the honest purpose of making an agreement. Those who are not here can negotiate at some future date if they so desire. We want a comprehensive agreement, and there are enough here to-day to bring that about. The Commissioner said that any agreement arrived at would concern only those represented at the sitting. Mr. Bishop: I want to say quite frankly that if those on the other side of the table are honest in their desire to bring about an agreement, there is nothing to stop them. If they break off this meeting they are doing it deliberately, and are not honest in their Mr, Thurston: I object to that. Wc are just as honest as you, Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop: I don’t mean it offensively. It is just as well to get down to brass tacks and understand one another. There is no legal bar to our going ahead to-day. Mr. Thurston: We want to see this Council properly constituted before we go on. Mr. Bishop: You have been told the position. Mr. Thurston: Well, then, the only question is whether wc are prepared to go on without tho.moulders being here. Mr. Bishop: Precisely. The workers’ representatives retired to discuss the question, and upon their return Mr. Thurston announced that they were prepared to proceed with the conference. “X very pleasant intimation, remarked the Commissioner. The assessors proceeded to go through the proposals. An agreement was reached upon a number of minor points, but the main- issues were held over until to-day, when the conference will be resumed.