EMPLOYERS MEET. ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 120, 17 November 1909, Page 2

EMPLOYERS MEET. ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

THE INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK. AN INTERESTING REVIEW. The seventh annual conference of the New Zealand Employers' Federation opened to-day at the office of the Wellington Employers,' Association, Woodward street. The president, Mr. W. G. Foster, was in the chair. There were also present : — Hon. C. M. Luke, M.L.C., vice-president; Mr. W. H. Bennett, trustee ; Mr. R. A. Scott, treasurer, and Mr. W. H. Prior, secretary, officers of the federation. The delegates were as follows :— Auckland : Messrs D. Goldie, J. Miller, C. Rhodes, and C. Grosvenor ; Taranaki, Mr. H. Goodacre ; Hawkes Bay, Messrs H. G. Warren and S. E. Wright ; Wanganui, Messrs Lloyd Jones and G. Calnan ; Manawatu, Messrs A. E. Bennett, R. S. Abraham, and W. M'Kenzie; Wairarapa, Messrs C. E. Daniel! and John Hunter; Wellington, Messrs W. Hopkirk, T. Pallinger, L. S. Williams, C. M. Banks, and W. A. W. Grenfell ; Canterbury, Messrs P. L. Hallenstein, F. W. Hobbs, K. F. England, and H. Broadhead ; Nelson, Mr. H. Coull; South Canterbury, Mr. A. W. Bascand; West Coast, Mr E G. Pilcher ; North Otago, Mr. R. Milligan ; Otago, Messrs J. C. Thomson and R. Chisholm; Southland, Mr. S. Craig; Reefton Mine Owner?, Mr. S. L. P. Free ; New Zealand Ship Owners' Federation, Mr. W. E. Fuller; Paparoa Goldmining Company, Messrs J. P. Maxwell and (_t. Townsend; National Dairy Association, Mr. A. M'Farlane; New Zealand Flaxmiilers' Association, Messrs R T. Bell and E. L. Broad; New Zealand Builders' Federation, Mr. W. S. Thompson; Woollen Manufacturers, Mr. A. E. Exley; Chamber of Commerce, Mr. J. G. Harkness. The annual report and balance-sheet were adopted on the motion of the president. THE EXECUTIVE'S REPORT. The annual report stated that the duties devolving upon the executive had been important, and the watchfulness rendered necessary by the amendment of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act had given an added interest to the year s work. There had been ten meetings of the Advisory Board. Regretful reference was made to tho death of Mr. S. Brown, and congratulations were extended to his successor, Mr. W. Scott. , ORGANISATION. During the year the secretary visited, in some cases several different times, all the centres where Employers' Associations had been established, except Southland and Alarlborough. Meetings of employers were held whenever opportunity offered. The West Coast Employers' Association, with headquarters at Greymouth, had been formed, and promised to be a live organisation. Other additions to the membership of the federation included the Paparoa Coalmining Company, New Ulster Quartz Mining Co., and the Blackwater Quartz Mining Company. The secretary also appeared for employers in various disputes, either before the Arbitration Court or Conciliation Councils. Much work of great value to employers had also been done by means of deputations to and conferences with Ministers, heads of Government departments, inspectors, and others. "PEACE AND ITS CAUSE." "It is pleasing to be able to report," continued the executive's statement, " that the signs of industrial .unrest, which were so apparent when last year's report was written, have almost entirely passed away. A number of reasons have been advanced for the change of attitude on the part of workers' unions and Labour leaders, but in the opinion of the executive the principal cause of the present period of comparative industrial peace is the recent depression in trade and the consequent surplus labour supply. It is a much more difficult task to get workers to cease work when there are plenty of others to take their places than when .they know that the demand exceeds the supply. It has been advanced that the setting up of Conciliation Councils has had a considerable effect upon the situation, but while the executive admits that a large number of so-called disputes has been settled by means of the Conciliation Councils, it cannot be said they have been an important factor in promoting industrial peace. Ag a matter of fact/ the number of disputes being filed is as great as ever, as during the period between Ist February and 31st July of this year no fewer than seventy of these ' disputes ' have been dealt with by means of the Conciliation Councils and the Arbitration Court, or settled by industrial agreements. The depression in trade has again had some effect, and has been an important factor in bringing about settlements, as union representatives have recognised the futility under existing circumstances of pressing for their oft-times exorbitant demands. ' ' A HINT FROM THE COURT. "In this connection," it was mentioned, "the secretary felt compelled, in the interests of employers generally, to request the Arbitration Court to express an opinion cm the attitude adopted by ' unions of continually coming forward with claims for higher wages, shorter .hours, etc., and the following statement by the court in connection with the Gisborne painter's award has, in the opinion of your executive, had a salutary effect :— -' Much expense and disappointment will be avoided if the executives of unions will ponder well what we have said, and if before originating a dispute they will ascertain that there is some definite and reasonable ground for asking for an alteration in the terms of •in existing award, and will recognise that without some such ground it is useless to ask for an alteration. It is idle to ask, as many unions do, for an increase in the wages fixed by an existing award, and to have nothing better to offer in_ support of the application than the evidence of a number of workers _ who are prepared to say that, in their opinion, the wages asked for are reasonable. To rely on evidence of that kind is to confess that the union has been unable to find anything in the shape of fact or argument to support its case.' " THE NEW LEGISLATION. Reviewing the amended Act, the report stated : — "While there are some serious defects in the measure as it now stands, it has to be admitted that the whole of the recommendations of the federation were given careful consideration, both by the Minister of Labour (the Hoai. J. A. Millar) and the Labour Bills Committee of the Lower House. Indeed, if the measure had become law as it left the House of Representatives it would have been much more satisfactory to employers than it is in its present form." After opposing the proposal to allow enforcement cases to be taken by magistrates, the federation agreed to a trial of the scheme, with the following safeguards :—(1): — (1) To allow an appeal from a magistrate to the Court of Arbitration ; and (2) to give power to inspectors of awards to bring any action for enforcement of awards in the Court of Arbitration instead of in a Magistrate's Court. "The experiment of enforcement cases being taken by the

magistrates," comments the executive, "has been sufficiently long in operation to show that the fears expressed as to varying decisions and different penalties were well founded. ... It is only fair to note, however, that the ridiculously high fines imposed by some magistrates are not now being inflicted." It was submitted that "a serious omission from the Act is that, owing to a misunderstanding, provision is not made for laymen to appeal" as advocates in breach of award cases before magistrates." The Minister had promised an amendment to remove this disability. MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE. After commenting on the conciliation section of the amended Act, the report remarked :— "While there is cause for congratulation at the measure of success attained in this connection, it is very questionable if employers interested in industrial disputes in many cases realise the extra responsibility thrown upon them to safeguard not only their own interests, but the interests of all other employers, by refusing to give way on matters of principle or agree to provisions in awards which have not so far been inserted by the Arbitration Court The Advisory Board has been seriously concerned at the evident weakness of assessors in some respects, and has been compelled to issue a circular drawing attention to the necessity for assessors, while doing all that is reasonable to secure settlement by conciliation, ensuring that such settlements are not obtained at too great a cost " The executive held that the appointment of assessors in disputes and the payment of fees by the Government— the amount earned being governed by the number of sittings held— are also sources of danger. Various amendments of the Act were suggested, including provision -to "permit < industrial agreements being converted into awards without the necessity of appearing before conciliation councils " Between Ist January and 30th June, 46 disputes were settled thus— By the parties and Conciliation Commissioner, without the aid of assessors, 13- by the parties themselves, 4; by Conciliation Council, 11 wholly and 3 partially • referred to Arbitration Court, 6 wholly and 3 partially. J PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. Dealing with preference to unionists, the executive "urges upon employers the necessity of continued objection beinc »" a «« until the industrial awards of the Dominion were cleared of a clause which is obnoxious not %nly to employers, but to a. very large number of our best workers." TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCILS "The warnings issued by the executive in past years regarding the Socialistic tendencies of the Trades and Labour Councils of the Dominion have proved well founded," declared the report. 'In greater degree than ever before the Labour leaders are now pressing their claims for the nationalisation of all means of production, distribution, and •wealth. The defection of Mr. A W Hogg, M.P., from the ranks of the Liberal Party, and his evident intention to place himself, if possible, at the head of a distinct Labour Party, brings nearer the threeparty system in the politics of New Zealand, foreshadowed in last year's report._ While it may be a matter for congratulation that the Liberal Party should be disassociated from the extreme Labour Party, it rests with the employers of the Dominion to see to it thatthe third party does not secure that dominance which will enable it to dictate terms which will secure the introduction of further Socialistic legislation in, New Zealand. There is no question but that the industries of the Dominion have as many burdensome restrictions imposed upon them as they can possibly bear." • . • The .report conceded that the administration of the Labour Department continued to be . of a satisfactory char* acter. With very few exceptions the inspectors of .factories and awards carried out their duties in a fair .and impartial manner. In one or two cases, howevet, inspectors appeared to think that it is their duty to catch employers committing breaches of the various Acts or awards, insteaed of trying to assist employers to observe them.