CLERKS' OPPOSITION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 48, 25 August 1911, Page 2

CLERKS' OPPOSITION.

MERCHANTS ASSISTANTS' UNION. t RELATIONS BETWEEN EMPLOYERS * AND EMPLOYEES. < «... ( A full and representative meeting of \ the clerical etaffe of the Wholesale l Grocers, Win© and Spirit Merchants, and ] Produce Merchants of this city was held yesterday evening in the Chamber of Commerce, the Hall being crowded. The chief object of the gathering was * to protest against the inclusion of such m the Wellington Amalgamated Society ' of Merchants' Assistants' Union of Work- ' era. M,r. G. T. Hall (Levin and Co,, ( Ltd.) was voted to the chair, Mr. W. H. { Warren (Dalgety and Co.) being ap- * pointed secretary. ( ."A SERIOUS WEAKNESS." | The chairman briefly explained the ( provisions of existing legislation Bhowing how clerical assistants could be included in the demands of the uftio'n, whether it was so desired or otherwise, this being ] m accordance with the definition as laid ' down by the onion of workers lead in ' conjunction with the interpretation ' clauses of the Industrial Conciliation and ' Arbitration Act; and further that the : rules of the Union of Workers distinctly stated that it shall consist of persons actually engaged as wage, earners (other ] than drivers) manual or clerical, in the establishments indicated in the"title. He • also drew the attention of the- meeting to the fact that there was no provision in ' the Act to allow such a body of men as had gathered there that evening to claim the light of representation, and appear before the Conciliation Council or Arbitration Court with the view of being exempted from the scope of the union. TJiis in. the opinion of the chairman was a serious weakness in tLe compilation of the Act and one thai needed amending. He could hardly understand an Act that could allow, say, IS men to form a union, and have, by law, the power to include l(J00 decks within the union's jurisdiction, and averred that this was coercion of the worst possible kind, as it compel- • led acquiescence without representation •—•a form of compulsion obnoxious to all concerned. The chairman, further explained to tho meeting that the unoon could secure an award against firms, although no workers employed by such firms were members of th« union. . It was proposed by Mr. J. Thompson j (CMessrjKoiLaerys. and Co., Ltd.) and seconded by "Mr. H. W. Thompson (Johnston and Co., Ltd.) :—"That this meeting of the clerical staffs of the Wel- , lington Wholesale Grocers, Wine and Spirit Merchants, and Produce Mer- , chants is strongly opposed to the d<v i mande issued , by, the Wellington Amalga- , mated Society of Merchants ' Assistants' Union of Workers, and resents any at--tempfc to compel Us to come under the ecope. of the union," . \ This was carried unanimously. AMICABLR RELATIONS. ! Mr. Patterson, jnn. (A. S. Paterson „ and Co.) regarded the movement Under ' discussion, ac "an unwarranted impertii nnence and interference with the existing ' happy relations between employers and . employees." It was then proposed by Mr. Cameron : (W. M. Banna tyne and Co., Ltd), sec- . onded by Mr. M'Caul (Ellis and Man- > ton) : "That this meeting recognises the I j present amicable relations existing be- ■ tween employer and employee I'm tlie [ Wholesale Grocers,* Wine and Spirit^Mer- • chants, and Produce Merchants' business- ■ es, and deprecates any .attempt that may > be made to upset the present friendly' I conditions existing between 1 employer ana » employee, and therefore this meeting 'is • of opinion that every effort shall he • made to prevent any award being made i that would apply to the clerical staffs ■ of the above-named merchants." t This was carried unanimously, i Mr. W. ~fi. Warren (Dalgety and Conii, pany, Ltd. ) mentioned the fact of the 5 non-application* of the existing industrial • legislation to the various Government departments, citing ttspecially that of the > i railways, and compared the "dead-level" 1 ; conditions obtaining in the latter departJ ment (by virtue of its "D— 3") with the > universal practice of "reward for merit" > in the larger majority of city commercial • I houses, which it ia so desired should be f maintained. Mr. Birch ' (Laery and Co.) expressed > appreciation of the cordial relations existing between employer and employee, and strongly objected to anything that would ift Any way tend to destroy such cordiality. Mr. Fordham (W. And G. Turnbull and Co.) In support of the motion endorsed many of the remarks made by the previous speakers. Messrs. Hulbert (Murray, Roberts and .. Co) and Long (Spedding and Co.), Nelson (Dalgety's), and Townsend (Johnston 2 | and Co.), also spoke strongly in favour t of the motion, which was then put and r carried by acclamation. a DELEGATES APPOINTED. It was proposed by Mr. Gooch (T, and '.[ W. Youfig), and seconded by Mr. R. Mason (Levin and Co., Ltd.) : "To give y effect to the resolution parsed by this g meeting, four delegates be elected to represent Us before the Conciliation Coun- „ cil and ( Arbitration Court for the purpose y of voicing our objection to any award affecting • ■ fecting ourselves." l t Tins also was carried. The delegates [j appointed being : Messrs. _ Hall (Lovin and Co., Ltd.), Paterson , junior (A. S. L Paterson and Co.), Fordham (Turnbull ■' and Co.), and Fussell (A. S. Paterson and Co., Ltd.) The following motion waa proposed by ■ „ Mt. Nation (Levin's), and seconded by ;t; t Mr. Pell:— "That this meeting pledge itself to use its best endeavours to get „ candidates for Parliamentary honours to T place upon the Statute book an amends ment to the Conciliation and Arbitra,B tion Act giving power to any body of workers 4 (citecl under union award) to n apply for exemption from such with Ihe j. right to appear- before the Conciliation n Council or Arbitration, Court to voice their claim." n Mir. Nation spoke to tha motion at ,j some length, and considered that the Act ,_ badly^ wanted amending in order to all' low workers who wished to bo exempted from the provisions of a union to appeal n direct to the Conciliation Council. t . This was supported by Mr. Harvey t . (Levin and Co.), who said that at present it was a matter of coercion without re- , presentation. i' A further motion was proposed by Mr. ' Preston, and seconded by Mr. Gooch, " that arrangements should be made for a deputation to wait upon tho City and Suburban members of Parliament and the Hon. Minister fc-F Labour, and place besi fore them the views of the meeting. Thie l.v was carried. lfc On the motion of Mr. Shirtcliff, jtm> M ** it was .resolved that the local press c b© invited to give the fullest possible [| publicity to the foregoing resolutions, r, and those which prompted the calling to>r gether of the gathering. This was carried without diswmt. , c Votes of thanks to the chairman And | c secretary concluded the meeting.

Dr. Kate Hogg gave an interesting lecture on "Sknn" at the Arts Clud last evening. Mr. 11. Hay ward presided. Mt\ Hardio Shaw exhibited a large number' of *?lid«w illuskating the lecturs,,