CAPITALS LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 2, 2 July 1919, Page 8

CAPITALS LABOUR

INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE

IS THE TIME OPPORTUNE?

FEDERATION OF LABOUR WANTS

IT DELAYED.

For some time past the Acting Prime Minister (Sir James Allen).has been in consultation with the officials of the United Federation of Labour in connection with the latter's proposal for an Industrial Conference between representatives of Capital and Labour. Following is the last of a series of letters on the subject forwarded to- Sir James Allen by Mr. Thomas Bloodworth, President of fcho Federation:—

Sir,—With reference to the subject matter of our conversation at the Grand Hotel on the evening of Tuesday, 17th .Tune, where, at your invitation, I discussed with you the possibilities of an Industrial Conference such as the federation had suggested the Government should call some two months ago. You asked me, if I cared to do bo, to ■write, you stating definite matters which I thought such, a conference as we had pro ■ posed could profitably discuss. As you were aware;at the time of bur conversation, the federation had received a letter irom the Hon. Mr. Herries, dated 12th June, in which the Minister stated after expressing his appreciation of the federation's evident desire for a conference, that he believed the Rt. Hon. Mr. Massey had certain proposals in the matter under consideration, and in view of that it would be advisable to defer the suggested conference until after his return to New Zealand.

"I have since given serious thought to the matter, and have discussed with those of my Executive who are in Auckland your suggestion for definite matters to discuss, and the letter from Mr. Herries. Wa also considered your statement on the matter as published in the New Zealand Herald of 17th June. We note your statement that, 'any attempt to hasten the process (of removing suspicion and creating a better atmosphere) by a conference before the parties were ready to come naturally together would lessen, the possibilities of good results,' and, in our judgment, the parties were ready to come naturally together at the time we suggested the Government should act as the convener of a conference. We fear that the. time is not so opportune now as when we made the suggestion, because the country is looking forward to the return of the Ministers at an early date, .frilly anticipating that, their return will be speedily followed' by an election, and we think you will agree that under those circumstances the parties would not be abte to give the time and attention which so'; important a conference would demand. We had hoped the conference would be held before the political coivtost came so near, and, as, I have stated, we thought the parties were ready, 'and that they had sufficient data to work upon, and the proposals coming from such a conference would have been a valuable guide in industrial matters to whatever Government follows the elections.

"In view of thesel circumstances, I think, and my Executive agrees with me, that the opportune time for the conference is passed, and that a favourable opportunity* will not occur again until the political atmosphere has been cleared by a general election, and therefore no good wouldj result- from our stating definite matters for discvission.

"If the Government sees fit to call a conference on the. return of Mr. Massey, as suggested by Mr. Herries, we should, of course, respond, but wo think that as the matter has been allowed to .wait so long, it had better, be left until after the elections."

Sir James Allen has since replied, stating that he is making further inquiries. He promises to communicate with the Federation again at ari early date.