THE MAYOR'S ATTITUDE

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 150, 25 June 1921, Page 6

THE MAYOR'S ATTITUDE

IMPROVED BY PUBLIC MEETING

A largely-attended public meeting called by the Mayor of Petone (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) was held in the Empire Theatre last night, and aftor hearing statements by the Mayor and Mr. L. Glover, secretary of the Wellington Gas .Workers' Union, passed resolutions approving the attitude taken by the Mayor in connection with the gasworks dispute. Mr. M'Ewan explained that the meeting had been called at the request of many townspeople, who regarded the, gasworks dispute as a serious matter; and he also claimed the right to call a public meeting on such an occasion and tell the people all about it. (Applause.) Mr. M'Ewari, then read the following resolution passed at a special meeting of'the Borough Council that afternoon and signed by the councillors .who took part in it :^-"In view of the .fact that the meeting has' not been called with the knowledge of the council, and in view of the fact that the Mayor has acknowledged that he received no petition signed by .electors asking him to call such. meeting, we members of the council think it inadvisable to take part, as we'consider that a wrong precedent would _ke established if we recognised" the -right of the Mayor' to call public meetinga with the object of criticising a decisibV'of the council, especially when such decision has been arrived at unanimously." , , : Councillor Ohurchouse, who was not* at the meeting of the council which passed the resolution,', was among those on t-iie stag© with the Mayor. The Mayor also read a'telegram from; the president of the Freezing Workers' Federation, expressing the opinion that the attitude of the council1 was* a direct challenge to.-the right—of combination, and 'in distinct contrast to that further measure of free- * iiom which we all believed was coming as the result of the war." The speaker then outlined the history of the dispute. He Totalled tho fact that as the Gasworkers' f Union was not registered when the agreement, which expired in March, was 'signed, the agreement was legally a ■private one, and did not continue in force until"superseded1 by another; but lie contended that, as both sides had acted in good faith in making it, the council should not have taken advantage pt the legal position. He then discussed the history'of "the present trouble, the d'evision of the council not to make a new agreement with the union, and the efforts of ,the Labour Department to intervene, and bring about a Rettlement, and the council's declaration that it "had no disjVuto with the motion.' Mr. W, Newton, the Conciliation Commissioner, Mi". M'Ewan said, had persuaded the union to give way oir.the matteT of this eighthour shift if, in return, a conference was hold on the other matters in dispute. This was, thei Mayor said, a notable concession, and the council should have met rhe "union in the same spirit. Mr. W. Clarke moved a resolution, urging the council "to reconsider its decision not to accept the spirit and intent of the labour legislation, and to submit all the questions to a'conference representative of both sides, presided over by either the Minister of Labour or the Conciliation Commissioner." This was seconded by Mr. L. Bice. Mr. L. Glover, secretary of the Wellington Gas"Workers' Union, described how he had, at the council's request, forwarded the union's demands, after which ■ the council had replied that it did noti intend to make an" agreement with the union. Thait was not honourable. If the council had , disclosed its,, intention in the first place, the demands' would have been filed in the Arbitration Court in the first place in the proper way. On behalf of the union, he was prepared to have a conference, under any chairman— even the worst of /'the councillors. The union's case was good enough to be argued even tinder that handicap. He declared that it was bad policy on the part of the council to attempt to undermine the principle of collective bargaining. A very j important' principle was. here at stake! As to the actual dispute,' there was not very much at issue. The union had not. stated, or implied'that it was unwilling to make an agreement embodying the eight-hour shift which the council wanted. Mr.' Clarke's motion was then put/ and carried on a show of hands, with only ono dissentient. Mr. W. S. R-ead then moved, and Mr. .Price seconded, a resolution expressing the confidence of the meeting in the » Mayor, and its gratitude for his honest endeavour to bring the parties together to adjust the dispute. * The motion was put by Mr. E. Edwards, who uttered a warning that failure to Teach a settlement might have grave consequences.. The motion was carried una-nimously,' and the meeting broke up with cheers for the Mayor and for Mr. Glover. A collection was made to defray the costof the meeting.