A CONTEST OF WITS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1922, Page 6

A CONTEST OF WITS

The Industrial Corporation of New Zealand and the Canterbury Farmers' Union have passed resolutions in favour of employer-em-ployee conferences. In each case, the kind of conference proposed is a local or provincial conference. The advantage of a provincial conference, as against a national conference, is cheapness, and the disadvantage is limitation of authority and lack of national thinking. A national group of delegates (Capital or Labour) has opportunities of consultation that might nerve it for big and generous de6isibns; but a Canterbury group of delegates, meeting as a compartment, will probably be wondering what Wellington will think, or Wellington will be wondering what attitude Auckland would take, etc. For this reason, provincial Conferences are liable to be provincial in scope, a fact which narrows but does not extinguish their lise'fulness. We would rather see the bold experiment of a national conference of employers and employees, a comprehensive conference, one that would draw the fire of extremists on either side. Even if the conference were not constructive, it would be informative; and its educative value is so obvious that if either party declines to participate, a suspicion will undoubtedly arise that the party declining the tournament is distrustful either of its own cause 'or of iJs " own talents. We admit that the purpose would be defeated if the delegates to a national conference merely met behind closed doors, deadlocked, and departed. What is waritdd is a sincere and succinct statement of difference's, within hearing of the .public; and,/rf possible, a' plan to remove or adjust differences. The Canterbury Farmers' Union's proposal to include in the agenda cooperation and immigration is not going too far. If the issue as between Capital and Labour were squarely put, right down the indus-trial-economic scale, at least the conference would Have the merit of helping to clear the air.