THE IRONWORKERS TRADE

Grey River Argus, 27 August 1912, Page 5

THE IRONWORKERS TRADE

A ■cdNClLiAtioN NEARLY effected: ■:""■■-■■

: ; Mr P. Hally, •Conciliation. Gommissioner, arrived yesterday' morning- to endeavour to effect.-a settlement of the dispute between the employers.. and employ eeS; in •the iron industry,' the -latter of', whom style themselves as tihe Industrial Union of Workers of the Iroa Industry of- Westland. A,- hitch had. somehow occurred in the arrangements ■ as, when Mr Hally arrived ' at the room set apart for the'purpose in the old. Courthouse, no one attended and .the employers .and empioyees.be-. ing communicated with they met at 2.30 p.m. ; • . • '' ; ' ". '■-■ ■- ; There were' present : " Mr- I ' ally wlio ' presided, Messrs T. H. Latimer and G. G. Murdoch, , representing, the employees and, Messrs W. P. Tfanbletqn and F. McGregor- the employers. : Matters which formed the rubject of the Commission were discussed at length. They comprised wages, preference to unionists, and the liivvitatjon of.ythe- nufliber of apprentices. All others 'pohi'x "Drought forward were "easily agreed to by both rrnies, but om these three subjects there seemed no. chance>.of mutual .-agreement. So af ter i airguing the matter; thoroughly, the Comisiioner informed the- assessors present that he would ibe in Greymouth again towards the end of September and if they had not met each side by mutual consent he would hear what it was that hindered them- from making a satisfactory . • com promise and, -,if they could not agree the .matter would, have to go' before the Arbitration Court. for adjustment..; ; The matter was then allowed to stand as it was in the hope that a muiial arrangement would.be arrived at in the meantime.