INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 60, 23 February 1912, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

STP.IKn Jl’ ENGINEMEN. (Received 23. 10.35 a.m.) London, Feb. 22. Durham County enginernen have decided to strike cn Alarch 11th as the masters refused to grant an ' it-Lr horn <.hi\ :i 'd advance cf wages. DISPI TE TO BE SETTIED IPL CONFERENCE. Palmer-dc.n North, Feb. 22. From si'ven to eight hundred flaxmill hands aswinpled at the Municipal Hall nt 11.3'1 todav. to consider the dispute between the Flaxmillers’ Ar r c?iaticn and ilia Flaxworkers’ Unicn as to the conditions cf swamp hands, etc., and whether a strike was advisable. The men had left their mills throughout the west eoast at the bidding of the Flaxworkers’ Union to attend the meeting, the mills having to close down. Mr. R. H. Dalhoiisii'. president of the Flaxworkers’ Union, presided. The meeting wgs devoted to discussing the situation which had arisen owing to the recent deadlock in the conference between the niill■owners and the men’s union. At 2 o'clock Air. Halley, Conciliation CommisMowr, who came up from Wellington for the pin pose, addressed the meeting, which was fully' resolved to leave the matter to a meeting cf the executive of the men’s and the einplcycrs’ unions, presided over bv Mr. Hallv. to be held at an *ar’y da'e Tue-day next, if possible. Before the meeting closed at 3 o’clock the present political sit-ua-t’i,n was < Giisidmed. and it uns 10solved to free Mr. Robertson, member fo,- Otaki. vim was nominated by the Flax Employees’ I nion. from his pledge to icty against Sir Joseph Ward. and. t<> strongk nrgi- him to vole for the Government on the noconfidence motion. The mot ; on was carried by acclamation. with only two dissentients, both of whom it was explained, had r.o votes in the Otaki electorate, while the others had and represented all Darts. The meeting- closed with cheers for "Robertson and Radicalism.” The meeting nas not open to the press. The men returned to their various districts Ir-nigld. and resume work at the mills to-morrow.