INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18353, 10 March 1920, Page 6

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

LABOUR PROBLEMS DISCUSSED. The executive of the Canterbury Industrial Association met last evening; Mr W. J. Jenkin presiding. The chairman welcomed to the executive. Dr Hansen, director of the Christchurch Technical College. On the motion of Mr Drayton it was resolved to discuss fully at next meeting tho proposal to co-operate with the Chamber of Commerce, the Employers’ Association and the Progress League in erecting a suitable ceutrul hall for tho use ot the various organisations. . Discussing the South island Main Trunk Railway, Mr A. F. Drayton.said that Canterbury members of Parliament were now meeting regularly, and the province was going to get what it wanted. Delay in public works had to stop and was going to be stopped. Mr P- H- Goodsir suggested that the association should link up with tho Chamber of Commerce and the Progress League and form one powerful body with the object of satisfying the needs of the province. Mr H. Willis said that he was against that proposal. The association should act as an association, though there was no objection to joining in a deputation. Mr H. Bradley said that the South Island had been out of it quite. long enough. He moved that a letter should be sent to the members of Parliament,-' on tho lines suggested by Mr W. W. Charters, as follows: — “It will he remembered that the Government of the day requested tho South Island to stand aside to enable the North Island Alain Trunk Railway to be finished, and Cabinet held out as an inducement that, directly the North line was completed, every effort should then be made to complete the South line. It is time we woke up and made a determined effort in conjunction with Alarlborough to get this lino finished, which would make through communication from the Bluff to Pioton. By the aid of fast State steamers the connection with the North Island could be made and a through Government service instituted from Bluff to Auckland ” The motion was carried. A remit from the Industrial Conference held in . Dunedin asked the Association to nominate three of . its members to co-operate with the appointed representatives from each centre-of the New r Zealand Employers’ Association in the elaboration of a scheme having for its object the promotion of industrial peace in the Dominion. Messrs W. J. Jenkin, J. A- Frostick and H- It. Best were appointed to represent tho Canterbury Industrial Association on the committee. Air J. A. Black said that it was imperative that the labour situation should be faced squarely. Jlen must bo given a greater incentive to do better work and every effort should be made to bring about a feeling of peace.

Mr H. R. Best said that the times were abnormal and he strongly supported the election of delegates to the conference in the hope of bringing about more harmony between employer and employee. Mr H. Willis said that conditions at present were influencing the position materially. Any adjustment of wages would not eliminate the discontent; it went _ deeper than that. Where there was in any trade such a demand for men that it could not be satisfied, there would be found a corresponding amount of independence as far as the employee was concerned- On the other hand if a trade was slackening down, the reverse was the case and there waj no demand, for higher wages, unless,, of course, tl'io situation was affected bjf the high cost of living. The whole thing at present was very much a question of class distinction. The _ Welfare League wrote drawing attention to the great danger to skilled trades arising out of the high wages paid to unskilled labcrartparticularly on the wharves.

It was resolved to reply that the Association was already co-operating with other bodies interested in. this subject. .