MASTER AND MAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 21, 22 December 1928, Page 9

MASTER AND MAN.

IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP.

“The feeling between employer and worker is all that could be desired. I have met both sections during tlie last 25 years hundreds of times, and they appear to me to make an honest endeavour to meet each other in every way possible.” This tribute to the conciliatory spirit that exists was made by Mr P. Hally, District Conciliation Commissioner, in the course of an interview at Wellington. “The relationship between master and man has improved since the inception in 1894 of the Industrial Conciliation- and Arbitration Act,” he said. “Taking the last year as an example, I cannot recollect a single instance where a heated argument or a hasty threat, has been used by an employer during any Council p-roceed-ings. Conferences have been held between the parties on' a number of occasions, to consider ways and means by which a trade could be improved.” Mr Hally mentioned in this connection that representatives of the employers and workers concerned in one of the largest manufacturing industries in the Dominion would meet in Wellington at their own expense, in order to complete a scheme, the details of which had been under consideration for some time past. It was hoped that as a result of their combined effort the employers would secure a much larger turnover of business and the workers would receive an improvement on their present earnings. During the last twelve months nothing of an exceptional nature had been dealt , with by the different councils. In only one instance had the dispute been of an original nature, the whole of the remaining cases having been brought forward in order to readjust wages or conditions of labour that had been in vogue during the preceding two years. “There has been no general advance or increase in wages,” said Mr Hally. “In isolated cases an increase- has been either agreed to by the employers or awarded by the Court, but taken as a whole neither hours nor wages have altered wry much. It is quite correct in some instances that employers have asked that increased hours be worked, and a reduction of wages agreed to. On the other hand, the workers, who are usually the applicants, without exception suggested an increase of wages, and, in most cases, a reduction of working hours. However, when the parties meet in council it has become'the usual custom to renew the terms substantially as existed in the previous award.” In reply to a question, Mr Hally said it was not correct to stafo that tho work of the Conciliation Council or its commissioner had been hampered by Government regulations. A-certain amount of formality was required, and was necessary' in order that an applicant parky should file an industrial dispute in proper form. Further slight regulations were used to refer a dispute to the Court of Arbitration. Apart from those rules a commissioner or members of a Conciliation Council had a free hand as to thenmethods of settling a dispute. Personally speaking he had never been interfered with since he was appointed many years ago.