THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S SETTLEMENT.

Free Lance, Volume X, Issue 499, 22 January 1910, Page 6

THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S SETTLEMENT.

A Matter for Congratulation. THE settlement of the slaughtermen's dispute by a direct conference between repreßenibatives of the New Zealand Fedeiiarfsiibni of Slaughtermen and the a* the various, meat works at the enid of last week.is a matter caiikig for ptib- , lie congratulation. "When tire local slaughtermen struck for higher wages three years ago there was, great excite- ■ ment in Wellington, and, ini 'fact, throughout the Bomiuaoih.;. . A /fortnight ago, when a strike of practically all the. slaughtenmen in New ZeialainxJ was threatened, soimehjoiw . or: - other Wellington did not become, greatly agitated. . . ■■:''•/ Some people wilH be ready to ascribe this fact to the overwhelming- excitement of the bowling tourcQiaanent, and? others, perhaps, to the interest in the British elections. . Howeyer, and seriously, the fact of the complacency iof' the public right in the face of a threatened' serious industrial! upheaval was very significant. It really served to show that the public mind has been educated on the industrial difficulties and the manner of coping with these ■labour disputes. What actually ensured the public complacency was a spirit of confidence in _the oammionsenise method's of conciliation which brought about the ultimate settlement. «. » * . As in. the case of the State 1 coal miners, so also in this dispute, the workers refused to have the matter referred' either to the Conciliation) Council or the Arbitration) Court. The result of each of these latest industrial trouble's has been to prefer ''direct conference'* to either the Conciliation Council or Arbitration Court. The labourers appear to have lost confidence in, the Arbitration Court first, and later omi their negard for the Conciliation Council vanished. Hence, they are now just practically where they started, and, after expensive lessons, and the erection of much costly legislative machinery, the best results are/being obt aimed by direct conferences between - the employer and employee. * «• e Of course, Mr. P. Halley, Conciliation Commissioner, presided over this.successful conference, and he is to be congratulated upora the result of his labours in the cause of industrial peace. "Whilst the public quietly rejoice .at the peaceful settlement- of , a dispute which might easily have' caused the greatest possible amount of inconvenience and trouble, they will mot fail to mark this new proof of the fact that common-sense and quiet reneetioin between parties win every time in inidustria'l troubles.