CAPITAL AND LABOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17189, 17 June 1919, Page 8

CAPITAL AND LABOUR.

IMPROVING RELATIONSHIP.

SHAKE. IN MANAGEMENT.

VIEWS OF SIR. JAMES ALLEN

A suggestion that employers and workers should meet in conference-to consider a proposal on the lines of granting labour a share in the management'-'in-dustries was nude recently by the Now Zealand Federation of Labour, in ft programme- it issued' dealing with industrial reform. The development of industrial peace and prosperity has since been considered by a number of organisations of employers and, generally, the principle of the proposals has been approved by them. ■

The Acting-Prime Minister. S>* Jk»«« Allen, was asked yesterday if ha thought tho time was opportune for some definite step by tho Government in the direction of bringing the -parties together. Sir James Allen quoted from ft speech he made recently in Dunedin, and which embodied his views,, upon the matter. The part of the speech referred 60 was as follows:—" In New Zealand the question of harmonious industrial relationship lias been thought over by many people, til I desire to make reference to the work J. the National Efficiency Board, which ruoro than onco considered tho problem. The board had some doubt as to whether the representatives of Capital or of Labour were able* to dissever themselves from existing difficulties to such an extent as to enable them to take a sufficiently broad outlook or the mutual relationship of the future as would warrant any nope of more satisfactory permanent conditions being established, by direct contact and discussion, but tho b,oard believed that much could bo done by a slow process of education and technical training of a suitable character, applied equally to the employers aa to the employed. But the ( workers in- New Zealand, as alreoiy indicated, have also been studying tL» problem), with the aid of the Garton memorandum and the Whitley reports which have been placed in their hands. 1 referred previously to the report of the National - Executive of Nev.* Zealand. That executive considered that the hope of _ tho immediate future lies in the intimate and continuous association of both management and and it, suggests machinery to bring this about. Thero would seem to be much in common in the reports and the views of the National Executive of tho New Zealand Federation of Labour. This being so, may we not hope that some solution of the present industrial unrest is within the bounds of possibility! If this problem can be solved we may look forward to great developments of the resources of' Now Zealand and to improved conditions for our people." Sir James Allen addad that he had been watching the matter very closely since he made his speech, and had observed references by somo bodies of employers to the conferenco proposal. The Government would do all it could to assist in bringing about an understanding between the two parties. The- question for consideration was whether any good would come of a conferenco at present. -Though the signs were hopeful, tho parties were still at arms' length and were mutually suspicious. Those suspicions would first have to be removed and a better atmosphere created before they could liopo to do any good at a conference. A slow process of education must be allowed to work. He believed it was desirable that employees should be given some part in tho management of industry, so that they might appreciate tho proolems and difficulties of the employers; but that could not be brought about hastily. Any attempt to hasten the process by a conference before the parties wero ready to como naturally together would lessen the possibilities of good i results, and might undo good that had already btlon done.