MR. HALLY RETIRES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22523, 14 September 1936, Page 11

MR. HALLY RETIRES

CONCILIATION COUNCIL LONG PERIOD OF SERVICE ! MR. R. E. PRICE HIS SUCCESSOR Because of ill-health, Mr. P. Hally has retired from the position of Conciliation Commissioner in Auckland, and Mr. Robert E. Price, who for the past ten years has been employed as an inspector of factories with the Labour Department in Auckland, has been appointed in his place. Mr. Price, who was born and educated in Liverpool, is president of the Auckland Fabian Club and vice-president of tho Grey Lynn branch of tho Labour Party. He was originally a master mariner and came to New Zealand in ]909. He served in the war with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and later with the Navy as a lieutenant in tho Royal Naval Reserve. One of Original Commissioners Mr. Hally was one of the original three commissioners appointed in 1908 under tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act when the old conciliation boards were abolished. The other two commissioners were the late Mr. T.. Harle-Giles, of Auckland, and the late Mr. J. 11. Triggs, of Christehurch. Born in Duncdin, Mr. Hally originally engaged in business there. He became associated with the Dunedin Bootmakers' Union and later the Tailoresses' Union. In this period Mr. Hally began to take an active interest in conciliation, the practice then being to endeavour to settle industrial disputes by means of round-the-tablo conferences between employers and their employees. The maritime strike of 1889 served to impress the lesson that a new system of regulating disputes was desirable, and in 1894 the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act was passed. This provided for conciliation boards, and subsequently Mr. Hally joined one, taking a vacancy as a workers' representative occasioned by the resignation 'of the Hon. J. A. Millar, who became Minister of Labour.

Joined Labour Department Mr. Hally joined the Labour Department in 1903 as assistant inspector of awards and factories, and two years later he was promoted senior inspector in Dunedin. When 28 years ago lie was appointed a conciliation commissioner, his duties covered several industrial districts, both in the North and South Islands, with headquarters in Wellington. At one stage Mr. Hally was the solo conciliation commissioner in New Zealand. Ten years ago lie exercised jurisdiction over the whole of the North Island, but owing to the great pressure of work occasioned by the recent industrial legislation he was relieved of all work outside the Northern Industrial District. Mr. Hally's health became adversely affected some time ago and for a period he was unable to undertake engagements. Subsequently he returned to duty, but when recently the dispute at Waihi occurred he decided that the strain of travel was too great for him to visit Waihi, so he tendered his resignation.