COACH TRACES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9629, 9 April 1917, Page 7

COACH TRACES

FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION OPENED AT WELLINGTON. The fifth annual convention of the .New Zealand Coach and Motor Vehicle 'Trades Industrial Association of Employers was opened on Saturday, Mr George Dash (chairman) presiding ovhr a representative gathering, including s number of the wives of delegates. The delegates present were: Messrs 81.B 1 . A. Drayton and N. Kennedy (Christchurch), W. J. Birrell and JW. Scurr (Dunedin). H. Hurrell and N. Donghine (Petone), H. A. Whitaker (Hamilton), J. Lock (Gore), Robert A. Dunn (Baidutha), yMatthews (Invercargill), R. A. Puller (Palmerston North), M. H. Jones (Wanganui), J. O’Hara (Otahuhu), U Cooper (Pukekohe), G. 0. Spurdle (Inglewood), L. Joll and W. A. Hanson (Auckland), and F. Rouse, D. H. layer, C. B. Raish. W. G- Fitchett and fc C Hardee, secretary (Wellington). The chairman heartily welcomed the 'delegates to Wellington, and a civic 'welcome was tendered them by tne Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke), who hoped that thoy would find the social and the weather conditions in Wellington as attractive as at the time of their P*®" vious convention in the city. , ne felt great sympathy with them, he said, because he had been for many rears in a trade that was closely allied with theirs, and there was always a spirit of good fellowship between the mglneers and the New Zealand coach cud motor-builders. When he first came to New Zealand in the seventies of last century, coachbuilders were mostly concerned with the manufacture of bullock wagons and stage but now they were largely engaged m the building of motor-car bodies and were very closely alhed'mdeed with the engineering trade. He thoughjt tbit soon after the war h o r^ + ra *“ vehicles would disappear and that the demand for motor vehicles would put a great stress upon tha two trades, but he had no doubt that they would be able to cope with it. After the war, too, there would be need to reconsider the tariff question, as it concerned their industry and other industries. He felt, and ha had no doubt that they all fell, great satisfaction at the news that the United States had ar, length definitely decided to enter tl-f. war on tho side of the Allies, The chairman thanked the Mayor for bis kindly welcome. The ooachbuilding trade and . the engineering trade were now wedded, he said, for better or worse. The motor-ear had come to stay, and the coachbmlder and the angiueer must now work togother on the one vehicle. The horse be thought was soon going to join the bullock as * burden-bearer of the past. the trade and the war.

In their annual report the executive committee said: 1 , ■'From reports that have been made to your committee it would appear that the year just closed has been .satisfactory.from a business point of view, in most centres the volume of trade Ivis been much increased and skilled labour has been very difficult to obtain, in some cases the restricted amount of labour available has not been felt to any extent on .account of the scarcity of work. The importance of advancing the prices of our manutactpred products commensurately with the abnormally high cost of all material cannot be overestimated. We suffer equally with the users of all war material on account of the alarming, scarcity and'increased cost.of supplies, and it must be apparent that it is no time to allow prices to remain unchanged or to take a short and hesitating step in the direction of an advance. , . , “Tlie war, so universal and calamitous, which is now tearing the heart ’out’of Europe; which is daily increasing in fury and bringing bitter misery to hundreds of homes in ths Dominion, should reconcile us to any minor disadvantages such as the depletion of tiie ranks of skilled labour and the high cost of material especially as a large proportion of the work we engage in is strioty non-essential. Our position as a trade at the present time is no doubt due to the fact that the people of Great Britain are paying us approximately £5,000,000 a year more for an equal quantity of produce. We are also being provided from the same source with not leas than £600,000 a month to enable us to meet our war expenses. While wage-earners, salaried people, and business men are literally enjoying the result of these conditions, with the boast on our lipt of our wonderful resources and our radiant prospects, holding as we do a recognised position as one of the finest producing countries of the world, we would he wise to prepare for uncertain times as a period of .prosperity always honeycombs the business situation with weak spots. . “With regard to the affairs of our Association we may well congratulate ourselves that so important a matter as the workers’ award was dealt with so Effectively. The present award is regarded by men of experience in these matters as one of the most workable in the Dominion, and the value of our organisation was made apparent in the modifications made in the demands. Mr W. J. Cousins has been good enough to prepare a report on the new award whch will he read at one of the coming sessions. We are. unable to report any great increase in the membership owing to the opposition we encountered from the Registrar, who at a critical time in our history refused to registrar associations who had made application for registration owing to the rules submitted being unsuitable. Although several associations had quite recently registered under the rules submitted, we found it necessary to pet new rules printed and advise the different associations to repeat the meetings adopting same. In outlying parts this was a matter of some difficulty, and as the result the interest slackened. The increase in .the subscription with the alteration of rule 5 has brought us in sufficient revenue to meet our expenses and leave ns with a credit balance of £lB 6s Bd.” The report was adopted after a brief discussion. RESOLUTIONS PASSED. At the Saturday afternoon sitting the president delivered his annual address. Reviewing the year’s work, ho stated that, although the voluntary character of the membership had much to recommend it, .and many held to the opinion that if w»s more productive of social intercourse than a largely re-, presentative body would he, the change in the organisation to a federation of associations had been justified. The coachbuilding trade, he was proud to say, had answered eveiry call made upon it with regard to the

war, and many from their ranks had laid aside the hammer and taken up the rifle to assist in bringing about a world-wide peace. On the motion of Mr Joll (Auckland), seconded by Mr Lock (Gore), it was' resolved: ‘ ‘That the local associations constituting this federation are urged to extend all the assistance possible towards conserving the interests of any member on active service by retaining his connection and his business as a going concern during his absence.” It was further resolved, on the moton of Mr Scurr (Dunedin), seconded by Mr Doneghue (Petone): “That this association bring under the notice of the Efficiency Board of New Zealand tbo fact that agricultural-hlacksmith-ing and commercial-motor and horsevehicle building are essential industries, and urges the claims of these industries for consideration.” A SOCIAL FUNCTION.

On the invitation of the Wellington Coachbuilders’ the visiting delegates and their ladies were entertained to dinner at the Burlington Cafe. A fine programme of musical and other items was provided by Mr and Mrs H. F. Wood, Mrs ScuiT, Mr Will Goudie, and Mr Fraser Thomson, Mr Harold Godier acting as accompanist. The toasts of “The King,” “The National Governing Body,” “Tho Wellington Coachbuilders’, Association,” “The Army and Navy,” and “The Visitors” were honoured. SPEECH BY GENERAL ROBIN.

Replying to the toast of “The Army and Navy,” Major-General Sir Alfred Robin expressed his pleasure at renewing his acquaintance with the men of the trade of which his father was one of the pioneers in this Dominion, and which ne himself had followed ,in Dunedin in his earlier days. He also apologised for. the absence, through failing health, of his father. “I wish/’ he said, “on this the first occasion I have had of meeting the coachbuilders collectively to express my warmest thanks to and recognition of the organisation of the trade through which they* were enabled to render the Defence Department” three years ago the most valuable assistance in connection with the building of transport wagons for our first Expeditionary Forces. At that time we urgently required twenty-two Mark X. transport wagons ready to ship in seven days and, in addition, in the same period thirty wagons were to he reinstated arid painted. 1 Your organisation and your modern business methods proved, however, quite equal to our requirements.’’ He complimented and congratulated the association on the good work done, both then and since, by their trade in connection with tho war.