UNREST ANTIDOTE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10901, 16 May 1921, Page 5

UNREST ANTIDOTE

NEGOTIATE BY HANDSHAKES AMERICAN COMMISSIONER’S ADVICE TO UNIONISTS. “INDUSTRIAL TRIUMVIRATE.” The American Conciliation Commissioner, Mr Charles Francis, succeeded iu making a decisive advance cn Saturday nigiit with his theory for an effective antidote for the prevailing industrial unrest. The fathering—a printers’ welcome at Dustin’s —waa unique in that .it was one of the rare occasions on which employers and employees discussed their industrial relations. “I told Americans, twenty-five years ago, in a book I wrote on your country, that New Zealand; was a _ land where strikes did; not exist,” continued Mr Francis. “It was true then, and, as a consequence, I have had my eye on New Zealand ever since, in order to learn something that would help in keeping down industrial unrest m the United States. It is the human element that counts for most m all our industrial relations. If wte live upon one another, we will never beable to agree, but the success of everyone will be achieved by working m and in full confidence with "each other. My advice to you is to motet more across the social board, rather than when you are filing claims. Negotiate by handshake, rather than suspicion of each other.” (ApplauSe.) FAIR DEAL TO CONSUMER. t “There is a triumvirate necessary to I all /industry—the triumvirate of the employer the employee, and the consumer. * We must see that, between us, the consumer gets a. fair deal. I (Hear, hear.) What we need to get into both organisations, as between | the individuals and the organisation, I is the spirit of mutual help, which, when we attain it, will guarantee us peace and more results from our industry. The employee must not take out of the employer’s pocket more than he puts into it. Extremists talk of capital, but capital is merely used for the plant you work in, and from which you get the money paid to you at . the end of the we “.—money which the employer does no. see for months. Remove it, and you destroy all industry. Both the employer and the j employee want to see how much they | can ‘get across’ to the consumer, end I let him live. You don’t want an aui tocracy in the form of a democracy, ; Like Russia, which threw the employers i overboard, and now has to take them i back, to run the industries of the country. The ‘Red’ leaders are the worst "leaders • that ever existed, and j they’ve got to go.” (Applause.) I The speaker displayed a life-mem- \ ber’s ticket of the Printers’ Trade ( Union of America, and said he held letters of recommendation from the ! United States Federation of Labour I m his mission on behalf of industrial ; peace. i UNIONISTS’ (JO-OPERATION. Mr C. H. Chapman, secretary of ' t(ie Typographical Union, deplored the i feeling of suspicion and antagonism that had existed for years between employer and employee. What was needed was a wider outlook, pride in work, and a full return to the consumer. Employers should not handicap industry by looking at pennies where pounds were the proper consideration. Both should demand, an adequate return for their services to the coramun--1 ity. Each side had its faults, and often did not appreciate the, difficulties of the Other. Employer® had a greater share' of the , blame than the workers. The workers, on their part, would benefit by collectively meeting their employers, through their associations or unions. There -were few rich employers in Wellington; most of them were really in the capacity of managers, and fully entitled to their share of production. (Hear, hear.) A FRIENDLY PROPOSAL. Mr E. Wells, secretary of the Bookbinders’ Union, expressed the opinion that mutual benefits would arise from employers and employees meeting as at the present function. He did not believe in the theory that they were like oil and water, and, therefore, incapable of assimilating. . That could be disproved by getting together in social amity, rather than meeting with their 'coats off, prepared for a few “rounds” against each other, across the table of an industrial conference. (Applause.)