WHARF CONTROL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26559, 6 September 1947, Page 8

WHARF CONTROL

THE NEW COMMISSION GOVERNMENT’S DESIRE FOR STABILITY Industrial Correspondent WELLINGTON, Sept. 5. The outstanding feature of the negotiations for the establishment of a new Waterfront Industry Commission has been the desire of the Minister of Labour, Mr McLagan, to achieve some reasonably firm basis of understanding and agreement between the parties about its form. It is apparent that the new commission will be given responsibility for the handling of some extremely difficult problems in the adjustment of the waterfront industry to new conditions which may arise with the dollar emergency. The Government will hope that the commission can deal with them successfully, rather than that they should be thrown back upon the Cabinet. Although they did not originally agree to a commission of six, the employers have accepted the Government’s intention to establish one on this basis. The employers’ proposal for the appointment of a judge as chairman does not seem likely to be accepted. It is doubtful whether any judge would agree to appointment. It is generally expected that the Government will appoint the commission for five years. The waterfront union will appoint its representatives by secret ballot, as has been the practice in the past.