MEETING OF EMPLOYERS OF LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 1342, 18 August 1877, Page 7

MEETING OF EMPLOYERS OF LABOUR.

A meeting of employers of labour was held in the European Hotel on Friday night. The attendance was small

Mrß. Hallenstein, on being voted to the chair, explained that the object of the meeting was to dray/ up a petition supporting that framed by the working men. He believed that they were able to manufacture, railway carriages, locomotives, and other rolling stock, and he thought it was the duty of the Government to ha/c them manufactured in the Colony. By so doing, the Colony, as a whole, would be benefited.

Mr Shacklock moved — "That Messrs M'Leod, Gray, Reid, Robin, A. Burt, A. Morrison, and the mover, be appointed a Committee to draw up the petition, and that they write to Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and other portions of New Zealand, requesting the employers of labour there to take similar steps."— Agreed to. Mr Morrison consented to act as Secretary. The Chairman suggested that action should be taken at once. The Parliament was now sitting, and large sams of money would shortly be voted. The petition ought to be ready to be forwarded to the Government in a fortnight. Mr Robin did not know how the Government could be so careless in the matter. They went to the expense of bringing out men, but did not find employment for them when they arrived, and as they could not get work they left the Colony, and such places as Victoiia and New South Wales reaped the benefit. A great deal of the work could be easily done in the Colony. He had not seen any better carriages than those built by Findlay and Co., except, perhaps, those imported by Oliver and Pxoudfoot for the Port Chalmers line, and which were of superior quality. He waa acquainted with a carriage maker here who had been employed in the Home country on railway carriages built for the New Zealand Government. Frequently his master would say to him, " Get on, get on ; these carriages are only for New Zealand, a land of savages. They don't know what they're riding in."—(Laughter.)

Mr Bort proposed — " That the petition, when signed, should be sent to the three City members."

Mr Clabk seconded the motion, which was carried.

Mr Hallenstekt suggested that a circular letter should also be sent to all the Otago members, asking them to support the movement. After some slight discussion as to Protection v. Free Trade, Mr M'Leod moved— "That those present form themselves into a society for the protection of New Zealand Industries and Commerce."

Mr Campbell had much pleasure in seconding the motion.

The motion was carried, and a vote oi thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.