BOARD OF CONCILIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 304, 20 December 1900, Page 2

BOARD OF CONCILIATION.

The Tar-maki Board of Conciliation consisting of Messrs. J. B. Roy (chairman), Borry, W. Ambury, and MeEwen (Mr. D. Brown being absent), held its first sotting at the Courthouse, New Plymouth, on Wednesday afternoon, to inquire into a dispute between the Painters Uuiou and Employers. ! Messrs, J. Bsllriogor, West, Okey, Mills, Spencp, Oallsghan, and Snowball (Sash and Door Factory), were present out of tho Employers cited. Messrs. Proctor, Sol", and Williams represented the Union. Tbo Oiiairman ia opening the proceedings intimated that as tba case was likely to lass soveral days and the holidays were closo at hand, the Buard considerjd that it would be inconvenient

to all parties to proceed with it thatday, and had therefore decided to ad-1 journ until January 16th, Mr. Proctor, on behalf of the Union, stated that tbe members would find it hard not to have tho dispute settled after waiting for six months. lie considered it would only tako two days, otherwise they were agreeable to an adjournment. He asked the Board, however, to examine the question of reference that the Union might know if everything was in order, so that at the adjourned meeting the proceedings might not have to be delayed through an initial informality. j The Chairman said the Beard had a

discretionary power and would undertake to look into the papers and notify the Union if anything was wanted to set the proceedings straight. Mr. Proctor intimated that tbe minutes of the Union had not been regularly kept, there being no record of a ballot having taken place prior to filing tho record. He weuld therefore like to have the informality rectified, In answer to the chairman, he further stated that the Union was formed in July, that a special meeting was held and a resolution to refer the dispute was passed and duly confirmed, but net having the Act in their possession the necessity for recording a ballot was not known to them.

The Chairman, after consulting with] his colleagues, said the Board was of I opinion that the Union being unable to show that a ballot had taken place before filing was fatal to the proceedings, as under section 08, sub seotion 1 of the Act, it was required that a meeting ef the |Union should be | held, and a resolution passed for submitting a dispute to the Board, and that resolution must be confirmed at a special meeting by a majority of members, and the result of the ballot recorded. The present proceedings must, therefore, fall through, and be commenced de novo in proper form. At tho same time, tho Board would facilitate the enquiry, and would ait again on the 16th of January,