THE CONCILIATION COMMISSIONER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143766, 15 April 1912, Page 7

THE CONCILIATION COMMISSIONER.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —If Mr. HarJe Giles is correctly reported in your paper, his remarks on the aspects of the general labourers’ dispute, over the hearing of which ho has been presiding, are rather remarkable and should be carefully considered by all employer's. He is reported to have said: “It was very evident that a certain decision had- bee.n arrived at in the matter of wages before the employers’ assessors came there. This, ho thought, was not altogether in accord with the true spirit of conciliation.” From the report I gather that both sides had put in their proposals and neither side would give way, but if Mr. Harle Giles’ remarks mean anything they moan that, while this is reprehensible on the part of tiki employers, no such blame attaches to the workers, as he does not appear to have addressed any such remarks to them. Again, he is reported to have said; “If the intention of employers was always to bo that their proposals were bedrock, he was afraid it would bo detrimental to the working of tho Act.” Hero, again, censure is implied, if not expressed, on the employers only. The men’s proposals appear also to havo been bedrock (as I do not read that they gave way on any point), but Mr. Harle Giles appears to take no exception to that. From these expressions (if correctly reported) it would appear that Mr. Harle Giles’ conception of his dntiffi as Conciliation Commissioner is to conciliate tho employees by endeavouring to get employers to concede all their demands. If New Plymouth employers arc willing to give labourers the same terms as now obtain at Invercargill and Wellington, what more can reasonably be expected of them ?—I am, etc., B "