BUILDERS MEET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17178, 23 October 1923, Page 10

BUILDERS MEET.

CONFERENCE IN SYDNEY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. SYDNEY, October 22. The annual conference of the Master Builders’ Federation of Australasia has opened. In his presidential address Mr Clement Langford .stated that 90 jper cent of the industrial disputes in the Commonwealth were attributable to the compulsory arbitration system. During the present year, he stated, there liad been 120 new industrial disputes, involving 38.617 workers and causing the loss of £857,417 in wages. During the past nine years there had been more strikes and industrial turmoil than in any past period in Australian history. Workers in that particular period had lost £11,006,026 in wages. Speaking at a welcome to the delegates the Lord said that the building trade throughout Australia had never been more prosperous. The cost of buildings being erected in Sydney this year was double that of any previous year. Over £2,000.000 worth was in course of construction in one street alone.