CONCILIATION BOARD.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4893, 21 September 1901, Page 3

CONCILIATION BOARD.

GROCERS' DISPUTE.

In this adjourned dispute the Obago Grocers' Assistants' Industrial Union of Workers were regresented by Messrs J. Robertson (president), G. H. Smith (secretary) and W. Baird ; Messrs J. M. B. Garrow and A, M'Farlane appeared for the master grocers of Dunedin ; and the country master grocers were represented by Messrs J. B. M'Kinlay (Lawrence), W. Auld (Waitahuna), A. Kirkpatrick (Waitati), and R. Milligan (Oamaru).

On the previous evening, the union and the master grocers had a final conference, at which an agreement had been arrived at, and Mr J. M. E. Garrow said that the country grocers wished to "be heard.

Mr J. B. M'Kinlay said tu&G owing to the different conditions of labor in town and country the oountry grocers wished to be exempt from the agreement. There were a number of reasons why this should be allowed, chief amongst whioh was the fact that men in town pub out double tbe quantity of goods in a day that a man in the country did.

The Chairman said he understood that some sorb of an agreement had been arrived at, and the country grocers desired to be left out of this agreement and dealt with separately. The Board could not do that without hearing evidence. They recognised the difference that existed between town and country stores, but the country grocers had been made parties to the dispute. Mr M'Kinlay said he understood that the Board bad power to strike them out of the dispute. They had no intention of calling evidence, bub they would prefer to stand out.

The Chairman said it was impossible for the Board to decide without taking evidence.

Mr M'Kinlay said they would leave themselves in the hands of the Board.

The Chairman said that if Mr M'Kinlay conld see his way to accept the agreement ib would save a good deal of trouble. Did the amended clauses satisfy the conntry grocers P Mr M'Kinlay said that the amendments made it better for them, but they did nob see the necessity for the agreement, and did not wish to come under it, but they were not going to test ib.

The Chairman said the agreement arrived at would be made the recommendation of the Board, and if tbe country grocers did not agree they could then appeal to the Arbitration Court.

Mr Kirkpatrick said that the conditions of labor were bo different in tha town to the country. It might be all right with thiß award, bub a country storekeeper would be under a bakers' award and a drapers' award as well as a grocers' award, and sometimes it might be difficult to determine whether a man was a grocer or a draper. If there was any finality, about the awards there would be no objection, but th,e class of work was somewhat ■ varied and the whole business was unsettling the country storekeepers, who did not know exactly how they stood. After a considerable amount of consultation and discussion, Mr M'Kinlay at length announced that be was authorised to state that the country master grocers would consent to come under the amended agreement.

The Chairman then stated that the board would make that agreement their recommendation.

'ihe full text of the amended agreement is not yet available, bub the main coDcessions made to the country grocers are the making the age of boys 14 instead of 16, lUe striking oat ot Labor Day and the grocers' picnic from the list of holidays, provided that the number of holidays be not reduced, and the allowing of three weeks free of overtime for stock-taking. These concessions to apply only to country stores.

A meeting of country grocers, presided over by Mr W. Moore, of Milton, was held in the Board room of the Agricultural Hall on Wednesday morning, and was attended by representatives of the trade from within a radius of between 70 and 80 miles of the city. It was the unanimous opinion of the meeting that there was no connection between country aod town grocers, and that their conditions were entirely different. A log that referred to the town did not therefore apply equally to the country. Messrs W. Auld (Waitabuna), Kirkpatrick (Waikouaiti), Milligan (Oamaru), and J. B. M'Kinlay (Lawrence) were appointed delegates to endeavor if possible to have the country grocers taken out of the dispute to come before the Conciliation Board. If this was not succeeded in, it was agreed that the country grocers would fall in with the amended log on two alterations beinp made — namely, tbafc in country stores boys of 14 years of act© be allowed to be employed instead of boys of I<J, and that Labor Day and the grocers' picnic be taken out of the list of holidttva