WAGE DISPUTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 1600, 31 May 1924, Page 4

WAGE DISPUTES.

LEAGUE AND COUNCIL. \ complimentary' dinner to Mr Robert Young. M.P., in Honour of hisappointment as Deputy-Speaker of the j louse of Commons was given at the House by the Industrial League and Council. Lord Burnham. president of the League and Council, was in the chair, and, in proposing- the toast of "Our Guest," said that they would be dead. !o' imagination indeed if they did not realise the romance of Mr Young's career. A young engineer from Scotland, he went to Oxford University, or what ought'to be part of it, by virtue of a scholarship- allotted to his trade union, and he learned more than the text-books would ever teach him. lie then made the friendship of Mr. George Barnes, came to London, and became secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, entered Parliament, and now, by the suffrages of his fellow-members, was elected to the Chair of the House. For ability and fair-mindedness they would not find a belter man. From its inception he had been a loyal member of the Industrial League and Council, which stood for the principle of conciliation in industrial matters. Mr H. E. Blain, Chief. Conservative Agent, in supporting the toast, said . that it was a happy circumstance that there should be associated with it men of very different opinions. He had never heard other than words .of appreciation ior "Bob" . Y&ung. Mr Ammon, M.P., Par.Liamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, said that the appointment of their guest was a testimony, to . the possibility of the people attaining high rank. Mr G. N. Barnes, M.P., said that the character and ability of their guest were undoubted. He .was sure that his influence, would be great in. getting common-sense agreement in industrial disputes. Mr Younpr. in responding, said that there was no assembly in the world like the British ■ House- of Commons; no matter what their opinions wcr<>, they were exceedingly 'generous and members of all parts had not, only wished him success, but had .contributed lo ■the pleasure he felt in occupying his position.- There were three institutions with which he was proud to have been connected—the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, the Industrial ■disputes, but he felt that there' was much in human nature-which,:if ricrht. ly directed, would tend -to lead them to better agreement' than had been the case because 1 of their lack of mutual, understanding. The Lndus- . trial League- and Council wanted the spirit of the trenches to' be transferred' to the workshop in the settlement rf great questions; and, in spite of disappointments, he still believed that that spirit -would permeate employer and employed to such an extent that there would be no need to resort to ■(he ■lock-out or the strike. He believed that all those disputes could be settled round the table if they were oidy perfectly frank and fair in their' conversations.