REPLY TO EMPLOYERS FEDERATION.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14840, 4 December 1913, Page 7

REPLY TO EMPLOYERS FEDERATION.

WELLINGTON, December 3. The following is a summary of tho cablogram to tho Defence Committeo from Mr W. M. Hughes, ia reply to Mr Foster's message: — "So far m your cablegram deals with the history and development of the dispute, it is unnecessary to comment thereon, beyond the remark that your statement is in conflict with that furnished to the conference by the Labour Federation. No useful purpose can be served by attempting to deal with the matter from this standpoint, therefore the Conference, representing over 200,000 unionists called together for the express purposo of dealing with this trouble, is faced with the situation as it exists today, one which threatens to assume alarming proporlions. With those, if any there are, who desire a continuance of industrial turmoil, we have absolutely no sympathy. We believe in unionism, and all that unionism stands for, and we believe in the settlement of industrial disputes by arbitration. To your contention that there is no dispute, that there is nothing left to submit to Sir Joshua Williams, or any other arbitrator, that tho Federation of Labour cannot be recognised, and is to be destroyed, we cannot for ono moment assent. The Federation contains thousands of the best workmen in New. Zealand, and we cannot j consent to their destruction. Who is to blame for the present situation we do not presume to cay; we are faced with trio situation which is none of our creating. Peace is not to bo obtained hy saying 'there is nothing to arbitrate about' or ful mi nations against the Federation of Labour. There is a dispute, and there is somethina: to arbitrate about. Until this point is settled to talk of 'industrial pcaco' is' to live in a fool's paradise. "In the best interests of all parties we oonsider that tho present state of affairs ought not to be allowed to continue. Wo therefore recommend that the whole matter be referred to Sir Joshua Williams or any other arbitrator acceptable to both parties, his decision to be final on all points, including employment of labour, and the Conference, on behalf of # the unionists of Australia, pledges itself to loyally abide by the result of such arbitration, and as from tho date of appointment of the arbitrator, j to resume normal working conditions in the New.Zealand transport trade, and it recommends .the-Federation n» Labour similarly to pledge itself...ln any case we do so. We hope this • proposalwiH commend itself, to you, and the people of New Zealand. We fully recognise that a very "stronp feeling exists, but wo make an appeal to reason, and appal to both sides to accept it without delay,"