N.Z. EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16857, 10 June 1920, Page 8

N.Z. EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION.

, ANNUAL CONTURENCE. (PKES3 ASSOCIATION TELIGRA_U.) "WELLINGTON, June 9. j _ The conferenoo of the New Zealand Em* , i plovers' Federation opened to-day to discuss ciatters relating to industry, Mr A. C. Mitchell, Wellington, • presiding'. The chairman reviewed the circumstances which had ltd up in the meeting'. Ho exI plainad that the chief purpose vould l>o toco to. a decision in regard to the advisubi.it>' of agreeing to a national industrial conference such as had been proposed by the | Welfare League, and representative cf tlm ! Farmors' Union, New Zealand Industrial | Corporation, and Associated Clia rubers oi* j Commerce would presently attend for the j purpozo of an exchange of viewa. Ho wouM invito the fullest end freest discuoaion. It was the desire of all those preeent tc arrive, if possible, at some,solution of the problems v:.Uic!i were at tho root of tlio existing condition of industrial uurest all over tho world. At thia tho vi.Mtore were received. Thoy v.-ere:—Messrs L. O. H. Tripp, D. McLaren, and A. P. Harper {representing tho ■Welfare League), Sydney Kirkcaldio and A. P. Roberts (th-e Associated Chambers of Comrcerco), C. >J. Ward and F. W. Vosseler (Industrial Corporation of New Zealand), ar»l W. J. Poison and E. C. Pack (New Zealand Farmers' Union). Mr Tripp • explained that Mr C. P. Skerrott, president of the Leajjue, who was keenly interested in the question of a rational industrial conference, had unavoidably been detained in Dunedin. • He himself was there SB representing Mr Skerrett, but tlie main statement of tho casr; for the Welfare Lease's proposal had been left to Mr McLaren. Tho latter then addrerscd the meetin?, nnd made an urgent appeal for a national industrial • conference. It had been * urged, he said, that such a conference would do no '--cod, and would produoo nothing, but even if it were onlr negative in results, it would s*rvo to establish points of contact on matlei'3 of basic principle between the cmploy era and workers. The timo was ripe for a reviV.v of the existing legislative machinery for d»a!in:< with industrial matter®. Our indi'.s'.rial legislation was chaotic. Whit wa3 wanted was that these matters r.hculd be tn.fen out of the hands of politicians and s-'ttled in principle by those be*t able to do ec—thca? concerned as workers and employers in tho industries themselves. Mr Pokcsi s»!*o addressed ♦.ba n:«gting. Aft"r t'i«- hnd retired, tho conference went int-o c-irarr.itteo and engaged is a discil-r.iion. ■The conference will resume to-morrow.