INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 439, 23 February 1909, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION.

: COMMISSIONERS -lit- CONFERENCE.'.V,. • STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER FOE, :.: .:.-:^'-..■■:;;■ v ,LABom;: ; '■■;■,■'../ i During -yesterday forenoon, "-. tlie three newly-appointed. Conciliation, I Commissioners, Messrs.,! , . Ha]ly,.'(Wellihgt'on) ; ; ! 'J. ; R. Tr'iggs (Christchurcli), and ' J., Harle Giles (Auckland): spent some time together, discussing the' best modes of carrying out the'duties of their position: 1 The Minister, for Labour (Hon. A. ,W..vHogg) met them in the..afternoon,. and ; conferred /with; them.;' .'Speaking afterwards io a Dominion .reporter, Mr. Hogg said, that the. Commissioners had freely .expressed to him their opinions as to their duties, and he found that their views were/mute in accord with hb own. They .would make. the. preservation of industrial peace their supreme object, and when any difficulties. ar.6so\they iwoald .do J their utmost to meet the conflicting side and prevent the trouble spreading and becoming acute. They, would not deem it necessar? . o wait for a disputo:to be. referred tp theiu,- uitt would try to Kring about a settlement - as early as possible.. ..'.':!'■",, ..-.. ,■.,„■/, ... ■ ■ "My ■own.-impressiori," continued the Minister, ,"is v that. a .great, deal of .good wijl arise, from tfre.operations of,the Commissioners.' I pointed out to .them,that were ■extremely, onerous;: as. the success, of' our iridustriesj many, of which are in their infancy, would largely .depend :upon the promotion." of entire .harmony between capitalists and. workers. The.'.objectof the Commissioners, should be-.to prevent either .side, haying a : causfi it' complaint against-the other, and , to get them to realise that, their interests .were in common and not; If once the Commissioners succeeded in establishing a feeling of confidence on the part of manufacturers and workers their- task o£..promotiiig the general, welfare;and- industrial good feeling would lbev_he hoped, comparatively, simple! ,' •.■.'"Mγ. Harle Gilos 1 -remarked to me,,-cori-.tinued the. Minister,', "that ; he -knew-' he: was regarded with antipathy by .some''of' the l unions -.in;. Auckland,' but he-believed, that" when, they knew him bettor they would alter their opinions. He intended to make himself thoroughly conversant with the industries of that part of-the country,' and to devote'himself, to ;,the promotion of harmony ; between all parties; I could .not help-thinking: thatthe critics had been'too hard upon Mr. Harle Giles." ,-;' ■:■' .'■,-. r ■ ' ■■■." :■■ r -- I '■■;,-: /