THE FERRY TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1329, 5 January 1912, Page 4

THE FERRY TROUBLE.

ritESH CONFERENCE SOUGHT.

Negotiations between the Harbour Ferries Company and its employees, who are seeking an increase in wages, advanced a small step yesterday, when Mr. G. G. I'arlanil, who has been acting as agent for the ferry employees, wrote, on behali of the i\ew Zealand federation of Labour, to ask that the Ferries Company should agree to again meot representatives of its employees in conference. Mr. Farland asked that a full board of directors snould attend the conference, and stressed the desirability of avoiding any suspension of the ferry service, since tins would cause great inconvenienco to the travelling public.

Mr. E. Zohrab, manager of the Harbour Ferries Company, was interviewed in the afternoon, and stated that ho had received Mr. Farland's letter, which would be considered at a meeting of tho directors of the company, to be held on Monday next. Mr. Zoh'rab frankly confessed fhat his company scarcely knew where it stood in this matter. It held that it was still working under an award, made in 1908, which could not legally bo disregarded. Recently the company had been cited as a party to proceedings in which the Australasian Sciiincn's Union is seeking an award. As a further complication, the company was faced by the demands -f its own employees, an imorgan-- -...Miy, so far as 'he company ) vi ' s mi. j: lit addition to this Mr. Zohv.ii.> Doinlcd out that when Mr. Farland first addressed the company, on behalf of its employees, he wrote ks secretary of the Wharf Labourers' Union. In (i subsequent communication ho signed himself as agent for tho ferry employees, and in his latest letter he wrote o'l behalf of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. Mr. Zohrab's face bore witness to a certain amount of perplexity as he remarked, "I don't know where we an , . I can't sec any other position to bo taken up legally than this," he continued, "that the registration of the union, which joined in obtaining the award, by which we are now bound, should be cancelled. Then we would be free to take tip a definite position, but at present wn are bound, and must observe thn award and tho law under which it is made. The best thing for the men to do, it seems to me, would be to form a new union after tho registration of the old one had been cancelled. Then wo could deal with them." Mr. Zohrab concluded his se eral survey with a remark that the whole matter would bo thoroughly ?mic into by :i full board of his directors on Monday next.

Mr. JJohrab gave an emphatic denial t« Mr. Finland's statement that it would cost the company only about .£286 per annum to concede the full demands r>t the men. "I have made a careful calculation," said the manager of the perries Company, "and my estimate Hint the company would have to expend an additional annual sum of .£10.17 if the demand? of the employees were granted is well within the mark."