IRON AND BRASS MOULDERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1386, 12 March 1912, Page 3

IRON AND BRASS MOULDERS' DISPUTE.

The Conciliation Commision«r (Mr. P. Holly) sat with a council yesterday to hear tho Iron and Brass Moulders'dispute. The applicant party was the union. The assessors for tho union were: Messrs. A. Philp (Auckland), .T. Dove (Ounedin), and W. H. Taylor (Wellington); and tor the employers Messrs. B. Kobertson, AV. Crabtree, and ,T. Cable (all of Wellington). Mr. H. 1". Allen appeared on behalf of tho Ironmasters' Association of Xew Zealaud; Mr. W. A. Grenfell represented a number o? local employers, principally those carrying on business as brassfounders; and a number of employees appeared in person. Boforo the dispute was opened for investigation, Mr. Grcni'ell, on behalf of thu employers generally, objected to the pro-ceedings'on-the ground that no dispute was made evident until tho respondents actually received notice of the sitting of the council. As a consequence, no opportunity was given to the employers to mcot or to" formulate counter demands. After discussing the objection for n few minutes, tho council agreed that, as tht> same objection had already been upheld by tho Arbitration Act, especially in the .Shearers' Dispute, eighteen months agr>, it would be unwise to go on at present. Proceedings were therefore adjourned wi tit April. 15. In the meantime, the Irmonniasters' Asuciation of Xew Zealand will meet in (■.'liristchurcli on Maruh 'JG, and an invitation hns Hcen given on their behalf by Mr. l>. Tiobortson, president of the local branch of tho association, to the Iron and Brass rounders' Union, to send representatives h> the conference. These representatives fruin the union will almost certainly be sent, and it is probnblo that the whole trouble will be discussed, and that si satisfactory adjustment will bo reached. If tho negotiations at the conference fail, then the case vyill come before the Conciliation Commissioner on April IS as stated. Tho union nsks for an agreement lo nuplv to all the Wellington district, including Pulmerston Jjorth, Wanganui. and S'apicr. The demand* stipulate for ii •H-hours' week. The rates of piiy set out arc Is. 6d. per hour, with time uud a ujf for ovortirao, and double rates for work eft Sundays mid h«lida?a,