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Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1502, 26 July 1912, Page 6

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CONCILIATION IN CAMERA. PHASE OF DISPUTE. (Bt Teleerapli.—Press Association.) Auckland, July i". The adjourned sitting of the Conciliation Council in tho grocers' dispute was resumed this mc.rning beforo Mr. T. Havle. Giles, Conciliation Commissioner. Mr. C. li. King appeared on behalf of tho employers, and Jlr. A. Hosier on behalf ot' the employees. The Commissioner remarked that this was the fourth sitting of the council in the grocers' dispute, and that the conference had boen rcmarkablo for t.he small .amount of work covered in three sittings. The question to be considered first was whether tlve conference should be resumed in open council or in committee. At this stage Mr. King (for tho employers) rose, and said that; before the- council decided that question his sido wanted to know whether, in the event of proceedings being taken iu committee, there would be distorted accounts of thoso proceedings published in fcho papers. If Mich a course were to bo piire-npd in future il would bo better to hav« t.'he press present throughout the conference. Mr. Eosser (for the employees): Hear, hear. Mr. King insisted that proceedings taken in. committee were privileged. The employers felt strongly on this matter, and wanted an assurance from the otht-v side that nothing would be divulged. Tho Commissioner said that reports * the description referred to were, to saj the least, most injudicious. The unwritten law was t'lrat when the discussion was taken in committeo the press was excluded, and that everything that was said w;w privileged and without prejudice, so much eo that what transpired in committee was not taken notice of when matters camo befoTe tlie Arbitration Court. Mr. Hossct: Nor in open council, sir. Tho Commissioner went on to say that reports of proceedings in committee were to bo deprecated, and he wished to havo an assurance that no use would be mado for press purposes of what transpired in committee. This sort of thing did not mako for conciliation. In his experience it was more satisfactory to conduct their discussions in committee. After all, they were private matters, is between employes) and employer, and the discussion of them was not intended to provide entertainment for the public. Ho would leave it to th-j assessors to decide whether or nbt the conference should be held in committee. Mr. Eosscr said that be was in favour of the press being present throughout bho conference. His side, had nothing to conceal. They we.ro asking for a minimum of ..£2 15s. "fcT journe-ymon assistants. "To shorten the proceedings," he concluded:, "we arc willing to take the 'Wellington •Vward. Are tho employers willing to do that?" ■. ' • ■ Tho Commissioner then asked for n vote as to whether .of not tho proceedings should Ije taken dn committee. 'Uliie employers' assessors said that they wipre willing to leave .the matter to the Commissioner, and tho employees' assessors having signified that, they were prepared to .do. the same, t)ie Commissioner forthwith decided to continue the conference in committee.