COACH-BUILDERS IN CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3048, 9 April 1917, Page 6

COACH-BUILDERS IN CONFERENCE

MEETING IN WELLINGTON.

The fifth annual convention of the Now Zealand Coach and Motor VShicle Trades Federation of Employers was opened on Saturday. The president (i\lr. George Dash) was in the chair, and there were also present: Messrs. E. C. Uarvie (secretary), F. A. Drayton and N. Kennedy (Christchurch;, W. J. Birrell, J. W. Scurr (Dunedin;, H. Hurrell aud N. Donoghue (Petone), T. Souse, D. H. Taylor, C. B. Paish, W. G. Fitchett ("Wellington), H. A. Whitaker (South Auckland), L. J oil, W. J. O'Hara, C. Cooper, W. A. Harrison (Auckland), J. Lock (Gore), Robert A. Dunn (Balclutha)', James 0. Matthews (Invercargill), R. A. Fuller (Jfalmerstqn North), W. H. Jones (Wanganui), G. 0. Spurdle (Inglewood). ' ' .

The delegates were welcomed to Wellington by the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), who mentioned that his own trade of engineering enabled him to appreciate the difficulties that the coachbuildevs ,had to face. ; When ho first came to New Zealand in the 'seventies, . the coachbuilders had been concerned chiefly with the production of bullock wagons and stage coaches. Sound workmanship had been essential, but the demand for fine finish and elaborate forms had not been great. The trade had developed with the-years... Vehicles had become lighter, and their construction had demanded a higher degree of technical skill.' Now the conditions of the whole trade wixre beihg changed by the arrival' of the motor vehicle, which was likely to drive the horses off the roads altogether and bring the.coach-builder into very close alliance with the engineer. Mr. Luke expressed his sympathy for the coachbuilders'in their desire to, secure increased advantage from the tariff. The president thanked the Mayor for his welcome, and said, there tvbb no doubt the coach-building and engineering trades were now wedded for good and. all. '

The annual report of the Executive Committee referred, in some detail to the work of the year. "From reports that have, been made to your committee," it stated, "it would appear that the year just closed has-been satisfactory from a business point of view. In most centres the volume of trade .has been much increased, and skilled labour has been very difficult to obtain. In some cases the restricted amount of labour available has not been felt to any extent on account of the scarcity of work: The importance of advancing the prices, of our' manufactured products cqmmensurately with the abnormally high,cost of all material cannot be over-estimated. We suffer equally with the users of all war material on account of the alarming scarcity, and increased cost of supplies, and it must be apparent that it is no time to allow prices to remain unchanged or to take a short and hesitating step in . the direction of an advance'. The war, so universal and calamitous as that which is now tearing the heart out of Europe, which is daily increasing in fury and bringing misery to hundreds of homes in this Dominion, should us to any minor disadvantages such as Hie depletion of the ranks of skilled labour and the high cost of material, especially as a large proportion of the work we engage.in is strictly non-essen-tial." The report urged members of the federation to Temember that the present period of prosperity followed by bad times and to make their business' plans accordingly: A new award had been secured durtng the year, covering the workers engaged in the coach-building industry, and it was regarded by the committee as workable and satisfactory. '. The report was adopted after some discussion, and other business affecting the federation was transacted during the day. • . . ■ •. ■ • ■ I The visiting delegates were the guests of the Wellington branch of their organisation at a dinner on Saturday evening. . Yesterday they were taken for a motor drive around the outskirts of the city. The president delivered • his annual address in the afternoon. He made an exhaustive survey of the year's business. He mentioned that the trade had met every. demand made upon it by the military and public authorities in connection with the war, while a lar,ge number of coachbuilders had enlisted. A paper was read by Afr. WbitaVor (Hamilton) on "Credit and Its Abuses." . Mr., Whitakcr urgnd that there was need of action on the part of the State to check the starting of businesses without sufficient capital. An interesting discussion followed.