COACHBUILDERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 176, 21 April 1919, Page 6

COACHBUILDERS

ANNUAUONFERENCE DOMINION GATHERING IN WELLINGTON ' The annual conference of the New Zealand Coach and Motor Vehicle Trades Industrial Association cf Employers was opened in the Employers' Eederat-on looms on Saturday. Delegates were present from various centres, throughout 'New Zealaud. Mr. W. J. Boon, president, was in the chair. . Tho Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke. M.P.) extended a welcome to the delegates. He said that tho trades represented by the conference occupied an important placo in New Zealand, industry, and deserved all the support and encouragement that Parliament and people could give them. He would like to see more attention given to the promotion of tho secondary industries. The president 'thanked the Mayor for his welcome, and said ho hoped Mr. Luke would be able to assist the industry in Parliament. Tho conference dealt with formal business during the morning. The president gave his annual address in the afternoon. He said that tho Arbitration Court had been giving increases in wages, under the War Regulations, to all groups of workers who had applied. Tho evidence collected by the different associations and put before the Court by their representatives,. was set. aside by the Court, who decided that the increases asked for were necessary in order to keep pace with the : m the cost of living. The clause undt. which the Court acted provided that the Coui't shall have power, under stated conditions, to amend awards or agreements by altering wages or hours of employment. A sub-section provided that these powers shall be exorcised, if "having regard to these nnd all relevant considerations, the Court is of opinion that it is just and equitable" to exercise them. This seemed to make the clause as a whole permissive in character, but the Court took the view that it is mandatory and a flat rate of Is. 7Jd. per hour had been fixed, in addition to which a bonus of 21d. per hour had been'granted,'which might be raised according to the circumstances from time to time.

■Whatever opinion might bo hold in recard to the best method of bringing down the cost of living, it was painfully evident that the only result of Parliament's ' hasty and ill-considered action had been to intensify and absurdly complicate the problem. It -was impossible to imagine where the riot of wage-rais-ing upon which the Court had been launched wool dend, but the main result undoubtedly would bo to malco the cost of living problem in its total scope and in detail aspects more than ever formidable and difficult iu solution. One thing was evident, the workers, though not on the bare subsistence line, were not satisfied with their share of the products of labour. In this connection the paper to be given by Mr. William Pryce, of Christchurcli, on "The Bonus Question of Profit Sharing," should have thenclose attention. .There was no doubt that the amending clause in connection with wages and cost of living did not receive full consideration from those responsible for it, and the Arbitration Court had taken it to be mandatory, for the clause provided "that tho Court dealing with applications for amendments of awards and increases of wages 'shall' take into consideration tho question of tho increased cost of living. With regard to the affairs of the association, said Mr. Boon, it must be conceded that much good work had been done, and it would be wholly to the advantage of the members of the trade if they would fully recognise its representative character and iti relation to tho vital conditions of real progress; mutual faith; and ' unrestricted co-operation. The appointment of an organiser might well be taken into consideration, so that the aims and objects of the federation might be better understood and appreciated bv those connected with the trade generally who were not now linked up with them. In connection with the motor body-building industry, which was to bo brought before the conference by Mr. H. Kennedy, of Christchurcli, it was inst possible that they were on the eve of a tremendous development in this important branch of thoir activities. Jn the North Island they were nssnred of the co-oueration of somo of the largest importers of motor vehicles, who were showing their appreciation of locailybuilt bodies in comparison with the American product by importing chassis of well-known makes and by giving practical encouragement to the coachbuilders to lav themselves out to build suitable bodies in largo quantities. The covfference will be continued to-day.