WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 April 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE. MUCH TALK. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, March 30. Wellington is not taking the interest it should do in the proceedings of the National Industrial Conference which has been sitting here since the beginning of the week, listening to the addresses of learned professors and very earnest humanitarians in which cures in infinite variety lor the ills that beset the coinmuanity have been propounded. The view of the average man in the street is that the conference was designed mainly to relieve the Government of some of its impending difficulties and that in this respect it is likely to serve its purpose passing well. The Prime Minister is displaying a keen interset in the proceedings, and no one will doubt the sincerity of his efforts to promote industrial peace; but it is fairly obvious the goal lie i - seeking is not yet in sight. Labour, so as far as eau be judged from its contributions to the discussions, is in a much more conciliatory mood than it was a year or two ago and perhaps in this development lies the host hope of the conference hearing good fruit in due season. LA HOUR’S ATTITUDE.

Organised Labour is not always particularly explicit in the presentation of its views and aspirations to the public, but at the sitting of the Industrial Conference yesterday, Mr W. Nash explained the attitude of his principals very happily. "We desire to assure tin: employers’ section of flic conference and in particular the representatives of the farmers.” he said, “that we are prepared in co-operate with them "to the fullest extent to find the most effective means of utilising the national resources for the national well-being. We believe that the best measure of co-operation and good-will can be obtained by complete recognition of the rights of the parties, and all agreements • reached should provide a reasonable standard of comfort both for those who organise the industry and for those who carry out their plans. We will also assist to the utmost any efforts which may be made to remove or reduce the risk to production and distribution.” If this is to be the attitude of Labour in future the industrial millennium is at. band. The conference now stands adjourned till alter the holidays. AN UNFRIENDLY ACCUSATION. The Hon. H .E. Pratten, the Minister of Trade and Customs forjdie Commonwealth, who left here to-day on his return journey to Sydney, after a fairly extensive tour of the Dominion, was not particularly happy in parts of a statement lie made to the papers on the eve of his departure. “The producers of butter in New Zealand.” be declared, in one part of his story, “are getting no bigger net return from the export of the butter to Britain, Canada or any other place. Whatever profit is being made is, I hazard an opinion, going into the pockets ol dealers, jobbers, exporters and importers, and the dairy farmers of Now Zealand are 'icing used to prevent their brethren in Australia .getting higher prices in 1 heir local market to which they are entitled I>v reason of -the increasing costs oi production.” The Dominion’s departing guest did not indicate the reason for this unfriendly proceeding on the part of the exporters, but apparently lie wished the public to assume it was the fruit of sordid ill-will. THE PLAIN FACTS.

Exporters and representatives of dairy factories questioned in regard to Mr Pratton’s statement to-day maintained that there was not the slightest foundation for the suggestion that “ dealers and jobbers ” were exploiting the unhappy dairy tanners. It was quite true, they said, that shipments of butter were being made to Australia, in the ordinary course of business. Hut it was absolutely untrue to say that the dairy farmers were not participating in the advantages of the Commonwealth market. ‘lt was well known that the larger co-operative dairy companies did their own marketing and that their suppliers shared in such profits and losses as were made according to the turn of the market. Even ii the exporters were “ dealers and jobbers ” they still would have to pay the higher prices created by the iin,proved demand in Australia, Canada, England or anywhere else. 'I lie Australian market, as it stood, was as freely open to the co-operative factories as it was to the proprietary factories, and if Mr Pratten was aware of this fact he must have been extremely unobservant during his visit to the Dominion.