FLAXMIILERS’ AWARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 820, 31 March 1910, Page 2

FLAXMIILERS’ AWARD.

In conversation with a Herai.d reporter in refeieuce to the new award, a member of the Executive of the Manawatu Flaxmills Employees Union voiced the opinion that his Honour Judge Sim was certainly to be congratulated upon having developed, from a mass of conflicting testimony, a workable award, which should, if loyally carried out, prove fairly satisfactory to both parties. The settlement ultimately arrived at, he said, was yet another illustration of the superiority of mure or less informal conferences as against the stricter regime of the Arbitration Court. It was certainly not saying too much to assert that had the same desire to settle been evinced before Mr Commissioner Hally that was shown in the Court conference, much time, trouble and money might have been saved by employers, employees and the officials of the Court. It was worthy of note that at this second conference (upon whose work Judge Sim’s memorandum shows the award to be based) none but the parties interested —practical master millers and men —were taking part in the discussion, and to anyone cognisant of the proceedings before Mr Hally, the points agreed upon were significant of the desirability of excluding Irom such commissions all but actual employers and workers in the trades concerned. As a matter of fact, in their own particular case there is no doubt that had the matter been as willingly discussed at the Conciliation Commission the millers could have obtained as good, possibly belter, terms than the Court has given them, but the presence of the employers’ representative with his ultimatum of "an all-round reduction and no preference” was too heavy a handicap for even such an old Parliamentary hand at settlements as the Commissioner. Taken as a whole, the first thought that the new award calls up is " Hard lines on Hally.” FROM THE MEN’S VIEW.

The general expression of opinion on the part of the men, he continued, is one of satisfaction. Whilst they realise that they have A had to make considerable sacrifices to obtain it, the preference clause granted by the Court appears to be a satisfactory equivalent. They seem to consider that the reduction in wages will be compensated for by the knowledge that they have no longer to pay a weekly tribute to maintain working conditions for outsiders. They also contend that in all the points left in abeyance at the conference the Court decided in their favour. ON THE EMPEOYERS’ SIDE, he contended, there appears to be a degree of disappointment, as it was thought that if the matter were left to the Court to decide, larger reductions in wages would be made. The piecework clause leaves them, however, a possible alleviation for a slump, and provided the right men were chosen on both sides there is no doubt, he said, that in the event of a severe drop, rates could be arranged to the satisfaction of both parties.

UNION REPRESENTATIVE’S OPINION. 'H. Interviewed by a Hkkapd presentative regarding the new award, Mr R. H. Dalhousie, the Union’s representative before the Court, said :

“ The only sore point with me is that the drivers didn't get a rise. It seems supremely ridiculous to put our men, driving two and three horses, out in all weathers, and doing skilled work apart from driving, on the same mark as a man running groceries along st, metalled road. Yes, I’m satisfied' with the preference clause. It came high, but we had to have it, and I don’t think that the men whose wages are concerned will do much squealing. It’s a workable clause, anyway, and that’s more than could be said of the last one. No, I don’t ttink it will cause much discontent amongst pur nop-unjon ffriepds, and, frankly, we’re not mich concerned if it does. It ’ll strengthen the fjniou, and that’s whit we are all alter.

“The contract clause? Well, they’ll settle that in Yelling tpu nejjd session. We’ve $t enough backing ip the House to adjust half a dozen little thinp like that. But the award’s alight, Qf course we could dc with more money, but it’s only* minimum rate fixed, so a rise i;only a que? lion of supply and dmaad,”