Peace in Industry

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 268, 2 February 1928, Page 1

Peace in Industry

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST NEED Employers Willing to Co-operate By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyrigh. Received 11.30 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. THE proposal made by the Prime Minister, Mr. S. M. Bruce, that a conference of employers and employees should be held to discuss the possibility of securing industrial peace, has been favourably received by employers in New South Wales and Victoria. Representatives of the trades unions approve of the proposal in general terms, but insist that the unions must be free to select their representatives at such a discussion.

BRUCE declares that what Australia wants to-day is not a new financial, economic, or industrial

policy, but peace in industry—a new industrial outlook and a spirit of cooperation between capital and management and labour. It is realised in Britain that the holding of a conference between representatives of the employers and employees, which is now taking place, is the most encouraging happening of post-war days. While the Government does not believe that a conference to deal with our economic position would

lead to practical results, it is convinced that, if a similar conference to that now being held in Britain could be held in Austiraia, incalculable good would flow from it. Latest available figures compiled by the Commonwealth statistician show that the total loss of wages from 1917 to 1926 inclusive, as a result of stoppages in industry, amounted to £14,488,000, an average of £1,449,000 annually. BASIS OF REPRESENTATION The Parliamentary Committee decided on the following basis of representation at the industrial conference. Employees, 25; the members to be divided among the Alliance of Labour, Trades and Labour Councils, rural workers, unregistered and unaffiliated unions. Employers, £5; the members to be allocated among the Employers’ Federation, 5; agricultural farmers (wheatgrowers, etc.), 5; sheep farmers, 5; dairy farmers, 5; Chambers of Commerce. 2; Manufacturers’ Association, 3. Other representation:- The Secretary of Labour, the Under-Secretary of Public Works, the Director of Agriculture, the Secretary of Industries and Commerce, one representative from the Prime Minister’s Department, the Secretary of Scientific and Industrial Research, four economists (two from the North and two from the South Island), the Director of Education, the Secretary of Immigration, a representative of banking and financial inThere will be political representation of the Reform Party, Labour Party and Nationalist and Liberal Parties (members of the Parliamentary Committee to be ex-officio members of the conference).