Industrial Conference Clears Much Ground

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 338, 25 April 1928, Page 8

Industrial Conference Clears Much Ground

CONCILIATORY SPIRIT VALUE OF DISCUSSION ( f ro»u Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, To-day. ( CONSIDERABLE progress has been rnade with the progress of the National Industrial Conference. which adjourned on Tues day until to-day. Even if the coiv ference concludes without making any specific recommendations it will have done an immense amount of good in bringing employers and employees together and allowing them to talk out their points of view over the same table. ‘•Things are proceeding verv smoothly and discussions are going on in a most amicable manner." said onr representative to a Sun man. “Th, views of the members do not alwav, coincide but they agree to differ in', very friendly spirit when they do dif Sir John Luke says that the eonference is bound to have a consider able effect on the whole of the com munity for mutual forbearance goodwill. “A very tine spirit of goodwill ha, been in evidence throughout the ference,” he said, “and we have learned to know- each other's mind. Even if nothing concrete comes of th. conference itself the fact that the views and opinions of both sides ha?, been thoroughly aired in a spirit of friendliness will mean that the gen eral public will be more receptive for anything which may be put £o-war* in the future for the betterment of in. dustrial conditions." A brief session of the full cotfes ence was held on Tuesday to receiv. a special report of the Business Com. mittee. This committee stated that u all committees had now had a good discussion on the Industrial Concilia, tion and Arbitration Act, discussioi on the matter should be discontinued for the present and a committe* should proceed to discuss the question of the minimum wage, unemplot. ment, immigration and the Workers’ Compensation Act with a view to getting the ideas of either side on those subjects. It was recommended that a committee of 14 members be appointed for this purpose. The conference agreed to this course, and the remaining members of the old committees proceeded to go on with their discussions on the Shops and Offices Act, • the Apprenticeship Act, and professors’ papers and other items on their agendas not already dealt with. Members of the new committe, were elected as follows: Labour, Messrs. Roberts, Nash, A Cook, T. Blcodworth, Bromley and Mcßrine, with one other to be anpointed. Employers, Messrs. Weston. Smith Poison, Williams, Turner, Sterling and Bishop. committee will continue it* sittings for several days, probably, and the full conference may resume again some time next week.