CONFERENCE OF LABOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 955, 24 April 1930, Page 18

CONFERENCE OF LABOUR

UNEMPLOYMENT DISCUSSED REDUCED WORKING HOURS Press Association WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Unemployment was the main topic of discussion at the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party, which was resumed today. The action to be taken regarding the report of the Government committee on unemployment was determined. The conference decided that an open industrial conference should be called, and from tliis gathering a committee should be appointed to meet a committee from the Labour Party for the purpose of considering the reports and the recommendations in so far as they affected the welfare of the general public and the workers, the joint committee to furnish a report of its conclusions to the Parliamentary Labour Party. A remit was referred to the Parliamentary Labour Party suggesting that it should consider the value of a reduction of working hours in industry as a contribution to minimising the number of unemployed. In the afternoon the conference carried a remit supporting the repeal' of the sections in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, which exempt county councils or road beards from the general application of awards, and local authorities and public bodies carrying out relief works from the provisions of awards, industrial agreements or agreements under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913. It is expected that the conference will conclude its business tomorrow night.