AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 July 1918, Page 3

AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.

BRISBANE, July 19. The annual conference of the Associ ated Chambers of Manufacturers of Australia decided, in view of the great njeed of harmony Between employer and employee* that efforts be made, as far as practicable* to give employees a financial interest in their work by profit-sharing or a bonus on production. It was resolved to support Mr Hughes’ advocacy of the retention of the German colonies in the Pacific Other resolutions favoured preference of employment to returned soldiers, the compulsory marking of all goods containing not less than 33 per cent of Australian material and labour made in Australia, and pushing efforts to educate the people in the duty of supporting Australian industry. THE COAL SUPPLY. ' > THE DISTRIBUTION QUESTION. WELLINGTON, July 19 The Hon. Myers, referring to the distribution of coal, says the figures submitted by the Government Statistician show a steady depletion of stocks throughout the Dominion.. The shortage of fuel was most felt in hard coal supplies, and this was being met by encouraging a more extensive use of lignite coals. Every enterprise concerned had readily lent itself to the directions he found it necessary to make, and this attitude on the pari of consumers had largely contributed to the fact that no activity so fai has ceased to operate through the lad? of coal. Under war conditions very "great difficulty was being experienced in securing sufficient tonnage to supplement the requirements of the New Zealand coal consumers. As a result of this, ''the concentration of a substantial proportion of the tonnage available "for the carriage of coal from Newcastle- -was necessary, and this action was correspondingly felt in the inability, inf' shipping companies tc give the fullest attention to some other lines, notably hardwood.