TRADE UNIONS AND THE MINISTER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 23 July 1907, Page 2

TRADE UNIONS AND THE MINISTER

LA7.EST, TELEGRAMS.

Per Press Association. Wellington, July 23. A deputation, representing the conferllv 01 Trados Coimdls of the coi my wmted on the Hon. X A. Millar to„ht, to place before liim a long list of icaolutiona adopted at the last confer- > enet, w Inch Bat at Dunedin, Mr Cooper, president, said the deputa--1 c . ould "la"" to voice the opinions nf organised labor throughout the ebiony. vfclT ? ? dlstuict 'y state that they whole-heartedly supported the principle of conciliation as embodied in the Co„. ciliation and .Arbitration Act. To some extent the Act had been discredited and rendered inoperative, but the fault lay' ~ entirely with the Legislature. They de- ■ sired that where employers, employing a majority of workmen, agreed to the recommendations of the Conciliation Board the«e recommendations should have the force of an award. Further, that all employers entering a business after an award had been made, should be at once made parties to it, and Conciliation J>oarus should have the power of amend* • > ing their recommendations. As they wanted the present Aot retained, they opposed the proposal to establish Wages Boards. Fifty per cent, of the unions ■ would not, through inability to get men to serve on the boards, be able to avail themselves 01 the privilege. The resolutions passed at the Dunedin Unierence were then submitted to tho ' Minister. "

The AXimster, m reply, said he hoped during this or next week to ciroulate the Amending Conciliation Act among abor unions. His one object had been ' to encourage unionism, and to f a . cihties to be given to deal with all digputes in a prompt manner. He hoped the scheme he had devised would enable a breach to be dealt within four days of it coining to the notioe of the Department. It was very easy to talk about a local currency, but when one got • inside and saw the Intricacies of finance he saw it was different. Tho proposal was not practicable unless the State ' bought all the gold in the Colony, and sold it outside. He had tried to adjust the tariff so that no industry would be • sacrificed for another. The object of putting a specific duty per pair on boots was to do away with the importation ofsweated goods. According to one resolution the Conference carried, it had constituted itself a political party, and then they asked the Government to advance money for delegates to attend the Conference. If the Government ! granted* it to one, they would have to do it to all. The Government desired " to continue the vote, but if the Confer- s enee was to be a political organisation, they would be simply forced to say ' = "No."