EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 86, 20 July 1910, Page 4

EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of tlie Tarauaki Employers' Association was held in the Town ilull last night. There was a poor attendance. Air. 11. Goodaere, the president, occupied the chair. The secretary, Mr. A. L. Humphries, submitted the lollowing report: "in presenting the aunual report and balancesheet, the executive directs the attention of the members to the many matters of importance brought under its notice, and express the hope that the results accomplished will demonstrate the necessity of an organisation such as this in watering the labor una mercantile legislation of the Dominion, and the wisdom of keeping in touen with the various enactments and changes of the laws of the country, so that proper steps may be taken to safeguard the interests of all employers of labor. JJur,ng the past year nothing of very great importance occurred locally in connection with the labor laws; therefore your association was not called upon to .ender its assistance, the value of which has been proved on several occasions in the past. While it is pleasing 10 note that the district is free 'rom woaole, it is always as well to be prepared. Therefore your executive diiMreiy mots that all employers of laoor wri Kiite in their efforts to assist tnis asam.-ia-tion, so that if the time do>s .iuve when assistance is required, your Association will be iu a position to respond. In watching the interests 01 the 'silver factory proprietors your Association recommended to the New Zeal.i'nl Hderatiou that a Bill should Lie dratted making it optional for factories to close either on Thursdays or Saturdays. The Federation approached the Government regarding the matter, and were successful in getting a clause inserted in a Bill which would give effect to the above. This Bill, however, «id lot get through last session, but from 1 (ports received there is every prospectoof. f it doing so during the present session. There is also a move on the part ot the Government to make Saturday a compulsory half-holiday throughout the Dominion. Employers are ihc.Vore vaquested to give their views on the matter, as it will be necessary to move at once if our opinion is to neei'e consideration. A move was made during the year to arouse some interest in providing better accommodation on tLe north side of Mount Egmont, this with a view to bringing the tourist rrnnie through New Plymouth. The result has been that the matter has bien tab n up | by several prominent business piople, and there is every prospect of a firstclass hotel being erected before next summer. Your Association a'so took a

prominent part in the New Plymouth Winter Show, and made a dispHv which gave a very attractive aopemune to the showroom. A very siroig pitist was made to the Governmmt on account of the alteration of '.lie ixil.vay time-table, which made the mml train arrive in New Plymouth at 9.20 p.;n., instead of '8 p.m., as previously. It is pleasing to note that the Department have reverted to the old time-table. The number of financial members at the end of the year was 36, and reference to the balance-sheet will show that from these, subscriptions amounting to £34 4s fid were received. This is practically the only source of revenue the Association has, but although the amount is small it is pleasing to note that, the balance-sheet shows a credit balance of £32 0s lOd. Your executive feel, however, that in a district like this the membership should be far gi eater, more especially as such great benefits have always been derived on every occasion when trouble has arisen, and they would impress upon members the imlortance of inducing all employers to join and take an active interest in the working of the Association. In conclusion, your executive would like to point out the importance ol' members attending meetings and making themselves conversant with the workings of the Association. The need of such an organisation should be apparent to all, especially when important changes affecting the well-being of employers of labor are constantly being introduced by our legislators, and it is earnestly desired tihat greater activity will be displayed during the coming year in the affairs of the Association." j THE GAMBLING EVIL. ■

The President moved: "That this meeting of employers and business people, realising that the vice and crime of , gambling has been greatly increased by the legalising and licensing of bookmakers, call upon the Government to take immediate steps to repeal the law under which they are licensed." Mr. Baker seconded,, and the motion was carried without much discussion. The President then moved: "That this meeting calls upon the Government to introduce legislation this session either to suppress the totalisator or tu ascertain public opinion thereon by submitting tihe question to the electors of, the Dominion by way of a referendum. 1 ' The motion was carried in me .ollowiiig form: "That this meeting, believing that the totalisator is opposed to the best interests of the people, reqiifsts the Government to ascerain public opinion upon the suppression of the to•ilisator by submitting the question to the electors of the Dominion bv way of a referendum." | The meeting adopted the following resolution: "That this meeting of em-1 plovers and business men express its ap-1 proval of Judge Chapman's outspoken utterance on the gambling evil, and trust that it may be minimised and that the bookmaker's license may be abolished >s a result of his manly end outspoken utterance at the Supreme Court sittings in Auckland on June 25, 1910." In the discussion on the motions, Mr. 0. W. 'Sole thought the Assueiauon needn't bother about the totalisator. In the first place, the machine uav.d on the course, and didn't tout f or oiis<ness. It didn't dodge about the srr'ets getting the butcher boy and the liaVn- boy to "put a shilling on.'' People who i>«t with the totalisator went direct to the machine —they weren't asked to <!o so. I Again, racing depended in a la g" Treasure upon the totalisator for support, | ud certainly it had much to do with i I the breeding of good horses, fnr by means of the tote revenue, clubs wove enabled to offer good stokes. As l>u«i-1 ness men, too, thev nil deriv-vl seme.! benefit by the holding of M\e ..inual race meetings. (Several voices: Query?) Mr Goodacre stated his strong opposition to the State stooping to such deplorable means as raising re ■•vine by j taking the blood-money o l ' t'e racecourse. | Mr. Sole objected to the term "Hood j money." , I Mr. Goodacre: Veil, hrrse blood j money, sinee von snv the tote "iwhloa j von to obtain better 11 >'« l in nitr- i horses. Mr. Goodacre s.ii.) 7».« '>:»] )ren informed by a breeder tint ri.ing ?l:;1w would go out of existence »;it for the

, bookie and the totalisator. It tad cost that man very many thousands for hi# "hobby" of keeping, -aceaovses. Mr. Abbott: Is Sat why he got the spike V Mr. Goodaere: I suppose so, and the people in Auckland "'got the spike," as you call it, when they found their employees taking their money to pay the j bookies. The quickest way to reach an i employer's (brains is to touch his pocket, j Mr. (ioodaere said he couldn't see the j logic in abolishing the bookmaker and allowing the totalisator to remain. Mr. JJaker couldn't see much in the argument that the totalisator improved the breed of racehorses, for there were jnst as good horses, he thought, in England, and there was no totalisator there. It was of ii ) use to say the totalisator existed for that purpose, but for the encouragement of gambling, and business men knew that gambling was harmful. Mr. C". E. Bell ringer said that the totalisator hadn't done much for the horses. They wqre weedy things, peri haps fleeter than of old, but with noj thing like the stamina, and they were principally reserved for "sprint" races. But that was not the point. The totalisator was not good for business. It threw the cloak of respectability over gambling, and people who wouldn't even dream of betting with a bookmaker were quite ready to put their own—and other people's—money on the totalisator. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Ollieers were elected: President, Mr. C. E. Baker; vice-president, Mr. E. Snowball; executive, re-elected, with the addition of Mr. H. Goodaere; treasurer. Mr. T. Avery. GENERAL. It was decided to pay the secretary ft commission of 20 per cent, on all new members. I'pon the motion of Messrs. C. E. Baker and A. TI. Arnold, a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Goodaere, the retiring president, for his services to the association since its inception. On the recommendation of the executive. an honorarium of £l2 12s was granted to the secretary, Mr. A. L. Humphries.