WHARF LABOR CONTROL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 176, 24 January 1914, Page 8

WHARF LABOR CONTROL.

(mn;•":-:!;i-:xt'i-: in-' harbor .boards, tiii-: L'iiKMiKi! i'::;-Mi)i-:s. Ry Telcgrapii.--Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. of the Dominions' haibor- boards and tiie I'riuie Minister was held to-day at Parliament Buildings, to discuss" the .pic-: ion of the eoiit'rol of labor on lie: wharves. Those prccnl. represented the . 11.-ii-bor Boeids of Ar.-Uand, Wellington, Ulago and LvUclt.m. Mr. I''. W. | Rowley, secretary of the Labor Departsided. " ' '' ' ' ' After a lengthy and dc'ib■eraiioii, lb;: i'o!lo„iu; resolutions icerc. carried: (1) That this coe'emire of tlaihor Hoard delegates disapproved of any proposal that involv-is the i-ons.tilufion of a new aiithoril-, or commission to deal with the question of waterside labor, either ashore or afloat, being of opinion that if an;, steps are ultimately denied advisable to change, ur improve the present conditions, the responsibility for administering the same shall rest witii the resnvlive Harbor Boards, who /.hall be the conlrolling autlionlies, thereby i:-bviati:i»' anything involving a dual control of tne business- cf the ports. \t). That, in the on'mioH of this conference, it is desirable that the Government should introduce an amendment of the Harbors Act. (obliging to Hid necessary extent the present powers of Harbor .Hoards, so as to enable those Hoards, by arrangement with shipowners, ,lo carry on the business of stevedores, or license persons or firms to do so. Hi) That, as (he employment of it large proportion of /.v.ilcisuie workers us. casuals leads to industrial dilovnltie-, tiiis conference is of opuion tiiat wherever practicable, the waterside workers should be permanent employers of either the Harbor Hoard or '\he. shipowners; ami, further, that it, is desirable that superannuation should be arranged for such employees.