HOW WILL IT END?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 241, 20 March 1915, Page 3

HOW WILL IT END?

WAR AND THE WORKERS. EMPLOYERS' .ATTITUDE TO LABOR'S DEMANDS. Wellington, Yesterday. If the application at present being made by trade unions, before the Arbitration Court, for the hearing of industrial disputes to be n-ramed. is granted, unlooked for results may occur, according to Mr W. Pryor, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation. In his address to the court yesterday, after prefacing his remarks with the assurance that no threat was intended,, he said-"Employers are but human, and when thev find they have to some extent been' misled, they are naturally inclined to resent it. At the outset ul tile war. the New Zealand Employers' Federation impressed upon employers the motto. 'Business as usual.' Immensely good work was done liv several of our district associations in persuading employers to keep as many workers in «• piovmenl as possible, and emplovers 1 ave been distinctly loyal to the federated!! in that respect. Employers also have, to an extent thai. I am sure, will surprise the court, when I place the information at its disposal, shouldered the burden of increased eo-t instead of passin:: it on in full. In addition to ihat. tin 1 employers assu-ied that tho unions, iu loyalty to the court's decision 'n August, were not p v epurina demands for in'-reased wages, etc. Instead of Ihat being the case, it is understood that at hast Kill cases are on til • files, and it is known that many more are ready t'o be brought, forward if He court'' e<-ion is favorable i> t-!r>!. yourse being aoo,!,ed. Well, w'lat is the natural :e----sulf Employers. 1 am afiawl. wil: s:»y. ■ have been foils." ard i! tta'v leel they a'v likely to be subjected to (he annoyance, trouble end expense of eon-te-l'iii-' frgsh claims at a time like 11>' present, they will get down to strict buMuc-s lines, charge full extra cos's wherever possible, employ only such workers as are necessary: and entrench themselves as securely as possible lo withstand any bad time that may vet come along as file result of the war."