CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1917, Page 7

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

CARPENTERS AND JOINERS' NEW AWARD. REFERRED TO ARBITRATION i COURT. A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held in the New Plymouth courthouse yesterday, to consider the making of a new award for the Taranaki branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpontws and Joinors, the old award being about to expire. The conciliation commissioner, Mr. Harle Giles, presided, ana the following were the assessors:— Employers' representatives, Messrs W, P. Brooking, Alfred Boon, and E. H. Tribe; employees' representatives, Messrs George Burgess (Stratford), R. J. Clarke (New Plymouth), and T. Bloodworth (Auckland). At the morning sitting Mr. Brooking said the employers' representatives were not empowered to accept the scheduled claims of the employees, or to agree to them being included in the new awaTd. They (tho employers) adhered to the provisions of the old award. On the suggestion of the commissioner it was agreed to adjourn till 3.80 p.m. in order that the employers' representatives might have an opportunity of perusing and considering the new awards recently made by the Arbitration Court in several other parts of the Dominion. On resuming in the afternoon, Mr. Brooking said that if the employees' representatives were prepared to jettison their scheduled claims and consider the whole matter from the point of view of the Auckland or Gisborne awards, the employers' representatives wero prepared to argue the position. They could not, however, promise that they would come to an agreement as there were certain local conditions that required special consideration. Mr. Bloodworth agreed on behalf of the employees' representatives, and the clauses of the proposed new award were then considered seriatim.

Eventually it was decided that the whole dispute should be referred to the Arbitration Court, the employer,-' representatives practically insisting upon a renewal of the old award, and declining to accept several amendments asked for by the union. The commissioner Baid he thanked the assessors for their attendance. It was regretted that they had been unable to come to an agreement. He had done his level best to bring them to the same state of mind, and if he had failed It had not been his fault. lie had been pleased to note the good feeling shown on both sides, and when an award was made by the Arbitration Court, after going into all the merits of the dispute, he was sure employers and employees alike would loyally abide by the provisions.

Mr. Brooking moved, and Mr. Clarke seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the commissioner for the fairness and impartiality and patience with which he had conducted the proceedngs, and after Mr. Tribe had spoken in support of the motion it was put and carried unanimously.