EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1917, Page 6

EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION.

THE ANNUAL REPORT. The president's annual report of the New Plymouth Employers' Association, is as follows: Your executive begs to report that, locally speaking, the year has been quiet. Industrial disputes have been few here. Hie drivers' dispute, which was in evidence at the beginning of the year, was settled by the Government taking it in hand, upsetting the judgment of the Arbitration Court, and settling the matter to avoid a general strike. Last July the local building trades met in Conciliation Council for a new award, but were unable to agree, and the matter was referred to the Arbitration Court, which has not yet sat. There is also a tailors' dispute coming forward next week for consideration.

The branches which we tried to form at Hawera and Stratford I fegret being unable to report upon at all favorably. Stratford, I understand, has closed; and Hawera we have not heard from during the past year. We trust, however, that they are still in being, and should occasion demand will be found a working power in their district. The revision of the rules, which was carried out some time ago and was submitted to the registrar for confirmation, are still in his hands. He declines to register them whilst they contain provisions for sub-branches, and as that is the principal alteration we require, their registration is still in abeyance.

The patriotic societies' marts and efforts have formed a matter that has exercised the tradesmen of the town during tlie past year. They are having a marked effect on many businesses, and whilst one does not wish to curtail their usefulness or decry their undoubted patriotic efforts, still there is a feeling getting abroad that there is much needles# waste and undoubted overlapping, and the continual efforts of each organisation to go one better than the last is doing harm to a good cause. The Saturday mart is not complained cf, but the special efforts being made so closely and repeatedly is having a bad effect., Wa would suggest that the Saturday mart be continued, and the special efforts' curtailed to once a quarter, each organisation taking it in turn. This would not be so hardly felt, and we feel assured would meet with deserved response. Holidays.—This also is a matter that is getting overdone. The constant claims and calls on tradesmen to shut up shop and suspend business on every trivial occasion. or when a few enthusiasts want, a good time at other people's expense and inconvenience, necessitate acute consideration and sterner handling. Employ> ers generally would submit that the public should be more reasonable in the matter, and if a section of them want a holiday, well take it without turning the town into a desert,

The night watchman is still in the employ of the association, and many members consider his office a valuable portion of its functions. From his reports we gather that there were 107 doors left open amongst those whose premises he visited during the year, on 37 occasion* he found lamps left burning, 15 strangers were found on premises, 15 incipient fires were suppressed, and on 24 occasions he found goods left on the footpaths. These surely show a need for his services, yet we regret to say that the contributions to his services show a falling off. The present watchman asks for a fortnight's holiday in midwinter.

This leads up to a question which i. j worth consideration —reorganisation. The association was founded several years ago, and has undoubtedly done good work [ and is a valuable asset to the town, but It is not supported as it should be. Many new tradesmen and businesses have been opened in the town since it commenced i operations, but very few have joined, [ whilst some old ones have closed down 'and left, and our membership is lower than it has been for years. We are, of course, passing through a strenuous time, and whilst perhaps this might not be altogether a goqjl time to consider the matter, still, however, as soon as things get back to normal the reorganisation of the association is a question that should be carefully considered.