CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1920, Page 6

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

i SITTING AT NEW PLYMOUTH, t A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held at the New Plymouth Courthouse yesterday under the presidency of Mr. W. Newton. Commissioner for the Wellington district, to consider disputes by the Taranaki Drivers' Union am: the Taranaki Tailors' and Tailoresscs' Union. DRIVERS' DISPUTE. The Drivers' Union case was taken first, as an agreement had practically been reached. The assessors for the employers were Messrs. 10. May W. E. Bendall, and for the Union, Messrs. F. J. Lyons, J. Buttimore, and T. Kendall. The applications of the New Plymouth Sash and Door Coy., Webster Bros., and Messrs E. Wooldridge and E. Gibson for exemption, on the ground that they did not employ drivers, were granted, and the parties were struck off the list of those cited. An agreement was reached on the basis of the other awards in operation !n the Dominion. It was also agreed to place the parties on the same footing in regard to bonuses as those in the other districts of the Dominion. The new agreement coiries into force on May 'l, and runs till February 28, 1921, that being the date of the expiry of the Dominion Drivers' Award.

TAILORS' DISPUTE. In the tailors' dispute the assessors for the employers were Messrs. D. Butehart, J. Waddle, and E. Clare, and for the employees Messrs. C. Boyle, C. Sullivan, and R. C. Wilson (Dunedin). Counter proposals to those submitted by the workers were put in by the masters, and Messrs. Besley, Broome Mid Bergman put in further proposals naming themselves as assessors. Mr. Beslpy submitted that the counter proposals by the Master Tailors* Union and their assessors did not truly represent those engaged in the trade, as they were all arranged by very small meetings of the u. jinhers. Tie pointed out. that the chief point in the proposals submitted by him was the I privilege of working the employees on n weekly wage or piece work as suited their business, and {lie introducing of machinery to make for efficiency, as at present, and according to the proposals before the Council the allowance was one weekly wage hand to every four pieceworkers. After some discussion the Commissioner said that while the Council was prepared to hoar anything that Mr Besley wished to pay, he could not anpoint anyone else as assessors who did not according to bis judgment represent the Master Tailors' Union. Seeing that the signatories to the second set of counter pronosals did not represent any other? beyond themselves he thought the Association's assessors were the proper persons to represent the masters. In reply to the Commissioner. Mr. Broome said lie did take exception to the assessors nominate, as if the men in businesses such as his were to be parties to anv agreement they would have to accept it without any representation before the Council. Mr. P. .T, White, who represented f'encrally the drapers, clothiers, and mercers. cited as parties io the dispute, naked that those who were not actuary engaged in the manufacture of tailoring should be exempted.

Mr. Wilson opposed the application, find in (loin;; so said some of the men in these businesses had been deceiving the public for a number of years by scllin" ready-mades to client? under the belief lliat the suits were tailor-made, and they ■were making bigser profits tlian (be master tailors. What the nnfon wnnted was to ensure that, tbe public should know what they were getting and not be given a. factory-made article which was represented as tailor-made. Mr S addle said a clause bad been inserted in the masters' counter proposals which protected the tailors, but did not in any way prejudice drapers and clothiers from carrying on a legitimate chartorder business. He read, however, an advertisement from the local Press, in which a firm advertised, to all intents and purposes, that it was carrying on ii tailoring business and solicited orders on that basis, when as a matter or fact not a single worker was employed in ..that establishment.

On the assurance that there was nothing in the proposals that would prevent tlw firms he represented carrying 011 legitimate chart-order business as at present, Mr. White said he would withdraw the objection. The Council then proceeded to consider the general terms of the conditions placed befpre them by both jsiides. Tlio hours of work were agreed to as 48 per week.