EMPLOYERS’ FEDERATION

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1921, Page 5

EMPLOYERS’ FEDERATION

THE ANNUAL MEETING. , PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. i - By Telegraph.-—l’r«M Association. Wellington, Last Night. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation was held to-day, being largely attended** from ail parts of the Dominion. The annual report made reference tc successful organising work by Mr. A Spencer, president <of the Auckland association, which had added nearly 1200 new members to the list. The advisory board expressed high appreciation ol •his labors. Sympathetic reference was made to the serious illness of the secretary, Mr. Pryor, and a motion was passed later of regret and sympathy. The report noted that in. his absence Messrs. Wright, of Auckland, and Grenfell, of Wellington, had represented the federation before the Arbitration Court. The following officers were elected:President, Mr. T. Shadier Weston (reelected) ; vice-president, Mr. A. K. Mitchell (re-elected); treasurer, Mr. H. Coul (re-elected); trustees, Messrs. A. H. Miles, T. Ballinger and W. H. Bennett; auditor, Mr. W. C. Stephens; Parliamentary committee of members of the advisory board, Messrs. H. F. Allen, D. E. Dustin, D. McGowan and H< South. The president, in his address, said that amongst other things the sudden and astounding fall in prices that followed the boom after the war has crippled most industries throughout the world. The want of prescience shown by many politicians and business men of all classes had made the task of recovery and stabilisation from the ep fects of the war ever so much more difficult flow than it was three yearE back. New Zealand, however, had suffered probably least of all the communities in the world. The conference decided, to recommend the Government to call a conference of representatives of financial institutions, shipping companies, agriculturalists, manufacturers, professional men and other bodies early in the New Year with a view to a simultaneous reduction of prices and wages toward a normal state and thus avert short time, employment and trade stagnation. It was agreed to recommend local associations to secure meetings of their various trade and affiliated bodies in order to appoint dele* gates to attend, the conference to consider such reduction in prices and wage* towards the normal as would set th< wheels of industry jn full working order. .'