CONCILIATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9057, 17 February 1908, Page 4

CONCILIATION.

Over the signature of Mr P. J. O'Regan, Chairman of the Conciliation Board, an advertisement appears in our issue to-day notifying all parties concerned that the Board will sit this morning to hear, and if possible determine, the industrial dispute between the dairy workers and their employers. A sitting of the Board was held at Palmerston North on the sth instant in connection with the dispute at which the employers' representatives, Messrs Harkness and Grenfell, informed the Bnard that as the; employers had failed to agree in conference with the men they had no hope of doing so befcre the Conciliation Board; and they informed that body that only under compulsion would they take part in the proceedings. There seems to be an idea prevalent among the employers that they can go straight to the Arbitration Court, but that is a mistaken notior. The case being before the board it must be first disposed of by the Board, and the employers can be compelled to attend. Feeling, however, that the only satisfactory conciliation is that which really conciliates, the Board desires that all effort at outside settlement should be exhausted before compulsion is resorted to. This is a very proper and commendable attitude to take up, and is one which doubtless parties to the dispute will appreciate. The Board desires in all cases to see disputes settled by free conference, and cannot be blamed if advantage is not taken of the opportunity offered.