INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10575, 5 March 1912, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE

STONEMASONS AND BUILDERS,

AN AMICABLE SETTLEMENT,

(By Telegraph — Press Association.)

OHIR)ISTOiroiRCH, Last Night

The industrial dispute between the Canterbury Stonemasons' Union and the Christchurch builders, came before the Conciliation Council to-day, Commissioner J. 11. Trigg's presiding. /The majority of the Union's demands were agreed to by the employers. In the clause relating to the conveyance of men to suburban work, there was considerable discussion, the Hon. J. Burr, for the Union, urging that men shou' 1 not be compelled to use a conveyance, provided it was easier for them to cycle. The employers desired a provision in the clause for "a suitable conveyance." The employers' request was aoecded to by the Union, to secure consent to the retention of a .preference clause that had been in the previous award. It was decided •that the award should be of two years' duration. The new award will differ only slightly from the one previously in force. The wages and hours of work in the clauses were not altered. At the conclusion of the stone-mas-ons' dispute, before the Conciliation Council .this morning, the Hon. J. Barr, M.L.C, one of l e Union's assessors, after thanking the Commissioner (Mr J. R. iriggs) for his assistance in bringing about a satisfactory .settlement, said that a system such as the one in force was far better than the principle of strikes, as at a Conciliation Conference they would discuss mattero freely and-ful-| ly, and in perfect good spirit, and without any bad feeling. He reiterated his statement that the Conciliation and Arbitration principle was i far better than that of strikes.

Mr H. Pearce, who appeared for the Builders' Association, said he felt sure that it would be a very bad thing for the Dominion when the Arbitration Act went out of existence. By it an unscrupulous employer was brought to heel every time.

The Commissioner said that the fact of 80 per cent of the disputes coming before the Conci''ation Council in the Dominion reaching an amicable agreement, spoke for itself. That was the strongest argument he could use.