THE ORAKEI TROUBLE.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20278, 21 August 1937, Page 8

THE ORAKEI TROUBLE.

MR LEE’S COMMENT. CONCILIATION FAILS. Special to Times'. v. LLINGTON. Friday. “It Is interesting to appreciate that, prior to the advent of the Labour Government. practically ail carpenters were locked out by tlie last Government," commented the Parliamentary Coder-Secretary in charge of Housing, Mr J. A. Lee, when the strike of carpenters on the State houses at Urakei was referred to .him. Houses were urgently required in Auckland. Mr Lee continued. A lot of people talked about a falling off In tits amount of building, but it was obviously .uninformed criticism, because actually house building in both WelI lington ami Auckland hod been held up through lack of labour. If there were no men available it was only due {to the fact that the men who had been locked out by the last Government v ’ j **lt Is regrettable that the alteration {in the conditions of eniployme’iit ; brought about by the Labour Governj ment should be used as the basis of j the dispute.” he said. The difference could have been settled in conciliation • <>n the basis of i's 8d an hour, but the | failure of the conciliation council has referred the question to the Arbitration Court." | Mr Lee said the actlng-MlnMer of j Labour, the Hon. P. c. Webb, and the ! Labour Department were responsible 1 for the settlement of industrial disputes, and had communicated with '