GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2171, 29 August 1907, Page 3

GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 28. O. C. Mclntrye, against whom there are charges of misappropriating moneys while he was superintendent of awards at the International Exhibition returned by the Turakina today from London in charge of Detective Mcllveney. Mclntyre is quite well. He and the detective went South to-night. The late superintendent had no wish to converse with anyone, saying ho wanted to go to Christchurch and get done with tho m At e tho confcreiico of tho Employers’ Federation the Otago delegate delivered an address on. the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act,

tracing tlio measure from its inception in 1394, and analysing tlio results of its operations. Ho considered that tlio Act bad proved a failure. It had not prevented strikes. Olio defect was the fixing of a standard in lion of a minimum wage. This had not prevented sweating, nay more, it was an object which could have been as well accomplished through the me.dium of the Factories Act. The result of the high minimum or standard was inferior work and loss of it at much greater cost. Ho urged that unions rather than individuals should ho held responsible for strikes ns thero couhl be no strike without organisation. After saying that during the past 13 years thero had been no period of depression, Mr. Scott asserted that apart from this tlior© are two points from which tho Act. can bo surveyed—its effect on manufacturing industries and its effect on workers. With regard to industries the Act has not made bettor work nor improved methods nor lias it fostered trade. It has bad an opposite effect. Instead of helping it lias hindered trade, as it has greatly incroasod tho cost of production to tho detriment of trade and tho best interests of all concerned. Summing up Mr. Scott said: “I am fully persuaded in my own mind that the advantages of an Act such as we have at tho present time aro more than outwoighted by tlio majßs serious disadvantages, and that itWkers, employers ana industries aliko would have beon bettor off to-day had tho Act never been introduced. As tho Act stands to-day it lias failed in many things. It has failed to conciliate. Tho conciliation part of it is as dead as Julius Caesar. It has not made for industrial peace. It lias not improved the quality or quantity of work. It has not fostered trade. It has not bettered the position of tho workers, in whose interests it was introduced. On the contrary it has created strife, manufactured disputes, impaired the work, restricted tlio output, increased tho cost of production, put up the cost of living to such an extent that a pound to-day goes no further than did 16s in 1894, to the detriment of all. especially tho good worker, as his wages have not been increased. The latest statistics show tlie increase of wages, to be from 8} to 10 per cent, and tlio increased cost of living from 26 to 30 per cent. Tho only good thing the Act has done that could not have been accomplished through the medium of tho Factories Act is that' it has to a considerable extent protected tho honest and liberalminded employer against his unscrupulous and dishonest competitor, but even this boon has been purchased at too great a cost. Under these circumstances if tlie Act is to be made a permanent and lasting measure it must be greatly mended. Some say it were better ended.”

_ The proceedings of tlio Employers’ Federation were not open to *be Press. Ther ( . were 32 delegates present. Following is a summary of •'ll" business 'transacted :—Considerable discussion took place upon a ’notion referring to the subdivision of tlie present industrial districts, and it was ultimately decided not to take any action in regard to altering tlie present boundaries. , It was resolved . “That as the nlain object of tlie original Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act was tlie prevent! m of strikes, this meeting is of tho opi.iioi that in order to give effect lo the principle a return must be made to tlie underlying principle of the' original Act, by which the unions v. ere held primarily responsible, uml a penalty not exceeding £50.” With respect to the weekly 'half-holiday, the conference resolved: “That sub-sec-tion 20 of clause 9 of the Fact Dies Act Amendment Bill ho ulte-ed to read that where in a borough u a rural district other than the cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, a factory and shop aie combined under the management of the same occupier it shall be sufficient compliance with tlie provisions of tho said section 33, relating to tlio halfholiday, if the occupier of the factory allows a half-holiday on the day appointed for the statutory ihalf-lioliday under the Shops and Offices Act, 1904. in lieu of Saturday/’ It was decided to recommend: “That clause 60 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act be amended by substituting for the word ‘either,’ ‘any industrial union or industrial association or a majority of the employers cited’ in the first line.” With regard to the cases of breaches of awards, the opinion was expressed (that the initiative in all cases o-f alleged breaches should be taken bv tlie inspector duly appointed under _ the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and all fines imposed by the Court bo paid into the Consolidated Fund.

In tho Divorce Court to-day Emma Vincent obtained a dissolution of her marriage with Sylvester Fudge Vincent, on the ground of desertion, and a decree nisi was also granted in the cnee of Edward Thomas Geange v. Alice Geange, husband’s petition, on the ground of desertion. At the Magistrate’s Court to-day Henry Edelstreen pleaded guilt to stealing 30 sheepskins, worth £lO, at Waing-iwa. There were,five previous convictions against accused, whose counsel said some years ago accused received a blow on the head from a warder when in gaol. The effects of this were felt, causing him to do things he would not do in a sane Period. Taking the circumstances into consideration, .Mr. Riddell, S.M., fined e .used 010 or c:u> month’s imprisonment. Fred Nieholaus was eommited for trial on charges of .obtaining money and goods by means of forgery. The Employers’ Federation has decided to recoinmond tho affiliated associations that. Mr. S. Brown be again nominated as the employers’ representative on tho Arbitration Court and Mr. W. Pryor as deputy representative. „ . CHRISTCHURCH, August 28. At a meeting of the committee of tho Navy League this afternoon a suggestion for the establishment of a naval training school for New Zealirnl was briefly discussed, hut -nothing definite was done. The sitting of the Arbitration Court was resumed here to-day. . Decision was reserved in the Boilermakers’ dispute, which was heard during the Jy ' INVE'RCARGTLL, August 28. Tho Supremo Court was occupied nil day in hearing tho case of Frank Coutts v. Constable Powell, an appeal against a decision of tho magistrate, by -which appellant was convicted of sb--grog selling, ho being the manager o! olio of the brewery depots. Mr. Justice Williams reserved decision till to-morrow.

At tlie inquest on John Pritchard, aged 78, who committed suicide this morning by' shooting himself in the h ) cl, the ovidence showed that deceased suffered from cardiac asthma. A pitiful letter by him was put in, ' i which it was stated that ho was in His l ight mind and in great suffering, beyond the power of “any doctor in the world to cure. He was “studying to end it.” A verdict that deceased Shot himself, there being no evidence of foul play-, to is roturned.