THE TAILORS' DISPUTE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2225, 24 June 1908, Page 3

THE TAILORS' DISPUTE.

EMPLOYERS IGNORE CONCILIATION BOARD. REMARKS BY THE . BOARD. [Press Association.] WELLINGTON, June 23. The Conciliation Board, consisting of Messrs'P. J- O’Regan (chairman), If. limiss, and A. Collins, filed their recommendations in the tailor i; dispute this afternoon. The Board recommended tliat there bo no change iu tho hours from 48 to 44 as asked for by the Union. It recommends 1 an .increase of from Is .to Is Id per hour as claimed by the log, together with an increase of from £2 15s to £3 per week for weekly hands. The Board adds a memorandum in which it stated. that “In connection with the dispute, the employers, by their accredited representative, informed tlio Board that on. account of the ruling of Mr. Justice Sim in tho flaxmillers’ case they declined to appear voluntarily before us. AVo could, of course, have compelled their attendance as witnesses, but in view of tho time that must necessarily have been •occupied; more especially as the employers had declared their intention of taking the case to tho Court under any circumstances, we deemed it preferable to save our own time and the tax-payers’ money. AVo have, however, collected a great deal of information hr connection with the tailoring trade, and wo think our recommendations fair arid equitable under the circumstances. At any rate, we arc satisfied that- if further enquiry had been made our conclusions would not have been so widely different as to justify the additional expense which must necessarily have been incurred. Obviously we have not been impelled to take greater pains to assist the Court because of of tlie avowed determination .to delay the case until the Court sat, quite irrespective of what wo did. It is quite clear that we cau’t bring tho parties together by compulsion, and we liavo neither the intention nor the desire to do so. iln the face of the settled policy of the employers to boycott the Board as an indirect protest against, the ruling of tlio Court, we think it not a little remarkable that tho workers only are accused of disloyalty to the Act.”