PROBLEMS OF LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 210, 5 September 1922, Page 5

PROBLEMS OF LABOUR.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT MENACE. ON AN APPALLING CCAtE. TRADE UNIONS AXB PEACE (By Cubic—Preiß Aasoctatio*— Copyright) (Received n.W) a.m.) LONDON, September I. Addressing the Trades Union CongTess, Mr. Walker, president, said that the year was one of unparalleled difficulty for workers who could not record triumphal progress in all directions. There was the eternal menace of unemployment, which the capitalists were straining every nerve to push to the full limits, ami a million and n. half were finding- what living on the Government dole implied. It was impossible to say how many thousand were unemployed besides those registered. No trade revival ran in night, and unemployment would continue on an appalling scale. They would need much more faith in Cabinet committees than experience warranted them expecting.

Kpeaking on tlir condition of Europe, Mr. \V3lker said it had ibeeii astonishing that the workers had watched so patiently a wvary eucceeeion of conferences on reparations, indemnities, and territories, each shelving the real ieeuv. and each pretending to face difficulties by disregarding thvim. Commonscnee had not yet won, but must in the end, the governments learning that no real peace could he maintained with swords, nor was military bullying a proper substitute for reasonable and reasoned settlements.

He pleaded for a revision of the Versailles Treaty, tho withdrawal of the Allied armies from the Rhine provinces, and the re-wstablishment of goodwill on the Continent. He could support no plan seeking t 0 reduce Germany to a position of economic slavery, or assist Franev to become a dictator of Europp.-

It was 7H> use condemning French politician? struggling witli unbalanced budgets who hungered to re-establish themselves as lords of Europe, and had to *erve big capitalist interests, while no accusing , finger was pointed »t the socalled stateamon of BritaJn. What real evidence wa« there that the Coalitionists wanted clean and honourable peace?

"We want this hunineew settled,"' he continued, 'and we are goinp to have it settled. ] do not believe that their is any prospect of world settlement till the Coulition is driven from power."

The r.eneral Council's report recorded a membership of r>,127,306. compared with 5j*17i)16 last year, and the delegates numbered 717. i>o less than laet year.- iA. and N.Z. Cable.)