WILD DISORDER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 212, 8 September 1927, Page 7

WILD DISORDER.

TRADE UNIONS CLASH.

Shall Orders Be Taken From

Moscow ?

CONGRESS DELEGATES DIFFER.

(By Cable.—Press Association.—CopyrigUt.) LONDON, September 7. A bitter debate on the Minority Movement took place at yesterday's session of the Trades Union Congress at Edinburgh. A house painter named Beacham moved to send back to the council its instruction that the trades unions connected with the Minority Movement should not be recognised. "Were this my last night on earth I would never take instructions from Moscow or from the Minority Movement" said Mr. Herbert Smith, president of the Miners' Federation, in moving the rejection of the motion.

Amid wild disorder, interruptions, the ringing of thepresident's bell and delegates rising to speak on all sides, Mr. Smith was continually heckled. He declared there was no difference between the members of the Minority Movement and the Communists. Both were instructed from Moscow and Doin were determined to wreck the constitutional trades unions.

Mr. Walter Citrine, secretary of the congress, seconded the rejection of tie motion. He suggested! that the slogan of the members of the Minority Movement was: "The more we are together the nastier we shall be."

Mr. H. Pollitt caused a sensation by declaring that if orders from Moscow were in the best interests of the working classes he would not hesitate to follow them.

Amid uproar Mr. J. H. Thomas, M.l\, rose and said: "The machinery of the British trades unions is more democratic than anything in Russia."

The vote on the motion was deferred till to-day.

COMMUNISTS ROUTED.

Question Of Miners* Voting

Cards.

TRIUMPH FOB MB. SMITH.

10.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 7. It transpires that the adjournment of the debate on the motion to send back to the council ila instruction that the unions connected with the Minority Movement should not be recognised because it was said to be an agent of Communist unions, was due to Mr Herbert Smith discover injj that Mr. A. J. Cook, secretary of the MinerFederation, held miners' v o t ing cards, the exercise whereof was a matter of contention.

Mr. Smith convened a meeting of miners' delegates during the evening and the proceedings were of the stormiest nature.

The Scottish members challenged the policy of Mr. Smith, who, however, won over the Opposition, arid entered the congress this morning all smiles.

The congress then speedily endorsed the council's report by 3,746,000 votes to 148,000, so that the* Communists were routed.

WHERE IS QUEENSLAND?

MR. THOMAS EMBARRASSED.

LONDON, September 7. At yesterday's session of the Trades Jnion Congress at Edinburgh Mr. H. Pollitt demanded a survey of the whole trades unions movement. He said the need for clearing up the relation of trades unionism to the Labour party was illustrated by the present railway strike in Australia. Thereupon Mr. J. H. Thomas, who was Colonial Secretary in the late Labour Government, said: "That dispute is in New Zealand." Mr. Thomas paused in an embarrassed manner in the midst of roars of laughter and cries of: "Where is Queensland?" He then hurriedly resumed his seat.