TRADES AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 261, 3 November 1928, Page 19

TRADES AND LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.)

UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. This Evening. November 3—Bakers. Monday, November s—Drivers; Grocers' Assistants; Shipwrights. Tuesday, November 6—Engineering' Trades; Stonemasons. Thursday, November B—Boilermakers; Plumbers' Educational. Friday, November 9 —furriers. Saturday, November 10 —Rope and Twine Workers* Social. LOCAL NEWS. Tli© Dominion Federation of Drivers' Union* this week arc holding a conference at Wellington on a comprehensive amentia paper. The Auckland union is represented by Messrs. J. Briggs (prcflidwit) and G. Davies (secretary). They expect to return to-day. The Auckland Rope and Twine Workers' Union members arc holding a •ocial next Saturday, with the object ©f bringing the members with their families in closer contact socially. Th's tin ion was registered in 1924, and the last annual returns published by the Labour Department show that the membership voll has reached 62. The union is in the unique position of having no unemployment among its members, the industry not being affected-by fluctuations in trade. Since the publication of this column last week, in which I commented on the temporary appointment'of Mr. Justice Fraser to the Supreme Court Bench, and the possibility of there being no ■itting of the Court of Arbitration before. February or March of next year, Official intimation has been received in Auckland that arrangements have been made for a clean-up of several disputes of an urgent character, before the Court goer) into recess. Among the cases to be dealt with are those of the motor mechanics and the general engineers, for whom Mr. R. F. Barter, of Auckland, is appearing. The date for the hearing of theric disputes by the Court was originally fixed for November 12, but they will be taken some days earlier. Another dispute is that of the Dominion painters, an application for a Dominion award, which is to be heard before the Conciliation Commissioner on November C at Wellington. It is proposed to ask the Court to hear this reference as an Urgent ea?e before it adjourns at Christchurch. In this dispute Mr. H. Campbell, secretary of the local Painters' Union, leaves to-morrow evening by train as the Auckland assessor.

ADMISSION BY TICKET.

The system of issuing tickets for priority of admission to political meetings was introduced by the Reform party, when it assumed the Government of the Dominion in 1912, and it has regularly practised this exclusiveness to meetings held by its leaders ever since. The system received a great jolt last month in Auckland, and it has been demonstrated that it is quite possible to have a successful meeting in the Town Hall without having recourse to packing the hall with sympathetic supporters. On Wednesday last the third leader to use the Town Hall for a policy speech, Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of H.M. Opposition in Parliament, had a crowded meeting, drawn there and admitted on "first come, first seated" principle, and although adherents of many parties were there, the meeting was started with a comfortable feeling. Mr. Holland spoke for two hours and held the attention of his audience throughout. The enthusiastic reception rendered to him on entering the hall, with the Mayor leading, will live in his memory. As an instance of the great cxte.-t to which the pernicious habit of packing meetings has grown of last years, I may that all day on Wednesday the telephones at the Trades HalL were in constant use by applicants for tickets for admission to* the. Town Hall that evening. The anxious inquirers were informed that the Labour Party issued no tickets, but there was the Biblical injunction to "bring them in from the highways and by-ways." The old leaders may have issued platform tickets to their meetings for their supporters, but the body of the hall was always free to all that came. The late Rt. Hon R. J. Seddon never packed his meetings, and he fairly revelled in dealing with a hostile meeting, which usually ended with three hearty cheers for the speaker. I remember one such meeting at the old drill shed, which was the largest building in the city to accommodate a crowd, at which "those that came to curse, went away bestowing blessings." It was reserved for Reform to issue tickets for the body of the hall. By the way, comment has been made on the conspicuous silence of the great organ at the Town Hall on the evenings on which Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Holland gave their addresses; while prior to the address given by the Prime Minister the citizens of Auckland were regaled by tine city organist with a splendid programme of music. Why the difference?

AMERICAN SUGGESTIONS.

President Green, of the American Federation of Labour, in an address on "Labour Day" recently had some suggestions to make for the celebration in the United States: "If Labour Day is to serve its highest purpose and aid our movement, it should be a holy day in the original significance of that term," he said. "It is more tnan 40 years since the first Labour Day was celebrated, and these years have witnessed revolutions in industry and community life. Our celebration should utilise modern mechanisms and methods. "The automobile and radio probably have altered the habits of life of wageearners more than any other mechanical changes, it would be well to include specifically these two agencies in plans for a Labour Day celebration. "If at all possible, plan out-of-door meetings, with games, sports and contests for all, singing and speaking. "A well-planned, well-carried-out Labour Day celebration will be helpful in awakening interest, inspiring enthusiasm, encouraging the hesitating. It will pave the way for a follow-up concerted organising campaign. "To the extent to which emphasis is laid upon Labour Day, the influence of trade unions is extended." "FORTRESS OF COMMUNISM ?" The feeling in Britain "between the Communist party and the Labour party may be judged from the following comment in a recent issue of Glasgow "Forward" (Socialist): — "Aitken Ferguson, in a message to the "Sunday Worker," describes the Abendeen election as a 'triumph for the Communists,' and the 'Sunday Worker" in a headline describes Aberdeen as a "Fortress of Communism.' "On the eve of the poll, however, according to the "Glasgow Herajd" correspondent, Ferguson said he fumy expected to poll 6000 votes, so that his vote of 2618 represents less than half of what he anticipated. "The fact that Ferguson just succeeded in saving his deposit is hailed as a smashing triumph, though we doubt .very much whether Moscow will order an Aitken Ferguson statue in the Bed Square as a result of it. "The last by-election in which the Communist party fought openly against the nominee of the Labour party took place in 1021 at Caerphilly. At that election the Communist candidate, Robert Stewart, polled 2592 votes.

"Shortly after this Moscow decided that the best tactics to bring about the success of the Communist party was for the Communist party to work inside the Labour party and not to openly oppose it. "Seven years elapse, and then Moscow '.rives instruction to the British Communists to change tactics and that they must again openly fight Labour. "The British Communists, although their executive committee declared less than six months ago against such a policy, saying that it would drive away support from the Communist party, decided to obey instructions. "The Communist party candidate at Aberueen by-election polled 720 votes more than the Communist party candidate did at a similar election seven years ago. •'According to the recent investigation at the Russian Banks the Communist party received £27,998 from Moscow between July, 1927, and April, 1928. Does Moscow really think it is getting its money's worth? No native Abcrdoiiian does ':"