TRADES LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 279, 24 November 1928, Page 18

TRADES LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.)

UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. Monday, November 2fi—Palnterß, Brick-

layers, Butchers. Tuesday, November 27—Stonemasons,

W.E.A., Tramways. Wednesday, November 28—Auckland Carpenters, Ouehunga Carpenters. Thursday, November 20—Plumbers' Educational, Hotel Employees. LABOUR AT THE POLLS. Although it was generally believed by Labour poople that Reform was in for a gruelling this general election, no one felt safe to prophesy the extent to which the Government would he reduced. Some ultra-optimists preached the doctrine that, Labour was coming into power, but few in their inner hearts admitted that probability. As the campaign progressed it was felt that a great wave of Liberalism was spreading over the Dominion, both Reform and Labour candidates directing their artillery against the common foe. Soon it appeared likely that Labour would have to do its utmost to retain the dis-

tinction of acting as H.M. Opposition,

For myself, I had come to the conclusion that Labour could increase its representation in the new Parliament by eight seats, but I was not prepared' for the loss of Auckland East and Grey Lynn, two scats that I considered safe for Labour. In Auckland Suburbs it was generally conceded that Mr. H. G. R. Mason had a fifty-fifty chance against Sir James Gunson, and this was frcdy admitted by several of the opposing Reform party quidnuncs, but when the polling day results showed Labour with a majority of 1008 votes (since increased to 1098 by the official count), it must be realised that Mr. Mason had "dug himself in" since his return at the by- j election in 1924.

In Manukau, the return of Mr. W. J. .Tord'an for Labour by a majority of 3304 over his United party runner-up and an absolute majority of 887 over all-comers shows that Mr. Jordan has no reason to regret his decision months ago to rely on the promise given by his people to look after his interests as an absent member unable to speak on his own behalf. In the face of active canvassing by his opponents, false rumours of defection on the part of some of his supporters, also in the teeth of Mr. Jordan's own decision not to ask for or accept the aid of any outsido party speakers to further his candidature during the campaign, his magnificent victory is a striking tribute to his judgment to rely on the fidelity of his constituents to return him as member for Manukau.

Tho same cannot be said of Labour supporters in Auckland East and' Grey Lynn, many of whom were discovered to be working for "the other side."

In Roskill and Eden there was great lack of organisation for polling day. Admitting the fact that Labour as a party was deficient in finance at this election, the fact that every Labour union in Auckland should he regarded as an active working committee for the Labour candidate was completely ignored by the Labour Representation Committee at this election, and members of unions not shepherded by their officers, and blind to their own interests, were, fair game to other parties. That there was no lack of organisation by tho other parties was apparent to the most superficial observer; outsido the booths their colours wcro plentifully displayed, while Labour colours were few and far between. At one principal booth I found one Labour man only outside the booth, and he informed' me that all his committee were acting as scrutineers at the tables inside the booth. It is far more important to get the voters up to the door of tho booth than it is to scrutinise them when they reach tho table. After the poll closes the scrutineer can he of use, although, even there, my experience has been that the officials in charge of the count can be relied on to act fairly, carefully and impartially. In endeavouring to account for the collapse of Reform on polling day one of the organs of the party in a leading article states:

"Party organisation and campaign planning need not be dwelt on, though it may be mentioned in passing that one rival of the Reform party, Labour, campaigns for three years before each election, does it for 52 weeks in the year, and usually seven days in the week." Such a tribute to Labour organisation is undeserved this election; it is more apparent than real. CABINET-MAKINff. The return of the United' party at the polls, with Sir Joseph Ward as leader, and the corresponding defeat of Reform, which now fails to number an absolute majority of the members of the new Parliament, has given rise to a

number of rumours that Cabinet-making is very busy in Wellington. So far the secretary of the Cabinet Makers' Union has not reported any applications for the service of tried and approved journeymen for tho increase of work, neither has he had any request for permits for incompetent workers. Union officials have not expressed any regrets at the defeat of the Minister of Labour and his colleagues, for with such Reform sentiments prevailing at the top of the tree, administration of the Arbitration Act and awards has not been conducive to much satisfaction for years past. With Sir Joseph Ward in power, and under the guidance of, say, Mr. Vcitch as the new Minister of Labour, it is expected there will be a slight change in the administration of the Department that will give the union officials more hope for the future.

AT THE COUNT. It was my privilege to act at the official count of the votes in one of the local electorates this week, and sonic of the ballot papers were interesting indeed. Some papers were heavily marked, the voter leaving no doubt of his intention, as the opposing candidates' names were completely obliterated by a black panel of pencil. Others marked their papers with a light, trembling hand, which sometimes necessitated an almost microscopical examination before a mark could be detected. In the electoral count there was a choice of four candidates, but one voter was evidently hard to please, for, after heavily scoring out all the names, he had written on the margin: "Xot one of them worth his salt." Another had scored out three names and had drawn his pencil halfway along the survivor before he had realised his precipitancy. He could have returned the paper to the officer as a "spoiled" and demanded another, but he did not,.for at the end.of his choice he had pencilled "Erased in error," and left it at that. In the licensing section one paper bore the preference of the voter, in addition to which he had emphasised his convictions by the remark "The dope is no good to anybody."