LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 103, 2 May 1936, Page 18

LABOUR NOTES.

UNION ACTIVITIES. (By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.) UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. Monday, May 4.—Tramwaymen (a.m. and p.m. shifts). Shipwrights, Local Bodies, Brick Workers. Tuesday, May s.—Seamen's Monthly Stopwork, Drivers. Wednesday, May 6.—Auckland Carpenters, Onehunga Carpenters, Suburban and Local Bodies, Biscuit and Confectionery Workers. A RISING TIDE. Among unions there lias always been a rising as well as a falling tide in membership, and for four years past, owing to unemployment and economic stress, the membership tide has been gradually falling until last year, when there came a period of slack tide until November, after which time an upward tendency was noticed. With the advent of the Labour Government and its Arbitration Amendment Act, which provided for compulsory union membership, there started a movement amongst the old members to get back to active membership, and for new members to join up, so as not to be outside the fence when the Act should come into force. Last week I mentioned that one union of skilled tradesmen in the Trades Hall had added no less than 92 new members to its roll in a week, and that there were other unions that were increasing their membership rapidly. Another instance locally is that of the Auckland Drivers' Union, which includes motor as well as horse drivers. It is one of the oldest of the purely local unions, and 10 years ago had a big membership. Last January its membership stood at 425 —its members having started to come back. This week the union has an effective membership of 1025, and the membership is daily increasing. Members are enrolling from Hamilton in the south to Whangarei in the 'north, and the Trades Hall officials are considering the advisibility of holding joint meetings in country centres to "gather in the sheaves that are ripe."

' PARLIAMENTARY. From November till April (the opening of Parliament) the Dominion was "in the doldrums" so far as political news was concerned, as the new Cabinet having to frame its policy was as close as the proverbial clam during the process of incubation and it speaks well for the discipline of Labour as a party that not even the most prying of pressmen' could get a peep into the political stewpan in advance. But that time has gone into the past and there is no cause for complaint as to paucity of news or lack of thrill for, with the passing of the Reserve Bank Act and the debates on the Arbitration Amendment Bill and Guaranteed Prices Bill, the Dominion is in a complete state of effervescence in politics. The 16 members of the Opposition have now plenty of ammunition and the trouble is that there are not enough warriors to use the ammunition. I am afraid there are strenuous times ahead for "the thin red line" Qf Opposition soldiers, as Mr. Coates threatened on Wednesday in his speech on the Guaranteed Prices Bill, that "he and every member of the Opposition would oppose so far as the forms of the House would permit, every inch of the road on proposals that led

to the socialisation of the country." To-day this is not such a threat as it would have been years ago, for with its complete mastery of tactics and generalship the National Government brought into operation the closure, which was used effectively as soon as the Prime Minister of the day had arrived at the conclusion that the subject matter had been fully ventilated, and any opposition was being pursued from a spirit of fractious opposition. The closure was applied and very firmly too. That weapon was left in the armoury when change of tenants took place. It is in good order and can be used as soon as Mr. Savage, after having any bill thoroughly discussed from all sides of the House, and finding fractious obstruction in committee, he has the option of bringing that weapon into play. Then it is "Good night, nurse!" I

PARLIAMENT BROADCAST. We are living in a wonderful age, and the broadcasting of Parliamentary debates is not the least wonderful event of that age. Time was —not so long ago, either —when I was dependent on my newspaper for knowing what my particular member of Parliament said on a certain measure. Of course, if I had the influence with my member,- I might even be among the fortunate ones who received copies of " Hansard " free, and in that case I could revel in the oratory there recorded, with the knowledge that in the three weeks that always elapse between the delivering of the speech and the delivery of my " Hansard " to me the interval had been used in correcting grammatical blunders and vain repetitions and printing the finished article. But by the time it comes to hand the speech has lost its freshness and other pressing matters have come before the House to enlist my attention. But in listening-in to the broadcasting it does not matter whether I am in Epsom or Kaitaia. After tea I can sit in my chair and hear the debate better than if I were seated in the strangers' gallery in the House of Parliament, owing to the magnifying pick-up of the microphone. I can hear the pathos or bathos of the speaker, if he stutters or stammers it is there in its deformity, but I can judge whether his matter and arguments are sound. I can get my impressions "straight from mouth" (this is a figure of speech and does not refer to any living person) and have no difficulty jn visualising the whole proceedings in the House. I have heard very many approvals of the introduction of Parliamentary broadcasting and any disparaging remarks have come mostly from persons who frankly admit that "they take no interest in politics." A good citizen is one who takes an intelligent interest in the government of his country.