ON THE MOVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 158, 6 July 1937, Page 9

ON THE MOVE.

UNION SECRETARIES.

EXODUS FROM TRADES HALL

NEW HEADQUARTERS SECURED

As further evidence of the dissatisfaction felt by trades union (secretaries at the unsatisfactory state of the Trades Hall in Hobson Street, four more unions have made arrangements for other quarters and others propose to follow their example in the near future. To-day Mr. J. PurtelF, secretary of the Biscuit, and Confectionery Workers' and other unions, was busy conducting removal operations, and Meeers. J. Clark, secretary of the Plumbers' Union, and IT. Campbell, secretary of the Painters' Union, were inspecting offices

which fiit-y propose to occupy In the Pacific Buildings, at the corner of Wellesley and Queen Streets. Mr. Purtell and the secretary of the Tailors, Pres-ser-s and Cutters' Union, Mr. W. S. MoxcMi:n, nl*o have scciyed offices in this building, in which Mr. F. Craig, secretary of the Timber Workers' Union, recently established himself. The Pacific Buildings incidentally has become a regular Labour centre, as both the Labour party'.-! ofKce and the Labour Club are also located there. The exodus frrim the Trades ..Hall commenced several months ago when the Drivers' Union, (ieneral Labourers' Union, Carpenters' Union and Timber Workers' Union moved out. The dissatisfaction amongst the secretaries increased and it will be recalled that some time back the tenants of the hall pa.ssed a vote of no-confidence in tho trustees, with the exception of the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage. Trustees' Attitude. As an outcome of that the other trustees, Messrs. G. Davis, K. J. Phelan, Arthur Rosser and C. A. Watts, issued a statement frankly admitting that they were not satisfied with the condition of the Trades Hall. They pointed out, however, that, owing to existing economic circumstances, and the absence of any guarantee from the unions as a security for a loan for future alterations or extensions, they were compelled to make the best of matters with the present building. "We must have comfort and convenience," said one of the secretaries who is moving elsewhere this morning, in intimating that by next Monday only five unions would continue to have their offices in the Trades Hall. "The action which we have taken to secure other premisee ie a direct reply to the Trades Hall trustees, and it will be found that all the secretaries will be out of the hall eventually." The Trades Hall was opened on Julv 29, 1912, by the then Prime Minister. the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, and during the intervening years it ha* been "a haven of refuge" for unionists when other places of holding meetings have been closed to them. The hall, for instance, had not been long in use when the Waihi miners' strike occurred. The miners left Waihi in a body and came to Auckland. Other public buildings were closed to them, and the trustees promptly placed the Trades Hall 'at their disposal, and here the male members of their party lodged for several weeks free of rent. Since then the unions have made the hall their rallying centre during periods of industrial strife.