TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11534, 17 March 1903, Page 6

TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL.

The Canterbury Trades and Labour Counoil met on Saturday evening, Mr Goluns, President, in. the chair. At the request of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters, it was decided that a deputation should wait upon the local Members of Parliament, and lay before them the disadvantages of Unions haying, to enforce awards, and urge the necessity of having Inspectors appointed during ths coming session. The Timber Yards' Union wrote, asking the Council to cooperate with them, in urging the Minister of Railways to pay men in the Government employ who are engaged at all kinds of wood-workitig machinery, the same rate as outside firms are obliged to pay under their award. The secretary was instructed to write to the Minister for Railway*. The Council decided to forward congratulations to Mr Crooks, the Labour representative for Woolwich, England, on his victory. Mr Opie, a member of the Canterbury College Board of Governore, in replying to the Councirs acknowledgment of his eff oris in the labour interests on that Board, said that the action of the Board in refusing to jfcecept the reform for free admissions to High School, were doing an injustice to the Canterbury boys and girls. The Executive's report referred to the remarks of the Premier's upon the appointment of Inspectors under the Act, and the intention' of the Government to moke preference to unionists compulsory, which, in the Committee's opinion was only giving bare justice to trades' unioniste, and further emphasised the request to make provision for bieachee of awards being beard by the Magistrate's Court. The report was endorsed by the Council.