THE UNITY PROPOSALS

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14326, 11 April 1912, Page 5

THE UNITY PROPOSALS

ATTITUDE OF VARIOUS BODIES

THE PARLIAMENTARY PLEDGE.

(riVSSS ASSOCUTION TELEGRAM.) i AVELLINGTON, April 10. . Tho Labour Unity Conference ba. j concluded its deliberations, i Tho Unity proposals and the constii tution of the proposed United Labou: j Party were amended and drawn iij ' for presentation to separate confer ences of the Labour Party and Trade: [ Councils. When these two organisuj t-ions have dealt with the scheme it: its .amended form, the const it utior will be submitted to the Unity ConferJ once for final endorsement. In connection with the pledge, in the past signed by Parliamentary can- ._ didatos, it is understood that in iuf lure there will bo no such pledge, but j merely the affirmation signed by ail i members of the party when they* Jir.*t . join the organisation. This atlirma- | tion ot the principles embodied iv the • constitution will guide the Parlia- ! mentary representatives in their ac- ! tious just as it would a private-metn-j ber of tho party. j At tho conference of the- Trades ! Councils' delegates to-day. the following motion was considered:— -•That every endeavour be made to fix up the amalgamation, of the Trades and Labour Council and the Federation of Labour; that no hair-splitting bo allowed to interfere in forming .such amalgamation; and that a ballot, of members of the Trades and Labour Council be taken on the subject." i There wa.s a long discussion, and an amended motion was eventually carried j urging the delegates, if the Unity proI posals were adopted, to do their best to j brine; about amalgamation. j The general principles of the Unity I proposals wero formally adopted v.itbi out discussion. | Mr It. Breen (Otago) then moved: — j "That tho constitution of tho Fedej ration bo amended by the adoption of j tho Unity proposals in whole or in j part, together with any further ameudI mt'iits which may be"agreed to. and ! such amended constitution shall take I the place of the present, constitution ot the New Zealand Federation of AA r orkers as endorsed by the Trades and Labour Councils and affiliated Unions." The motion was carried on the voices. A discussion then took place on the question of amalgamation with the Federation of Labour. Mr Coleman (East Coast) proposed a resolution affirming that tho delegates to tho Conference, if the Unity proposals were adopted, should do their Utmost to bring about an amalgamation of tho Trades and Labour Council and tho Federation of Labour. Tho President (the Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C.) agreed that "this side of the movement" haf? done everything possiblo to bring about amalgamation. The leaders of the Federation of Laliour, or somo of them, wen* not prepared to promulgate a j ml icy acceptable to the majority of the* workers of New Zealand, but one which was personally acceptable to them. They .*wero in the position of dictators, and they were not administering to the desires of tho /democracy Mr I). G. Sullivan (Canterb.Vv) agreed that nothing short of t the adoption of its revolutionary constitution {would satisfy the leaders of the Federation of Labour. The motionY was . carried, with two dissentients. ' PRESIDENT OF ARBITRATION COURT. A drastic ■'motion, referring to the conduct of the President of the Arbitration Court came before the Trades and Labour Confotencc this afternoon, when Mi- D. _. Sullivan .Canterbury). : in very strong terms, moved a motion condemnatory of Mr Justice Sim's treatment of Union representatives before tho Court, and attributing the large number of Union cancellations to j his methods of administering the Act. He said that the language oi the remit might be strong, but he assorted that tho discourteous treatment meted out by Mr Justice Sim was responsible for many cancellations of registration that had taken place. Mr T. Noon (AVellington) moved as an amendment:—''That a committee be set up to draft a now Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, this to apply to all remits dealing with the Act. He declared that he had been treated courteously by the Court, and it was undeniable that certain Union officialhad tried to browbeat the Court. Whilst the AVellington Council/ was of opinion that somebody other'than a judge should 'be President of the Giurt, it could not support the motion. The President ruled that the ameud- | nient was not in order. j Air Muir (AA r ellington'> also stated that he had been courteously treated jby the judge of the Court, and in one case he had received considerable help from him. Still, the judge sometimes asked Union officials to- make their ease as short as possible, owing to pressure, of duty; he .seemed to make the Arbitration Court, subsidiary to the .Supremo Court. The work 'of the ! Arbitration Court should bo pre-emi-nent in point of importance. ' ! Mr But-goyno (Cunt-orburv) said that in a recent case, at Christehurch, tho judge had jumped on him almost before he had opened his case. Air AY. W. Naughton thought tho discussion was not likely to do any good. The same complaints had been mado about- Mr Justice Chapman and Mr Justice Cooper. It appeared that somo people always expected to get concessions from tho Court. He thought- that most people who went before the Court received the greatest courtesy. Mr riurgoyno: T have not. (Mr Naughton demanded that if the Conference thought a judge of the Arbitration Court was the wrong man, why did it not say so? hie doubted '.vhether they would do any .better with a commercial man at the head, of tho Court. Tl the motion was.passed. what good would it do? Tl they were j going to suggest that a Supreme Court judge should not be at the head of the Court—and he hoped they were I not —they should say so. There was j nothing to be gained by slangin*' judges. Mr R. Breen (Otago) said lie would | oppose tho motion, because, in the j first place, it was not a truthful motion. I The motion was rejected on the ' casting vote of the chairman. i