THE FEDERATION'S CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14564, 15 January 1913, Page 9

THE FEDERATION'S CONFERENCE.

DISCUSSED BY AUCKLAND

UNIONISTS

(special to "tnE mESS.")

AUCKLAND, January 14 In response to an invitation by the Federation of Labour, about 200 unionists attended a meeting at th© Trades' Hall, at which Mr Parry urged th© advisability ot all unionists being represented nt tho conference to b© held at Wellington to discuss tho position that had arisen with regard to Labour, and to endeavour to secure united action. He complained that tho preference clause in the Arbitration Act was being used at Huntly nnd Waihi to tho exclusion of members of the Federation fr,om the benefit of recent awards. A militant organisation was impossible under the Arbitration Act in its present form, as it was being used to defeat the organisation of Labour. The workers were split up into too many sects, and ought to be united. Tho Federation of Labour, the speaker explained, had no quarrel with Arbitrntionists as such. The organisation believed in majority rulo, and was always ready to abido by tho vote of tho majority in th© matter of cancelling registration. Thero was a good deal of general discussion as to the relative merits of "political action" and "industrial'- action," but the trend of th© speeches was sympathetic towards the object for which the meeting was convened—a recognition of tho serious aspect of tho present industrial outlook so far as it concerned active unionists.