TRADES COUNCIL OFFICERS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26125, 30 May 1950, Page 4

TRADES COUNCIL OFFICERS

MR A. B. GRANT NOT NOMINATED MR P. M. VELVIN THE NEW PRESIDENT The new president of the Canterbury Trades Council’of the Federation of Labour will be Mr Percy M. Velvin, secretary of the Shop Assistants’ Union. His nomination was the only one received at the nomination meeting of the council. Mr Thomas Martin (secretary of the Ly ttelton branch of the Seamen’s Union) was the only nominee for the vice-presidency of the council. He has been acting-president since Mr John Roberts resigned after he had walked out of the Federation of Labour conference in Wellington and became vice-president of the Trade Union Congress, a position he holds although the Clothing Workers’ Union, of which he is secretary, decided to remain with the federation. The Trades Council also has in Mr R. H. McDonald (secretary of the Clerical Workers’ Union), a new secre-tary-elect. Mr A. B. Grant, the present secretary, was not nominated. Since the Federation of Labour conference. Mr Grant has, by spoken and written words, declared his sympathy with the Trade Union Congress, without saying precisely whether he would remain with the federation. There was an unusually small number of delegates at the nomination meeting on Thursday—only 21 attended—and no one nominated Mr Grant for another term as secretary. Trades Council meetings are usually held at 8 p.m. but on Thursday the meeting was held at 7 p.m. to give delegates an opportunity of attending the meeting at .which Mr W. Nash discussed the country’s finances and the lifting of the food subsidies. Mr Grant arrived in Christchurch by the second express from Dunedin, where he represented a member of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants in an appeal. The reason for his absence from the meeting was generally known. A ballot will be held for the executive and also for the disputes committee. nominees for the latter being Messrs Velvin, McDonald, and R. Jones. A number of delegates whose attendance for some time has been most infrequent attended Thursday's meeting.