FURNITURE MAKERS' RE-UNION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 7

FURNITURE MAKERS' RE-UNION.

'.SPEECH BY THE MINISTER FOR • '.'.. ■■•■■:•;' labour. .- ' ~."'.■, The' aiinual re-union of' tho Wellington ' Furniture-Makers' Union was held at Maw-, 'son's roods' last night. The Presidont of- ■ the Union, Mr. D. Moriarty, occupied the chiiir, and t} lere was a ' a !'E.° attendance.., Tho visitors included the Minister for Lab- ; our (Hon. J. A. Millnr), tho Hon. John , Rigg, M.L.C., Mr. Edward Trcgcar (Head of thf Labour Department), and Mr. A. H. , Rindma.rslv. . . .' Replying to the toast of Parliament, ■ tlio Hon. J. A. Millar said that critics were in tho habit of comparing tho present Parliament of Now Zealand with the Parliaments '_• of-the'past, to the detriment of. the former. Tlioso people, were apt to forget that the conditions, of the past were totally different from'.those of the present. Ho denied that the Parliament of to-day was inferior to former Parliaments. In the changed economic conditions of the present day, some difficult problems had to bo elucidated, and they must be prepared to deal with economic questions as they arose. Tho present. Parliament, was quite prepared to safoguard the interests of the workers by suitable legi6- . lation. There was one thing, howevor. that every one of them had to considor, and that was public opinion. If they wanted certain reforms, they must, themselves, undertake tlio task of odiicatmg the public to their ■views.:." "Little by-little" was a sound maxini. They should bo content to reccivo, annually, a small instalment in the way of , reform." ;Roforring to tho relations existing' between the employers and the workers, he , said that it would bo a bad look-out for trades-unionism if the men wore afraid to •■ come out, into the open and stato thoir grievances fairly and squarely. If their ' cause wore just, they Would find that piiblio opinion was behind them. Parliamont'would always .ho prepared to assist the workers on these lines.. . . . Other toasts wore:—"The Employers," proposed-by Mr. W. 11. Westbrooke, • and responded , to by Mossrs. A. J. Bishop and Johnson ;' "The Trades and Labour Council," : responded to b,v Mr. Parlane; "Tho ' Furnituro : Makers' Union," responded to by •AtV: D. Moriarty; "The Visitors," and "The r' : Pross." During the evening items were contributed by Messrs. Williams. Botosi, Barnes, Smith HiU, and Ciminoj '