THE LABOUR SPLIT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 77, 24 December 1907, Page 8

THE LABOUR SPLIT.

EXPLAINS.; ';-Mr. ; :;.W.i. : H.. v V\festbrboke,' secretary of the Council,"..desired yesterday to.; make bne or two'explanations in.regard to. the infbrmationTpiiblished''ih The ' Dominion as to a : 'm '•tfc'ejLa|onr;caiiip.; .•:■.■."■ ,'. ' !'..■' ''aroserfrem.th'oi-F.urniture Trade Union, and, wasr , because" , ;that" Union'.would .not support thV'Jre'cpinriiehdatioti" of'the New Zealand Tra3.es.'.Co-uf(cil i ;.Cpnference l , regarding- the apppintrnprit.ip'f .Mr. as oiie of the Latpurnrepresentatives on, the Arbitration Gourt;- " They< complained,' in 'the first place, ■that the.Council'was dominated -by paid' offithe. different callings;they s .represented. -.At the time this happened,"" , '; .Mr. '. "\yestbropke, ",th'ere-.'.was , ''npt : -' , 'a sin'gle/'delegatp'.on the : Go'iihbii''n'l}B ; Wiis Mi, prwhahVid not at somo , In the Union he reprcseiite'il.',', ■Jhpre ,,were;.two or, three secretai'ies w;}jpvhaii<'lpfjb.. : their,....trades.■ and had.-, been taken. : on. byStliei.r.iUnioiis as permanent sec-' ,wtaries;' o ,.'-'■'".'.' jv -; , - t) '';-.v. ~'■-• ' '•.■ -.. ' •• > as many \ iinion,s;iripn-a ! there are affiliated," continued.;.the., .sp.qaksr.■ ''.And in passing, let.■ nie'state-that/since thp recommendation (jf .the Coiiiicir several Unions have affiliated and'nb'ne'Have'withdfawn. An official return

laid'before' Parliament in December, , 1906, IhowVthnt 40 Unions : .were affiliated, with a membership-• 0f.'<'5663;- and 16 Anions were rioff-affiliiited; T\-ith'a"rncmbershin of 2,398. Thiii'-'lcayes'a'/majority on. the'sido ot aifiliatio'n'of 3y26Gvmembers and 24 Unions. In thiare 'iVore four Unions—; Carriers, Mdripo. Engineers, '.Civil Servants, and Shipping" Mn'stbrs'efwhich ■ were not; eligible. for affiliation;'- as .they-wero hardly in tlio catogory'df .'emiJloyees. 7 - These : four Unions had .a rde,Mb6rshlp i> d'r"Bp6," ,,, so tliat. .tho actual .ma■jonty'.'of tiieolbers on' tlie side of affiliation with the Go'nnoil is 4,071. There is a Trades' C,bun6il : iri'.'cpur.se"pf"fbrmation at.,Palmerston, Nprbh'/V'prin.'has 'beon-'ih existence for some .time 'at l, Wanganui 'and Nnpier, and.. tho cotintry. branches 'are .affiliated . mostly to tK^se- ."Cdirhcils!";'The Wellington Trades' Council takes'no'Unions except thoso in tho city; 'itself. '.'Tho- figures given above,' as a iriiatter df.fafit, are,"if anything, too generous'.' The'Tftilway 'Employees are included in' 1 those , cited•■• against affiliation, whereas they-do not come-under tho Arbitration Act at, all." .■■>'.-;■:•>■:, ~'./.

'■' 'A's't6 ir tho lettor 'Which had been sont to tho various'; branches regretting that some intd 'been 'clisloyel'.-to' the resoinmendations of the Conference', 'was it not natural, 'Mr. "i AVqstbVboko, that the Council should, "regret the' action of the Furniture Union in 'going' contrary t. o tho recoinmondation'sV'seWng' that'tlic Council advocated colleclivism'.'; •''.''"".'■'.'.'! , ■ - •

■; i ilr..;\\'..,'H.;Cdppef (President of tho Annual, jTrades ,;and Labour Councils' Confcronco) sta-tee-tbat lie did .not- write to the Furniture' Trade' Uriiqn asking that its nomination of hi.ro. as'aCfcingTmember of. tho Arbitration Court _should be reconsidered. The suggestion-waß'.-'.iiiatle- during tho-course of a- conversation-ho had with tho President of. the ;:Uriiqn , after, the . latter had inf omied Mi - .-Uoojjer of his nopiiiiatioi l . • .....