TRADES COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 495, 30 April 1909, Page 5

TRADES COUNCIL.

,: . UNORGANISED AND DISORGANISED ■ . ■'■ LABOUR. -. The weekly meeting ' of the Wellington Trades and Labour.Council last evening was attended by about the .usual number of delegates. Mr.'W. C.-Nbot: presided. . The secretary of the Manawatn Plaxmill.Em?loyees' Union telegraphed that the local labour Inspector had stated {hat lie had received no instructions from tho head offleo in regard to tho alleged lock-out. The union, therefore, requested the council to stir up the Labour Department. The. letter was referred .to.a committee., ; . /,,.,, . A .request for assistance- m the task:'of organising labour in tho country districts led to remarks by Mr. Dowdall and Mr. Cohchie to the effect that Mr. M'Laren, M.P., had proraised, during his'election campaign,. that he would visit, the country districts during the recess to organise the workers. ' " Afb;r some discussion, Mr. M'Laren said ho .was in correspondence with Mr. Harding, of Levin, on the subject, and ho had arranged to go to Poxton to organise the wharf ; labourers there. He had, however, been to busy fighting disorganisation in the city, that he had had no time to go into tho country, which was, not his business more than any other member's. He appealed to the delegates to work heartily together and put ah end to the anarchic conditions of Labour in Wellington. Discussion took place on a suggestion • made nt a meeting in the south by Mr. Laurenson, M.P., that the coot of tho Dreadnought to bo given to the Imperial Government be met by reducing the income-tax exemption from .£3OO to .£250. It was held that the effect would be to make the Workers pay, and a resolution of protest moved by Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P., was carried.