UNITY CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1790, 1 July 1913, Page 6

UNITY CONGRESS.

THE; OPENING THIS MORNING. . PRELIMINARY CONFERENCES. ' The much-discussed labour Unity "Con- ' gi ess. will open at 9.30 this morning, in St. Peter's Hall. Labour organisations throughout- the Dominion will be repreisented, and, in all, delegates attending will number between 300 and -iOO. St. Peter's Hall has a seating capacity for 400 people, and arrangements have been made for every delegate to be comfortably seated, with a writing desk in; front of him. Yesterday .work was in progress putting in these desks, and making the nail ready for the largest Labour gathering which has yet been held in the : Dominion. It is stated that the Socialist party have. considered the agenda paper, 'but have failed to decido on any united action. The members have consequently been left to act individually. On Sat'urday the transport workers met in congress. The meeting was held for the purpose-of deciding on "some common ' ground, to watch tho men's interests," at tho Unity Congress. Beyond that officials connected with the various unions, represented,.'would not go. ' ■ ' The congress, it is staled, will, la St : throughout the week, and, judging'by the sizo of the agenda paper that/lias to .be gone through, tho.estimate would f-eem' to be a modest one. Many debatable pro-; posals have been drawn'up by the Unity' Committee.The Unity. Congress will • become' an' annual fixture, and will meet in July. 'The' Unity proposals ndt having' been accepted, makes it impossible yet to decide on a basis of representation. It 'is proposed, however/ tliat. tlio; 'organisation shall be. on n' basis 'of national 'departments. ' . ' Yesterday a conference of the .United Labour Party, was held in the Trades Hall. The Hon. J". T. Paul presided,and there - were afout Blf delegates present. The report of the general organiser (Mr. Mills) and the balance-sheet of the secretary and treasurer (Mr;.. A. M'Carthy, Dunedin) were submitted and received. Discussion was deferred to a later-date. Tho agenda paper of the Unity Congress ' was considered on broad lilies, but no decision was arrived at, and the meeting : adjourned, sine die. The annual conference of tho Federation of Labour w<is also held yesterday, in the Esperanto Hall. Mr. W. E. Parry, vice-president, occupied tho'chair, in the absence of the president, Mr. p. C. Webb, - who is detained in Christchurch through illness. Thirty-five unions were represented by 111 delegates. The reports and balance-sheets of the Federation of Labour, and the "Maoriland Worker," were discussed, and finally'adopted. Discussion Tanged round these matters during the day, and the meeting was adjourned till to-morrow evening, to deal with the remainder of the agenda paper. The Socialist Party also had a'meeting sell down to l ake place in the Socialist Hall. This was adjourned till Thursday. As stated, it i$ understood that the Unity proposals have been under consideration, but no decision arrived at.