LABOUR CONFERENCE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 89, 17 April 1911, Page 3

LABOUR CONFERENCE

DELEGATES MEET AT CHRISTCHURCH. QUESTION OF FEDERATION. fBX TELSCSKAPH — PBESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, 15th April. The annual conference of the Trades and Labour Councils' Federation of Labour was opened at the Trades Hall this morning. Mr. M. J. Reardon, (Wellington) was appointed president of the conference, and Mr. J. Young (Ohristchurch) was appointed secretary. It was resolved that the conference should be open to the public and the j press, except during committee stages, i A letter was read from the Ironmast- ! ei's' Association, asking if the conference would receive a deputation relative to the proposed tariff on importations affecting industry, and it was resolved to receive the deputation at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. A sub-committee was set up to deal with the question of a Labour paper. The animal report of the executive stated that, in accordance with instructions, the executive arranged a meeting at Christchurch with representatives of the Miners' Federation of Labour with the object of endeavouring to bring about an amalgamation of the two federations of labour at present in existence. The conference lasted the whole of one day, but all efforts to bring about an amalgamation failed. The executive circularised the unions of the Dominion in reference to the retirement of Mr. E. Tregear, and suggested that his retirement would be an opportune time for showing their appreciation of the good worK he had done on bahalt of the workers of the Dominion. Arrangements had been made for making the presentation of an address' to Mr. Tregear, and a purse containing the ' balance of money subscribed to Mrs. Tregear at a smoke concert, which would be tendered to the visiting delegates on Thursday next. Arrangements had been made with Professor W. T. Mills, M.A., of Milwaukee, U.S.A., for a lecturing tour of the Dominion, commencing early in June, under the auspices of the Trades and Labour Councils. - Acting under instructions from the last conference, the executive had arranged for a conference of representatives of the various branches of the New Zealand Labour party io be held at the close of the conference of representatives of the Federation of Labour. The executive had fixed the date of opening for next Wednesday, when it was hoped most of the important business of the Federation conference would be disposed of. The question of registration of the federation had received much consideration from the executive, and at present there appeared to be some doubt as to whether it could be registered, as constituted. The Labour Department had intimated that registration could 'not be effected under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, as that Act only provided for registrations of unions and associations, comprising individual workers and associations of two or more unions. There was no provision for registration of a federation of both associations and unions. The executive had also been informed that registration could only be effected under the Unclassified Societies Act on the application of five bodies already incorporated ' under the Incorporated Societies Act, or some other Act Of Parliament. Neither of the councils affiliated were registered undsr any Act as district councils. The only way out of the difficulty appeared to be in an 1 amendment of the constitution to accept unconditionally individual unions, or by substituting "Trades and Labour Councills" for "district councils." A remit dealing with the question had been placed on the 'order paper. The report was received. The conference resumes at 9.30 a.m. on Monday.