LABOUR DELEGATES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 19, 23 January 1913, Page 11

LABOUR DELEGATES

THE ARBITRATION ACT VARIOUS SUGGESTIONS. WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS. The conference of Labour delegates convened by the Federation of Labour continued its deliberations after The Pogt went to press yesterday. The'following report is a summary of that officially supplied. The committee set up in the morning to report on the Arbitration Act presented the following report :— (1) Provided that when an industrial union of workers has officially applied for cancellation of its registration, as pro,vided for in clause 21 of the 'lndustrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, no industrial union shall be registered t in that industry covered by the union which has officially applied for cancellation of its registration, unless a majority of the members of the union that has cancelled its registration, or applied for its cancellation, express by secret ballot/ as provided by the rules of the said union, theiv desire to so register. (2) That freezers' remit be abolished. Honorary members of an industrial union shall not be eligible to take any part whatsoever in the deliberations of such union, or exercise any vote in connection therewith. \4) That a copy of conference t resolutions re Conciliation and Arbitration Act be submitted to each union in New Zealand for its endorsement, along with _ A request that each such union appoint a deputation to lay same before their local member of Parliament, and Urge him to use lub influence and vote in the House to give effect to the resolution by legal enactment. ( (5) That the Industrial and Conciliation Act be amended so that it shall be competent for an industrial union by resolution of a special meeting to ■ immediately notice of its intention to cancel ' registration, which shall be considered the official application, but before such cancellation shall be effective it shall be incumbent upon' such union to satisfy the Registrar that a majority of the members desire to so cancel. (6) That this donference appoint a deputation of seventeen to lay these proposals before the Government immediately upon conjpietion of the business. The report was dealt with clause by clause. Mr. Moriarty moved that paragraph No. 1 be amended to provide for a majority of those voting in the ballot of cancellation deciding the issue. Mr. Boreham seconded the amendment. Mr.- Silverstone opposed the amendment, as it would establish anything but democratic government. Mr. King pointed out another side of the matter, and that was the possibility of the destruction of ballot papers. Mr. Laracy, speaking for the shearers, opposed the amendment. Mr. , Sullivan said there, was a good deal in the position put by Mr. Moriarty. Out of 600 men, 500 might vote for a. certain purpose and ldO , against it, and yet no absolute majority bo secured. He would vote for the paragraph, though he believed Jir. Moriarty was acting in the interests of militant unionism. Mr. Campbell contended that if it was necessary to get a majority of members to cancel registration, it was as necessary that a majority of members reverse the cancellation. Mr. P. Ftaser pointed out that the whole difficulty "lay in the fact that before cancellation was secured a majority of members financial on a union's books for the previous twelve* months had to be obtained. If a * member paid one Peek's dues during that twelve months, that member was, according to the Act, financial. He might be*- In Australia, Europe, or America, or evert dead, yet his vote counted againßt cancellation. Although dead, yet he "voted" in effect-. If that was altered to,. mean financial in accordance with the rules of the various unions, the whole difficulty would begot over. <■ xVIr. Rogers thought the propo?itjon,of the committee, democratically, estimated, covered everything. There was no occasion for an amendment. Mr. M'Lennan claimed that the same facilities should be allowed for cancellation as for registration. He recounted the experiences of the Waihi Miners' Union. Mr. Parry believed that if the word •.'financial" was inserted before "members," the whole difficulty .would be ovei'come. Mr. Tregear explained that the financial point raised was covered by . ths words 'fas provided for in the rules." • The amendment was defeated on the voices. Paragraph 2 was submitted and adopted. The remit indicated read as follows: — " That section 5 of the 1.0, and A. Act be amended by adding the following : ' That where registration of the union has been cancelled in any industrial district, no union to be registered within two years unless a majority of the workers so desire.' "■ BONA FIDE WORKERS. Paragraph 3 was submitted. Mr. M'Lennan thought that men. not bona fide workers in a calling should be denied membership in' tho union. Mr. Stone also thought there was a grave danger in admitting ' any honorary members to a union. , Mr. 'Hutchinson pointed out the case of a former working bootmaker tiow an employer, who was an honorary member of the union, and had power to oppose the demands of the iedefated .bootmakers. Mr. Laracy thought the matter was one for the "unions themselves. Several other members spoke. Mr. Young said he personally was opposed to honorary members in any shape or form, but the proposition of the committee was that if unions wished honorary members, the same should not take part in a union's deliberations. Honorary members ha 4 once almost broken up th« Seamen's Union, and it had meant seventeen years' hard work to re-build the union. The provision in tho union at' Huntly regarding honorary members getting in for 6s waß monstrous. Mr. Semple said he knew a union that was controlled by business men through proxy votes. It was the Greymouth Watersiders' Union. The worker in an industry was the man to settle its union affairs. A shareholder in the Huntly mine was an honorary member of the bogus union, and could participate in the management of union affairs. It was moved by Mr. Coy, and seconded by Mr. Hillsden, . that the following words be added to paragraph 3 : "Any union may create honorary members, but they shall at least be bona-fide workers in that particular trade or industry of at least ten years." Mr. Noot urged that the conditions of honorary membership be left to the unions concerned. The proposed addition was defeated on the voices. Mr. Whiting explained that .an honorary member of the Bootmakers' Federation had no vote. Bootmakers' honorary members were doing no harm. CONFERENCE DECISIONS. Paragraph 4 was submitted, with 'explanations by Mr. Tregear. — Adopted. The following addition was moved : "And that steps be taken at the next general election* or 1 any previous by-

election, to oppose all members of Parliament and Parliamentary candidajes who ■will not pledge themselves to smpport and vote for the proposed amendments to the I.C. and A. Act, carried at this conference. Mover by Air. Fraser, seconded by Mr. Hunter, and carried. CANCELLING REGISTRATION. Paragraph 5 was submitted. Mr. Tregear said the committee had been informed that it was difficult in cases to get the ballot papers out quickly, and during the time of balloting _ a bogus union might be formed, and its application for registration put in. The paragraph dealt with this possibility. Mr. Fraser moved that the members referred to be financial, according to the rules.of the union. Mr. Young said that what they wanted to get was that the union should have the rifeht to put in notice of cancellation immediately on a resolution of a special' meeting being carried to that ( effect, and that the ballot for confirmation of such Should be a subsequent matter. Mr. Moriarty said a big effort seemed, to be afoot to make it easy to secure cancellation and difficult to secure reregistration. He trusted the paragraph ■would be rejected. Mr. Hickey said Mr. Moriarty read into the paragraph something that was not there. The purport of the paragraph was to prevent the formation of a bogtis union between the time the legitimate union decided to take the ballot and the intimation of the result. Mr. Laracy supported the paragraph, and considered Mr. Motiavty's contention without justification. Mr. Ftaset's amendment was incorporated in the . paragraph, and the latter adopted on the voices. A DEPUTATION. , Paragraph 6 was submitted. In the discussion, the Chairman was asked if the . legislation contemplated could be made retrospective. Mr. M'Lennan, the questioner, explained that unless the legislation was made retrospective the infamous position at W*i,hi and Huntly would never be overcome. Mr. Rigg answered that Parliament could pass retrospective legislation, but wafi usually Teluctant to do so< It was perhaps a' question of sufficient public pressure. ' ' ! The paragraph was adopted, as was the Teport as a whole. The following were elected as the deputation : Messrs. Semple, JTultoto, Belcher Hickey, Young, Parry, Campbell, Hutchison, Bnrgoyne, Tregear, Cooper, Webb, Noofc, Hunter, Sullivan, Fraser, and Fagan. During the afternoon it was decided to hold a conference "smoko social" on Thursday night •at Young's Private Hotel. The conference adjourned at 5 p.m.