MUSICIAN AS PRESIDENT

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1923, Page 7

MUSICIAN AS PRESIDENT

APPEAL FOR DISARMAMENT

AN UNHAPPY FAMILY.

(FROM OCR 01TN CORKESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 7th September.

Delegates representing 4,369,000 members are present at the Trade Union Congress now being held at Plymouth. The number is about 2\ million less than were represented in 1920. Mr. J. B. Williams, of the Musicians' Union, is the president, and in the course of his opening address he made the astonishing statement that the war had effected little, if any, difference in the employers' methods of treating their employees. The president's address was not in any way remarkable for what it contained, but it was ratligr surprising to find that he never mentioned unemployment, never mentioned the Ruhr, and never mentioned the capital levy, the three main subjects about which the Socialist Party in Parliament are always talking. The only mention of unemployment came from the Mayor of Plymouth, who is not, of course, a. Socialist, in giving a civic welcome to the delegates. He made a reference to the "dole," and asked the Congress to consider whether the dole was not raising a class of people who would be satisfied with the low pay that came from the dole. He pleaded for the opportunity for every man to work, so that he might say at the end of the week that he had earned the money he had received. The Mayor then told the Congress that all was not well with the Labour movement so long as those they represented would not" follow them. If the rank and file would not follow the leaders he would be very sorry for the state of labour.

THE NEW SPIRIT.

There were those who said that trade unionism was played out, said the president, m his opening address. In cricket parlance^ it had never played itaelf in yet. Whatever its shortcomings trade unionism had never let the workers j'm , m'ghb not have accomolished all that it set out to .do, or all" that it hoped to do, but any failure was not due to trade unionism as a principle and an ideal, but to some human part of the machine which failed iv its duty to the movement. The catholicity of the movement was exemplified by the fact that the great Trades Union Congress, which consisted m the,main of representatives of men who laboured with their hands, was presided over this jear by the representative. of an artisboi p nh sr- That .^ as a sy»----00l of the new spirit that recognised that ,v * who t ; n *| whether by hand or brain, were fellow workers. P7vmerff UU <d, ing t0 fhe historic fa™ of Plymouth, the president declared that the most.important action ever taken in Plymouth was in 1899, when the resolution was passed by the Trades Union Congress to create the political wing of the Labour movement. He felt, however, that the time was opportune to hM f'> °rg?"l3ed. w°rkers against the belief that exuted in some quarters that the workers could attain any sort of millennium by political methods alone Even a Labour Government would not mean the immediate abolition of the capitalist system, and strong trade unions to secure a fair and square deal for the workers would always be necessary whilst any form of capitalist system existed. J BURDEN OF ARMAMENT. The end of last year witnessed the unique gathering at The Hague of some 500 aelegates imbued with the idea of using every effort to destroy militarism. Although a certain section tried to use it for the sole purpose of propagating their particular -and peculiar theories, the overwhelming majority of the delegates were there with the sole idea of establishing machinery which would eliminate force from international differences and substitute arbitration based on reason and fairness. One very disquieting fact now called for comment. Ho referred to the increasing expenditure on the Air Force. The Government were very loth to encourage the development of aerial machines for peaceful and industrial purposes, but directly some interested parties commenced the scare that other nations were specialising in aircraft .for warlike purposes, there was no difficulty at all in finding thousands of pounds for the development of the Air Force. The cry in this country was that we must be prepared against invasion. It was the old cry that if you want peace you must be prepared for war, but it was an undoubted and unpleasant thing to realise that when nations possessed the means of aggression they were easily induced to become aggressive. We were told that if we were not prepared we should be at the mercy of other nations. Unfortunately, the people wo were at the mercy of were told the same thing about us. and so the expenditure of practically all the nations steadily mounted up, and as the burden of armament taxation increased it found a reflex in tho increased misery and degradation of the people. This nation had made laauy marks in history. Was it too much to r.sk that it should rise to the great height of setting a glorious example to the rest of tho world by reducing to the lowest possible minimum, if not the entire abolition, of all the expensive trappings of the preparations for war? It would be an example that ot'hei' nations would spcediiv foi-l-low, SCENES OF DISCORD. 'Proceedings at the congress hay« not been harmonious. First there cajne tho I discussion on the failure of the "back | to tho union" campaign. Mr. Havolock Wilson (Seamen's and Firemen's Union) speaking amid interruption, contended that the executive was to blame for tho kind of men they sent out to preach I "back i-o the union." Some of these men had done everything possible to drive men out of the union. A South Wales miners' delegate, Mr. A. Cook, declared, amid uproar, that if the whole truth about the campaign we're told, it would not \>e to the Denefit of Mr. Havelock Wilson, who had i been runing witli the hare and hunting with the hounds. Till rivalry between different unions ceased, the campaign would never succeed. With so many unions for each industry, men were coming to the conclusion that the object -was to find jobs for officials. Mr. E. Shinwell, M.P., charged Mr. Wilson with being a traitor to the miners during the miners' strike. At this point Mr. Ernest Bevin (Transport Workers' Federation) intervened, and said the congress was not being asked to settle the merits or demerits of a labour dispute, the dockers', or any other. The real issue was the maintenance of the principle of collective bargaining. ''Before cleaning other people's doorsteps," he said, "let us clean our own. In Uie midst of the dispute to retain our honour there was the unscrupulous intervention of the Workers' Union—-(Hear, hear, and uproar)—who =el oui. to" nWa ug in the baeU in order-' iv ui.ujitt members foe Uieir o^n, umu, i

Vie protest against this pernicious at tempt to wreck the movement."

COMPLAINTS OF POACHING.

Although order was eventually restored, the subject came up again "later in the day, when Mr. H. Carmichael (London Trades Council) pointed out that there were 15,000,000 adult workers in the country and only about 5,000,000 were organised. M "'- Ben Smith (London Transport Workers) complained of the poaching of other unions, and alleged that one union had offered a shilling a head for getting members to change over Ben Tillett, M.P., the dockers' secreBen Tillet, M.P., the dockers' secretary claimed the right to reply to an attack on the union by the Poplar Stevedores delegate, Mr. J. R,. Ruark. The chairman refused permission, and the congress passed to the next business, -Ur. lillett protesting angrily against Mr. Ruark's speech. ° ■

FURTHER INTERNAL DISPUTES.

Internal disputes were continued on the following day. For a long time past there has been a feud between the Sailors and Hremen's "Union and the Marine Workers' Union, each accusing the other of "poaching" its members. A resolution with reference to thesa unions brought forth angry recriminations between delegates of the two unions, and with the object of bridging the squabble, the chairman closured the debate, z A proposal to refer the dispute back to the committee caused a delegate to ask if, i n the meantime, both sides would give an undertaking that further scurrilous attacks should cease? The Chairman: That is a question no one can answer. CHAIR DEFIED. Mr Shinwell, M.P., Marine Workers, angrily protested against the reference back, and for some minutes anud a scene of disorder, defied the chair. A vote was taken in great confusion Mr N?1 T"f lmg the dogates, Mr Neil Maclean, M.P. (Scottish Miners), using a prominent figure. The award being confirmed, the chairman said that in view of the result, the general Council would endeavour to bring peace between tho disputants. Another angry scene followed during a discussion of the refusal of the Disputes Comnuttee to grant affiliation to the South Wales "and Monmouthshire Mechanical and Surface Workers bo tar the congress, has not shown an example of brotherly love and union.