The Evening Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1906.

Evening Star, Issue 12926, 24 September 1906, Page 4

The Evening Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1906.

Trttlt the path of a Minister of the Crown is not strewn with rosea, and

On the probably the Minister or Itiptt Track. Labor has as thorny a path

as any to tread. To hold the balance even between contending interest* is always •difficult, and the task is rendered no less difficult by tho fact that ni the present instance a section of tho community look especially to the Minister as being their representative. The latest reqnest to the Hon. Mr Millar has been preferred l>y a deputation representing the proposed Miners' Federation, tho miners apparently having decided, or being about to decide, to bold an Annual Conferenco of their own, instead of sending delegates, as formerly, to the annual Trades and Labor Conference. In the past the Government have contributed towards the expenses of the Trades and Labor Conference by paying the travelling expenses of three delegates from eaS district. The deputation from the proposed Miners' Federation asked the Minister for Government assistance towards tho travelling expenses of delegates to their Conference—say, fifteen in all, five from Otago, five from Westland, and five from Auckland, the other districts apparently not being concerned. In the course of the discussion tho deputation stated that the Westland Trades and Labor Council would forego their right to Government assistance towards their representation on the Trades and Conference. In his reply the Minister of Labor spoke very straight' He pointed out the obvious objections that at once presented themselves, the chief of ■which was that the grant of such a privilege to tho miners would givo tho right to every branch of industry to ask for Government assistance towards holding a conference. He stated that other unions were already desirous of help from the Government, and there would be no end to tho calls that would be made on the country if such requests Mere granted. It was also pointed out that the concession now given was ono granted to Organised Labor, as representing the industries of the Colony, and not any particular section. The granting of tho deputation's request, ho added, would simply result in the Trades and Labor Conference being shorn of its usefulness as the representative of all labor, and in the unions! in the various trades breaking off from the Trades and Labor Council and Tunning conferences of their own. This would not be desirable, either in the Colony's interest or in the interests of the industrial community. If the affairs of individual unions are so important, as they doubtless are in some cases, they should hold their conferences at their own expense, and rely on the Trades and Labor Conference to represent the united views of Labor. There would otherwiie be no end to the expense that would be incurred, and, as the Minister stated, Parliament and the country would not stand it. The logical result would appear to be that employers' unions might ask the Government for assistance towards the travelling expenses of delegates to their annual cocferences. We cannot see how the Minister could givo a negative answer to a similar request" from employers were he to grant the request in question.