THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18670, 26 June 1924, Page 9

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

[By Veteran.] Brief contributions on matters with reference to the Labor Movement ore invited. LABOR DAY. The annual meeting of the Labor Day Association was held last week. After the balance-sheet and report of last year’s celebrations had bum read and adopted, tho question of how and where the next annual celebrations were to be carried out caused a good deal of discussion, and very strong comments were made about what took place at Outrarn last year. An almost unanimous opinion was expressed that if possible the future picnics should bo hold as far away from whore there were licensed houses as possible. The opinion was expressed that it would bo a good move to revert to the procession and sports that made the demonstrations of tho early nineties sucli a success, and some, thought it would be advisable to have a throe days’ demonstration on tho .same lines as that held at Auckland last year, when they had a monster procession on the Saturday, meetings and lectures on the Labor movement on Sunday, and a largo sports meeting in the Domain on tho Monday. This was a success both financially and in regard to the numbers that attended on all three days. It was also tho means of making the working classes take some interest in their own day, set apart as a national holiday in the sacred name of Labor. A huge number of those that Lake a more or less active interest in the Labor movement to-day have forgotten (or perhaps have never known) the important part taken in the politics of tho country' in the early nineties. It was just after lire first Labor Day demonstrations and tho end of the strike in 1890 that the elections took place that placed a, LiberalLabor Government in power, and that same Government held oflico for about twenty years. It was during that tune that tho Labor legislation that has boon copied by many other countries was passed. The Right Hon. R. J. Sodden and the Hon. W. P. Reeves, by their work in that direction, laid tho workers under an everlasting debt of gratitude for what they accomplished on behalf of humanity. In 18S0 twelve members wore returned to Parliament on tho Labor ticket., and five of those were elected for Dunedin ami suburbs. Why is there not as much interest in hibor politics to-day?

* * * * LOCATION OF THIS YEAR’S DEMONSTRATION. After a good deal of discission, and Hie suggestion of many places, Wailati was decided upon .as tlio place where tin’s year’s picnic and sports should be held. There were also indications that, next year the old-time procession might bo resorted to. The election of officers also caused n good deal of interest, and several ballots had to bo taken before an absolute majority was reached. In the care of the office of president, it is generally the senior vicepresident that succeeds to that office, but this year Mr Stewart, who has been vicepresident for two years, was beaten by one vote by a comparatively new member of the committee, Mr M'DotmeLl. Mr Stewart and Mr Eitchio were elected vicepresidents; Mr C. A. Lucas, who has made an excellent secretary for a number of years, was re-elected; Mr Oreenall was reelected as treasurer; Messrs Morrison and Watkins were elected on the committee, with Mr J. Thomson and Mr 0. Hunt as auditors. It is to be. hoped that these officers work well together and provide a programme that will cause a larger attendance than has been the case for (lie past few years. B <■ B U A CO-OPERATIVE SCHEME. A sewerage extension scheme is on foot in Christchurch, and Mr 11. G. Livingstone, a member of the Drainage Board, suggests that workmen should ho organised into parties to do the work on the co-operative principle. The. total length of sewerage pipes to he laid is 125 miles, and the work is to be done in sections. The largest pipes are of 24in diameter. The success of the Orongaronga. tunnel at Wellington, recently put through by a co-operative party under Mr E. Semple, has given an impetus to the principle of co-operation in large constructive works, and an exchange continues: Mr P. 6. Webb, an cx-Labor member of Parliament, who was president uf the Orongaronga co-operative parly, which successfully completed a big contract for the Wellington City Council, stated that lie thought the sewerage extension .scheme provided a splendid opportunity for cooperative working. Ho expressed himself as quite willing to assist in organising workers into co-operative parties in order to tender for the various contracts.

Speaking of the Wellington co-opera live contract., Mr Webb said that the principles of co-operation wore given a very thorough test, and on the completion of the work the tlmm Wellington newspapers editorially congratulated the City Council and the co-operative party upon the unqualified success of the undertaking in connection wit lithe piercing of the Orongaronga .Mountain. The work was carried out free of all industrial trouble, since the cause of industrial trouble had been removed. Every mail in the party of thirty-eight shared alike, consequently they wore equally interested in tho work. “ The tumid was put. through approximate! v twelve months under the contract time,” Mr Webb added. “ Tho men worked in a well-organised and efficient manner, which was evidenced by the fact that not one fatality took place, notwithstanding that over sixty tons of high explosives had to be used for blasting the two-mile tunnel through. Tho contract price was £71,000.” Mr Webb declared that if the Otira tunnel bad been excavated at tho same snood —and the conditions were similar in both cases —the mountain would have been pierced five years earlier than proved to be the case. ’ The principal thing about-co-operative working was that no man lost any time. Tim men worked regularly, and there was a self-imposed rule prohibiting drinking and gambling while they were on tho job, on (lie grounds that drinking and gambling would leave the reside of creating friction. They never forgot tho principle involved in the undertaking. Idle Wellington City Council, at the. conclusion of the wor);, passed a. resolution congratidating the party on the highly staisfactorv and efficient way in which they had fulfilled every obligation they had undertaken. Mr R. Rem pie was the agent of the party. -4 « « *:■ GETTING HIT) OR THE SLUMS. Tho Labor Government in South Australia, realising that the housing problem in Adelaide is a serious one, is tedding it with the gloves off. To relievo the congestion the Government is calling for tenders for Inc irnmediato construction of a thousand houses, tho first 400 of which will be built in the vicinity of the Colonel Light Garden!---tho latter being a. beauty spot almost entirely surrounded by slums.

Xo doubt tho remainder of tho houses will be built in tho rearer suburbs, which moans, on account of Adelaide not yet being a very big city, that tho majority of the tenants "will be within conveniently accessible distance of their work. Adelaide, like larger cities, has its slums —and particularly vile slums at that. Hut evidently tho Gunn Government, is going to do its best to get rid of them and to provide a cleaner and healthier c;.a. What a chancorthoro is for a similarlyinspired Government in New South. Wales and Victoria, where Woolloomonloo, Surry Hills, Waterloo, and Little Bourko street and its environments outrage, not only the conventionalities oi cornlort, but', in adoition, tho senses of sight and smell! —Lxchange.