THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19326, 12 August 1926, Page 14

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

[By Veteean.]

Bti'ef contributions on matters with reference to the Labor Movement are invited.

THAT REFERENDUM. I have often stated that the greatest hindrance to progress 'in the Labor movement was want of unity, and that is befae out not only by the comparatively small squabbles among the Labor organisations in this dominion, but also by the same thing on a larger scale -hi other countries. We may take it tliat the greatest upheaval ot recent, 'yeyjs in Aultralian Labor circles is Tight that is now being made what is known as “ Bruce’s ” Tleferendum proposals. . It appeaj* that Mr Charlr,on. who has ■ referred to as the one strong map, lu the Federal Parliamentary P.arty, and who is now the leader, of that party, has given his support to the referendum proposals ■md lias advised the workers to supnq.fi them. This has caused groat excitement among the Labor organisations in the different States. The New South Wales Premier (Mr Lang) condemns the proposals very strongly, in a statement issued recently he said that die-appointment of three new Federal irbißation judges brought vividly be•uro the electors the great issues embraced by the Bruce-Page Government’s proposed amendments to the Constitution. “On the shoulders of the three legal gentlemen appointed, if the referendum is carried,” said Mr Lang, “ will rest the whole structure of Australia’s industrial and social life. _‘‘Tho Federal Government,” continued Mr Lang, “ is seeking unbridled control over trade and commerce and over all industrial matters and tilings, and this new power over the lives and future of the Australian people is to be used not by the Federal Parliament amenable to the Australian people, but by * authorities ’ created from time to tune by Federal Governments. To an unheard-of extent Parliament, Federal and State, is asked to relinquish responsibility and pass it on to little coteries which may or may not lie equal to the tremendous task thrust upon them, v Industrial ‘matters and things’ are not on an ideal footing now, hut I cannot conceive a more stupendous muddle and tangle than the one Mr Bruce proposes if ho carries his amendment^.

“The continent may be dotted all over_ with expensive ‘authorities’ probm<r into every phase of out social and industrial life." Mr A. E. Willis ( vice-president of the Executive Council of New South Wales] says that Mr Bruce’s proposals seek to throw into the Federal melting pot the whole of the gains of the workers in the five Labor States of the Commonwealth. “In short, they propose to transfer,” lie says, “ with no guarantees whatsoever, power from Labor into the hands of the ‘ Nationalists.’ It is specifically designed to prevent the_ 44-hour week being uuif lormly applied throughout Australia. An All-Australian Congress of Trade Unions to secure unity of action on this vita] matter was never so urgent as now. In its absence all workers should oppose the referendum proposals and maintain their present gains. Full guarantees of maintaining existing standards must be an essential prerequisite of any fundamental change in industrial legislation.” The Central Council of the Miners’ Federation considered the whole question of the referendum and came to a decision favoring the holding of an AllAustralian Union Congress to define Labor’s policy towards the proposals. The general secretary of the federation (Mr D. J. Davies) announced that the council had carried the following resolution:—“This council is of the opinion that an all-Australian trades union congress is absolutely necessary and should at once bo commenced, in order to consider the referendum proposals; further, in order to prevent disunity in the Australian political Labor movement, we believe it necessary that the leaders of the Federal and State Labor Parties and one representative from the Federal and State executives spould also attend the congress.”

FEDERAL LABOR PARTY MEETS. At a meeting of the Federal Parliamontary Labor Party, held at Melbourne, objection was taken to a statement made by Mr W. H. Lambert that the Labor Party’s manifesto on the Referendum proposals was not issued with the consent of the party; that he regarded it as an insult that Messrs Charlton and Blakeley should issue it without consulting him, and that they had misled the workers of the Commonwealth. It was decided to issue an emphatic denial to Mr Lambert’s statement, and to point out that the manifesto was read to members at a party meeting, and that a resolution agreeing to its publication was carried, with only two dissentients. Following a protracted discussion of the Referendum proposals lasting over six weeks, the Melbourne Trades Hall Council carried a resolution favoring the proposed alteration of the constitution dealing with industry and commerce, but opposing the proposed alteration relating to essential services. An amendment, which was defeated, set out that while the council agreed with the ruling of the Federal Executive of the Labor Party, that the question was one upon which every unionist had the right to vote according to his own beliefs, the interests and strength of the Trade Union movement would be best served by voting “No” to both questions. In a statement issued at Melbourne regarding the attitude of the Melbourne Trades Hall Council, the Victorian Labor “ No ” Committee stated: “ The decision of the Trades Hall Council is in no way binding on the members of either the industrial or the political Labor movement. It is a recommendation carried by a majority of the council which the workers are entitled to consider and assess according to their own judgment. * » * # AN ILL-ADVISED MANIFESTO. At a meeting of the Hobart Trades Hall Council reference was made to the manifesto issued by Messrs Charlton and Blakeley on behalf of certain members of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party. The president of the council (Air Phillips) ruled that Tasmanian industrialists were not bound by the personal opinions of Messrs Charlton and Blakeley. The council had formulated its own policy, which was one of total opposition to both Referendum proposals. Other members of the council considered the manifesto as an ill-advised document, which might lead to bitterness and strife. In view of the fact that the Federal Executive had deliberately stated that there was room for legitimate difference of .opinion it was wrong of Air Charlton' to issue an official manifesto supporting the trade and commerce proposals. The members of the. Federal Parliamentary/ Party were not unanimous, but apparently some politicians would be glad to seß -unions controlled more than they were prepared to be controlled. « ® * - u “NO GOOD TO THE WORKERS.” What Queensland Labor thinks of the Referendum proposals is shown by the following extract irom an editorial appearing in tho Brisbane ‘ Worker ’ of July 14 last:— “No matter how yon twist or turn these Referendum proposals, they are no' good to the workers. “ They are no good to the workers first of all because they are initiated by the most reactionary and the most b'itterly-hostilc Government that Australia has ever ami they are

put forward by ono who bas openly stated that, if ho had his Avar, he would hand over tho government of Australia to a dictatorship of sis business men.

„ “ Those proposals are no good to tho workers in the second place because they carry in their very, verbiage the intention of creating a. dictatorship which will he outside and beyond Parliament, and which will lie charged with tho destruction of trade union- ? v sin as we know it to-day, with all hat our organisations have been able to secure for us in the shape of decent conditions of labor and something approaching a decent standard of living. Delegates representing tho Queensland Central Labor _ Executive, Trades and Labor Council, and affiliated unions met at Brisbane and formed a strong propaganda committee to direct tho campaign against what are described as “ the Brncc-Pago Industrial Conscription Proposals.” * * * * MINERS INVADE THE WORKHOUSE.

From tho Cardiff ‘Times’ of June IS) 1 take another paragraph which’ indicates tho length tho miners will. go, in refusing to accept tho offer of the Government and the mine owners, to work a day longer than provided for in tho old agreement:— “A large crowd of miners from the Dean Forest area of tho Monmouth Union again created a scene at the Monmouth Workhouse on Friday. It was only towards evening that the miners tramped back homo after endeavoring in the morning to obtain relief. The Guardians hold a special meeting, with Lady Mather-Jackson presiding. Lady Mather-Jackson explained that men could'only get relief if they produced a medical certificate to tho relieving officer showing that they were medically unfit. She said this was not their ruling, but the ruling which they had to observe. “After a lengthy meeting tho board agreed to forward a resolution to the Ministry of Health stating that the board, recognising the need for more generous treatment of able-bodied men, married and single, asked tho Ministry to confer greater powers upon Guardians to enable them to give immediate assistance to avoid needless physical suffering. When the decision _ was conveyed to tho largo crowd of miners outside the board room they had a meeting, and unanimously agreed to remain in the workhouse until they were relieved. During tho day they refused to go away, and wore provided with food by tho" Guardians, and towards evening the Monmouth 'Labor Party provided thorn with tea. Later tho minors altered their decision and began their , long tramp of about ten miles to the Bream district.”

“ Industrial Tramp,” in the Auckland ‘ Star,’ commenting on tho above extract, says; “Nero fiddled while Homo was burning, and that seems to bo the position with the British industries, especially the coal industry, at present. Colliery agents at Swansea Docks state that they have been inundated with offers of coal supplies from French and German firms at prices varying from 27s to 30s per ton. I wonder will they have the courage that possessed tho Auckland Electric Power Board when it turned down the tender of a German firm for the supply of electrical equipments at some thousands of pounds lower than the British tenderers!” « * * » FASCIST ACTIVITIES. One of the most remarkable as well as interesting movements of modern times is the Fascist, or Black Shirt, movement in Italy, a kind of an Italian Ku Klux Klan organisation, the head of which is Signor Mussolini, who is tho virtual head of tho Italian Government. Started after tho war as a counteracting influence to the disrupting influences of Italian Socialists and Communists, to say nothing _ of other numerous and more radical “ ists,” the history of tho Fascist movement, in some phases, carries us hack to medieval times, when the Vehmgerichte flourished in Germany during tho thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. So in this case the Fascist organisation carried out its propaganda with ruthless severity, not even hesitating at murder when any prominent person opposed its progress, as instanced by the removal of Signor Matteoti. In our cables of Tuesday it was stated the Fascists had broken out on a new lino of action, which is not so reprehensible as some of their past actions. The cable announces: “The General Fascist Federation of Industries is organising co-operative stores throughout Italy to supply workers with the necessities of life at a minimum cost. In some cases industrialists are opening their own stores arranging for existing shops to supply their workers with bread, rice, and other foodstuffs at especially cheap prices.” “Industrial Tramp” says; “ In Now Zealand tho housewife pays without grumbling the ruling rates for the necessities of life because she has learnt by this time that when tho cost of living falls her husband’s wages will decrease also. But one feature of the business that needs dealing with firmly is that of having less value for tho money. Why should jam, for example, that sails under the term of ‘pound tins’ weigh only 14oz net? oven though it is so declared in small print on the labels of tho tins. Before the war the housewife got her 16oz to tho lb . Candles are in tho same category, and numerous_ other necessary commodities, not including tobacco, some brands of which contain IJoz instead of the familiar 2oz tins. Many kinds of food are packed in cartons, which unhlushingly proclaun to those who are curious to search their deficiency to tho generally-accepted avoirdupois table. Some time ago this matter was brought before one of the Ministers of the Massey Cabinet, and he explained that it would take about two years for some manufacturing firms to use up their stocks of tins or cartons. But the two years have elapsed, and tho shortage still continues. In this respect at least one is almost inclined to wish that the Fascist activity might extend to tho dominion.”