THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 22524, 17 December 1936, Page 18

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

(By Tbadr Uxioxurr.) CHRISTMAS FELICITATIONS. With the old .year just .coming to a close one’s memory naturally reverts to the months that have passed in 1936. As the world grows older year by year nations, as well as individuals, have their changes. Nations, territorially, politically, and economically; individuals in experience, prestige, and power. All have their goals and, when attained, an interval for reflection and then again some , new ambition. At each success or failure memories creep in ? and then we wonder, why. And so it is with the years wei leave behind—some with regrets, others again just Hoping for a repetition of something that gave them pleasure and filled them with delight. There are hot many, I am sure, who have not that feeling of optimism that their lot, no , matter how humble it may be, will be improved. ■ _ If it were not for this feeling in-, spiring us to carry on, life to many, I'am sure, would be monotonous; it is the .struggle, the fight, that makes this life,, so' interesting. In the World today. there are . some wonderful movements, soipo comparatively, new, but mostly old; Men’s-.names are inscribed indelibly in literature,, art, and indus-, try; They Attained their goal, _ but death denied them further ambitions. This "to, most of'us. is the, most cruel part of the passing of the years. However, it is Nature's way, and no matter what we may think it is right. The Labour movement is one,'such great movement. It, like other movements, has lost some of its great stalwart# during 1936. To them we bow oiir heads and reflect;— The moving finger writes, and having writ Moves on; nor all your piety nor wit Shall lure it back to cancel'Half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word ■ of it. To the readers of this column, critic and friend alike, I wish the season’s compliments. To the former I express no regrets. I appreciate that to write on trade union matters is no easy task,' for the reason that there are so ninny schools of thought, differing on. what are the right functions of trade unionism. My numerous friends who have expressed appreciations, both written and orally, I' thank ’for; their encouragement. ’ • • • • ONE BIG UNION. 'A meeting of representatives of the various railway organisations was hold in Wellington at the end of November to discuss matters relative to the one big union issue. Mr E. J. Dash, president of the Amalgamated Society of Hailway Servants, was present' to look after the interests of the A.S.R.S. . After lengthy discussion it was decided to publish in all service journals, ■without comment, the resolutions of the executive council of the Amalgamated

Society of Railway Servants carried at the May session.

The resolutions, which have nreviously been published, are as follow: — (1) That this council is opposed to federation as a means of bringing about closer unity. (2) That this council is definitely m favour of ono big union on a national basis, a national president, a national general secretary, elected by the whole of the membership, a national executive council elected by the membership, a constitution of the bodies. to be decided by a conference with other railway organisations. (3) That in the event of our proposal being acceptable, we would favour direct representation for New Zealand Locomotive Engine Drivers, Firemen, and Cleaners’ Association, New Zealand Railway Officers’ Institute, and the New Zealand Railway Tradesmen’s Association on the representative body of the one big union. (4) That in the event of one big union as distinct from federation being formed in the railway industry, the executive council of the A.S.R.S, would advocate to its members that the funds and assets of all existing organisations should bg pooled and that all identities be sunk in the one big union.—‘ New Zealand Railway Review.’ • * * ■ • ■ COMPENSATION. - It is a tragic fact that there are large numbers of families of men who have died as the result of mishap at work ‘that are entitled by law to-compensation but are not getting it. That is also true of many men who -have been incapacitated at-work. These .people are paying heavily for non-unionism, because it is only by being a member of a trade union that one can be sure of the expert guidance and assistance needed to get what is due. A case just finished in the Court of Appeal illustrates the value of such help. . 1 ' . . A lorry driver in dnvmg a machine not fitted with a self-starter, had a Jot of trouble on a cold day last February; He had to crank the machine several times, and eventually the lotry had to be sent for by the. firm. The driver complained: of pains, and was laid 'up. Influenza supervened. He recovered from this, but after working a- couple of weeks -was, laid up again. . Heart trouble was diagnosed, and two months after the accident he died. , A claim for compensation was entered by the widow, but the county ; court judge held that, although the man had strained himself, the effects of influenza were sufficient to account.for death, and compensation was refused. • ; Had the man been a non-unionist it is doubtful if the case -would have gone even so far as that; but he was a member of the Transport and General Workers’ Union, , which supported the widow in an appeal. The county court judge’s decision had been reversed and £3OO awarded. Every week there are multitudes of cases dealt w.*'i by the trade unions, .which all point the moral that a wageearner cannot afford to be a- non-union-ist. But there is another important aspect of this case, to which Mr Frank Stilwell, head of the union’s legal.department, draws attention. Some years

ago, he points out, it used to be thought that if a person died from heart disease while at work ho had no right to compensation. But, over a period ot years, compensation has been secured in cases brought by various unions in which it has been established that the work and the disease, taken together, have brought about death. Even so, these have all been cases in which death had taken place immediately after a man had performed certain work, and the longest gap between work and death was 20 minutes. In the latest case two months elapsed. It now seems clear—thanks to trade union work—that compensation is payable where it can be shown that, with a heart in bad condition, the work a man does brings about his death. It is not incumbent on the claimant to prove special strain. —‘ English Transport News. « * * n SYBIL THORNDIKE PLAYS IN TRADE UNION CONGRESS SHOWS. A novel venture in theatrical enterprise was launched by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress recently in England. Towards the end of January, a company of professional actors, including Dame Sybil Thorndike and Mr Lewis Casson. -null set out on a three months’ lour of provincial industrial centres to present the T.U.C. play, ‘ Six Men of Dorset.’ > Their programme will include also Bernard Shaw’s play, ‘Captain Brassbound’s Conversion,’ with Miss Thorndike in the principal part. The General Council undertakes the necessary financial guarantees. Salaries will, of course, be guaranteed to all artists on British Actors’ Equity standards. Mr-Barry O’Brien will manage tho tour.

In a statement recently the General Council said special facilities to_ obtain seats for the plays would be given to trades councils, local Labour parties, cooperative societies, and sjmilar organisations in each centre visited. - It was added that a'successful tour will, it is hoped, lead to more permanent arrangements The play, ‘Six Men of*Dorset,’ created a deep impression when it was produced in Dorchester in connection with the commemoration of the centenary of the . Tolpuddle Martyrs ip 1934, and many applications for a repetition of it have been made. | * * * • . CITY FREEDOM FOR UNION , . OFFICER. Journeymen and masters in the ancient but dwindling craft of farriery celebrated at dinner in London recently an unusual tribute to a trad© union officer by the venerable guild of the craft. Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Farriers has been bestowed on Mr G. H. Holleyman, who for 39 years has been an official of the Amalgamated Society of Farriers and Blacksmiths, in recognition of his work as , 3 member of the. company’s registration committee. The guild’s tribute carries with it the freedom of the City of London. , This Company of Farriers is one of the least wealthy of the city guilds, having .suffered more than any other in the Great Fire of London in 1666. It has in recent years been vigorously developing a scheme of registration for qualified farriers, with its own standards of examination, and is seeking to extend facilities for education in the craft. As Mr J. T. Saunders, chairman of tho registration committee, observed at the dinner, although farriery is a decaying industry, there are indications of concern lest it should disappear. Tho Ministry of Agriculture had invited the company and others interested to a meeting to discuss the. matter. Tributes to Mr Holloyman’s work as a trade union official were paid by Miff. Hewitt (general secretary of the union), Mr C. Bowman (president of the Master Farriers’ Association), and others. ■' As Mr Holleyman is retiring from active official work in the union, presentations were made to him and to Mrs Holleyman. ».* * * , ARMAMENT WORK. Immediately Parliament reassembled, rumour got busy with talk of labour dilution for armament work. Suggestions were circulated that the Ministry of Labour was perturbed over shortage •in essential trades, and that measures were under discussion for compulsory dilution with trainees. It is doubtful if oven this Government would do anything quit© so silly as rumour hinted. There is high authority foor the declaration that the organised employers in the engineering inaustry, which is the one mainly involved, have no intention of seeking to get dilution. There has been discussion between the employers’ _ federation a,nd tho Amalgamated Engineering Union on making use of the existing reserves of skilled labour, and in due course this discussion will be resumed. There will also be talks between the employers and representatives of the A.E.U., the Transport and General Workers’ Union, and the National Union of General and Municipal Workers on the thorny question of the manning of machines. _ But all this has nothing to do with Government intervention, which has not been sought, and on which there has been no discussion whatever.— Industrial correspondent of the ‘ Daily Herald.’ ________