TRADE UNIONISM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2124, 25 February 1908, Page 3

TRADE UNIONISM.

LECTURE BY MR AV. E. BELL. A lecturo on the aims and objects of Tvado Unions was given by Mr AV. lib 8011, representing the Canterbury Tanners’ and Follnumgers’ Union. I Mr S. Old presided over a moderate attendance. , I In introducing tho footuror the, Chairman stated Unit it was the best time that a lecturer had come, and Mr Bell had been deputed Irom Canterbury to address Unionists. AVagos -had risen, but living had gone up 11 Tho lecturer expressed pleasure that tho peoplo hero recognised the. value of Unionism and although their conditions were not all that could bo desired, they were hotter loi burin" a union. He went to l.unaru to nlaeo bel’oro his union certain changes that were contemplated, and us a stranger, lie was wolcomed. Unions wore multiplying very rapidly in New Zealand, . and the world ol labor was constantly undergoing a eluume, and unless they were not proparod to cope with theao, they would gob squeezed right out of tho running. It was a wonder that they did no’, take greater advantage ot their .power as trade unionists. In the early (lavs, their pioneers had a very l> set time, but now labor was awaking- That awakening was sinco Air. Seddon’s death, and this feeling was expressed very freely. The capitalists recognised that combination was tl n spirit of the age, and it permeated everything, and then it became necessary lor labor to combine to meet the forces arrayod against them As America and England were greater centres of industry, consequently tho Trade Union movement was greater there. Congresses wore beiim.hekl in England, but tlio workers there had boon very conservative, but things had altered, and now they passed motions of straight-out Socialism. It was as well that the American workers combined. Perhaps his hearers had heard of the Colorado murder. In that case, a mine manager was killed, and if the strength of the union was not _as great as it was, some of the officials would have been murdered. The federation of all tho unions in Now Zealand was spoken of; scattered forces did not have much weight. . A union might pass a resolution, important or otlicnvire, but no notico was taken as they were so small, but if it was done in AYellington and wliilo tho Governor’s speech was being diseussedj notico would be taken. Sluggishness. perhaps, occurred to mar tho interest of the unionists, especially where there wore different elements in a union. A union was banded together for a common cause, and there should bo no cliques. Every man who worked for liis wage was a slave, and no one could deny it. Suppose, lie continued, an award was •riven with a certain wage, the next Thing was that rents, necessaries, etc., had gone up, and they were no better off with the increase. Although there were no Trusts here, there were firms who controlled mnnv articles. A man’s wages must always be gauged by their purchasing power, so under any system of this sort, tho increases would only bo neutralised. In England, a man coukl exist on 24s a week, and lie could live better than people hero at £2 2s a week. In Germany lie coukl live on less, and in Italy they got less still. The;, only got *6d a day in India. They coukl tell a judge all the pitiful tales they liked, but- if they coukl live on £2 5s a week, that was all they would get. Correspondence took place between his union and the AA’aikato union, and the former recommended the formation -of a federation, and that it should meet at the opening of Parliament. Thus they coukl probably get what they wanted. The selection of members of Parliament was suggested for the conference. He knew members of Parliament, lie recognised that name as a shibboleth, like charity, which covered a multitude of sins. The Government would have to count with a third party, and he was sure it would bold the balance of power. Ho exhorted his hearers to stand firm to their trade unions. It was the only organisation lie had to lean against, and the unity of .labor was the hope of humanity. The Chairman announced that Air. Bell would answer questions. The first query was in regard to the opinion of the Arbitration Act. He replied that lie did not have a high opinion of the Arbitration Act. A judge presiding over the tribunal could not, lie said, know every trade. Seven trade experts had failed to come to a decision regarding a trade request, and therefore it was more difficult to an outsider. The Act prevented strikes. Regarding the butchers, there was a flaw in tho award, otherwise the Arbitration Act was certainly workable. He had been in a dozen strikes, and they had never clone the men any good yet. Even if they got a ton per cent rise, it took ■twelve months to make up their losses, and if they got no rise they got further behind. One tiling about tho Act was that it bad taken the spirit out of the men. He believed in compulsory preference. Air. Justico AA’iltiarns said in one of liis judgments that any non-unionist had no right to ask for work. He would not give a non-unionist any status at all. Ho did not believe in compelling men to join a union. Suppose, he continued,, that out of 100 workers at a place 30 were unionists, if tho other 70 were forced in, the union would get their subscriptions but never their moral support, and probably they would cause trouble.

A questioner asked liqw it was proposed to alter tlio conditions obtaining at present—when an award gave more money, the cost of living increased correspondingly. “I will toll you,” replied Air. Bell. “Organise yourselves in a solid body from Auckland to the Bluff. Tho workers of the Dominion represent 85 per cent of the population, and they can do what they like. This is tho finest country in this planet owing to its splendid isolation, and wo can try any legislation we like Other countries are trying things which are accomplished facts here, indeed, ancient history. By organising, we can improvo tho system which brings about these conditions.

The next question was, ‘‘Do von believe in engaging tradesmen ill England.to come here to work?” No ; that would be engagement by contract, and the law prevents tins. Remember the six hatters. T/ie market could thus bo flooded with tradesmen of any class. New Zealand is going to experience a period of depression as well as America ; it came on there in so short a time as five weeks. “Would not. a Labor Government drive capital out of the country?” was the nature of -a question. “I wish to God they would,” came the response. “I wish every capitalist would clear out of the country. The capitalists raise the erv about capital being taken out of the country. They seem to think that if they died, ive would too.” The Chairman supported Air. Bell ’U regard to the proposed federation. He proposed that p. hearty vote of thanks be accorded the lecturer. Mr. T. Jackson, secretary of the Freezers’ Union, expressed pleasure at their receiving an address from Mr. Bell. The motion was carriod unanimous-

Arr. Bell briefly returned thanks, rii doing so, he mentioned that Laborites could dip their fingers into municipal politics or anything. In the large industrial centres in England, Labor practically “ran’.’ „ the municipal councils, and the result was that the people got better public services in every respect and rates were reduced. Labor's greatest enemy was King Ignorance. There was room for half a dozen more unions in Gisborne. Speaking to a “Times” reporter at the conclusion of the addfess, AL\ Bell referred to where the political element invaded the industrial union. “I used,” he said, “to belong to the old school of trade unionists who be-

liovo that the industrial unionism •should bo held sacred so lar us anything in connection with tho political element was concerned. , Nothing should over eonio .in which was likely to bo of political significance. 1 have outgrown tho narrow coniines of that belief, and 1 hold now that tho trades unions should organise tho workers for the improvement of their social and .industrial conditions, and that he should take every opportunity which presents itself for using tho unions for political purposes. Un-i doubtedly, every farmers’ union and settlers and manufacturers’ associations use tho power they have in their organisation for political purposes, and we find it everywhere in reports of speeches, It is high time tho worker realised that, trade unions are the only organisations for liis benefit, and they should be utilised for every purpose for his social and industrial advancement.”