TRADES AND LABOUR COUN CIL.

Grey River Argus, 22 July 1910, Page 6

TRADES AND LABOUR COUN CIL.

(Per Jb*ros(i Assocmtiouy. AUCKLAND, July "21. The Conference of the delegates of the Trades and Labour Council was resumed this morning. Mr G; R. Whiitimg (Cainter.bury) in the chair. The following recommendation from Dunedin was referred to the platform ccmmiittee— "That the Conference be. requested to recommend the Trades •Councils or distriot councils to tstaiblisn laibour representation councils in each centre, such councils to consist of representatives of all organised lab or progressive ' bodies, the councils to have* a free hand in the framing of the'r conStitution and fighting platform, provided such constitution and platform does not interefefe with the general principles of the Federation of Labour." In 'moving on behalf of the East Coast "That the Government be urged to fix separate days for general elections and local option poll," Mr Long said in" Gisiborne the question of local" option completely foreshadowed the political issue and interfered with the chances of the labour candidate. i The' motion was thrown out. Mr Howard (Caruter.bury) moved to amend the Conciliation and Arbitration Act by deleting in part 1 section 3 "number of workers who" and insertiing "Union the y member of which." At: present the Act said that a strike •meant the Apt of any number of workers. They wanted the Act to read "the term strike means the act of any union of workers." At present a few men might briing about a strike without reference to the union at all. Mi Sullivan, who seconded, said they wanted it called a strike if decided on by the union, but if one or two individuals combined to act it should be regarded as a breach of award. Several other amendments hanging on this proposed alteration were also carried. With regard to the clause providing for penalties for breach of awards it was decided to recommend -that in sr^c* tion 24 they delete all the' words af tei "No" in the second to last line, and add members of an industrial union oi .woikers shall not be liable for a larger sum than £5, and no member or industrial association of employers shall be liable for a larger sum than £25. ■ It was resolved to suggest an am-" endment of seotion 35 the effect of which would be to enable the Conciliatiion Council to demand the, production of an employer's book of profits and loss in the cverit of him setting up the defence that his profits would not permit him to make any increase in the wages. Another amendment supported would i have the effeot of giving- an agree•Tient arrived at by the parties before the conciliation the effeot of an award of the Court, upon the paj-rties signing a requisition to that effect to the Court,