TIMBER WORKERS’ UNION.

Grey River Argus, 11 October 1922, Page 6

TIMBER WORKERS’ UNION.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The annual general meeting of the Timber Workers’ Union was held last Saturday, when the following business was dealt with: —■ The balance sheet for the year ending June 30 last was adopted, same showing the Union to be in a good liu ancial position. It was decided to invest another £5OO in the “Grey River Argus,” conditionally on other unions on the Coast investing an equal quota. The matter of drawing up proposals for a nexv agreement xvas left to the Secretary to carry out, and submit same to a g'cneral meeting to be held during the Christmas holidays. The matter of Sunday xvork at saxvmills xvas left to the Secretary to inquire into. The folloxving officers xvere duly elected for th-c ensuing year: —President Air B. Topp; Vice-President, Air T. Moye, Secretary and Treasurer, Air F. Turley; Committee, Messrs N. Warren. Al. McLaughlan, J. Coulson, J. Anderson, and R. Fordham; Delegates to L. R. C., Messrs F. Turley, AL Clancy, JAnderson, and G. Williams; Trustees, ( Messrs E. Brennan, and .1. C. B. Coulson; Auditor, Mr E. Warues. SECRETARY’S REPORT. The Secretary’s Annual Report xvas then rendered as follows: — Membership.—-During the year some 200 new members joined the union which should prove conclusively that no man is allowed in the industry for long xvithout your Secretary getting on his track, ami I think with the new preference clause no man xvill be able to dodge his obligations to the union. You will notice that over 800 members paid for a yearly ticket and this shows your contributions to be fairly well paid up. During the year a large number of members left by clearance, and again a. lot of men have Left the industry xvithout having troubled to get a clearance. 1 regret to say that a large number of men left through the slump in timber, xvhich has been worse this year than last, but should now improve xvith the possible advent of free trade betxveen Nexv Zealand and Australia, and if the mills on the Coast to-day xvere fully manned then there xvould be easily 1200 men employed, but as most members are axvare thtt mills are only a little over halt manned. 1 xvish to again thank al* Delegates for their assistance during the year, for xvithout same it xvould be impossible to egrry on the xvork of the organisation and .1. trust tli-ey xvill continue to carry on their good xvork during tlie coming year in the interest of themselves, their organisation and the Labour Movement generally. The proposed Sick and Accident Fund in conjunction xvith the union, which the: employers attempted to make believe they were in sympathy with has not yet received practical support from them, but a society has been established, and if xvholeheartedly supported by the men in the industry, I have no doubt it xvill be a great success. I feel sure that a little effort on the part of the union xvill bring a subsidy from, the industry to this society of Id per 100 ft. With this subsidy I am sure the society could pay l/- per xve-ck for men oft" xvork through accident and £1 per week xvhen oil sick; and xvith an equal subsidy from the industry, as provided for in the coal mines, the benelits could be £1 and £2 per xveek respectively. On reading the statement of your accounts you xvill find that your assets are just over £450 xvith no liabili- | tics. I think this shows your union J to be in a fairly good position, and accumulating assets at the rate of £lOO per year. Now that your union is right on its feet the financial position should steadily improve, and your organisation should be a great, asset to the Labour Movement generally. During the year quite a number of compensation cases have been dealt xvith ami some hundreds of pounds saved Io the xvorkers concerned. Your union has also been the means of recovering something over £l9OO in xvages xvhich xvould never have been recovered had no union been in existence. In conclusion I xvish to point out that as predicted in my last Annual Report the fight to reduce xvages is right on, and make no mistake the employers are going to use any method to win out. They have got the Government, the Arbitration Court, and all the other master class organisations xvith highly-paid secretaries and organisers to assist them in their class war. “You can be sur-e about this war being a class xvar, brother; that’s all it is”- —the master class against the xvagc slaves. Of course, the workers have it in their own hands to remedy matters. There are two xvays: Firstly, the xvay Russia went after having enough of Capitalism; or secondly, the correct xvay in this country, and that i s to capture that talk shop in Wellington, and make your own laws. You people who are reading tin's can return a Labour man to Parliam-eiit next December, if you only use your intelligence and vote for your own class, and not for the employing class. The elections next December arc just going to give you xvhat. you want. If you want ' wages down to 10/- per day and your wives and children half fed and half clothed, then vote Liberalism or Masseyism; but if you want decent conditions of xvork, and a decent standard of living for yourself, wife and child-

ren, then vote Labour no matt»'r whom | the candidate may be. Balance sheets xvill be posted to all I mill delegates, and any member can procure one by calling on delegates for same. If there is no delegate, members can procure one from the Secre-