SHEARERS AND THE JULY CONGRESS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 5, Issue 177, 24 June 1914, Page 2

SHEARERS AND THE JULY CONGRESS.

■..'.•?.'" .'.''•, ''./.".' ■■: .'•■■ .'.''• .'A..""•'' '■''■-' ■ Ina'cimJlarfc'Bhearorfs senfduVby .Mr. ■■■■•LnrA'ey th,i,-/-jjiorith, h.& w.HtcijV— ■ I went couth on the first of this -menth. arriving at Dunedin on the oth. In that city I found a sad division existing ki the ranks of Labour, ivhich face, must be deplci-'J ,by all friends of tho working class. Solut officials in the unions aro doing •thwr ■ hardest- , iji the attempt to mar the .3nly Coriwence, and in this effort they are bne!;r>d up by the major portion of the pre*s in God's Own. ... So ft»r r>B 1 could gather, the objection to the conference is ou account of the faot. that it is being called by the Federation of Labour. What' matten .it who calls th.c conference so long n3 thp.utiicns are represented, ■ and p.n honest atteuip't made to bring the ..while of: the'workers iv tho Dominion to. a ■ undorsanding ? ■ - ... I also fvnd; that tbe greatest opposi.tiontt) tho conference corners from the •onj/'iais.of vuiions ■ and mnt-from tie . rank and''file <&i. tho workers ;■ iii- hi}i~ ■I.did not.' rufif.t one worker .who was ■tif opinion that his iinion should not be, represented. 1 trust, that they will asert themselves-and see that representatives are writ along. ■ Conferences, I will admit, are costly, hut at the same tinio I do not think we are m a position to dispense with tliem. Until such time as the workers are organised both politically ana industrially, it will b-e necessary for the ohosen representatives of the working class to meet together and deliberate as to tho best Methods to. adopt in , tbe fight for improved conditions. Furthermore, each delegate cViould be prepared to &ivo and take so, long as the sae.rifi.ee of a principle ii not invoked. Personal feeling should be oliminated and past differences forgotten. If thia h accomplished, the July Conference will be the great success , it should be , .