KING COUNTRY SAWMILL AND TIMBER WORKERS' UNION

Maoriland Worker, Volume 11, Issue 476, 28 April 1920, Page 5

KING COUNTRY SAWMILL AND TIMBER WORKERS' UNION

On April 1, the King Country Sawmill and Timber Workers' Union held their annual conference at Ohakune Junction, when the following officers were elected: —President, W. F. Dengate; vice-president, A. Devereux; trustees, J. Craven and S. Mcßride; secretary-treasurer, F. Langstone; committeemen, "W. Costor, C. Bailey, E. Neary, P. McMinamin, W. Bilsland, AY. Broomhead, A. E. Millar, A. Strachan, and A. Brown.

*The president outlined the work of the last year, which has been a most successful one, both from a financial and organising standpoint. The whole spirit of the delegates present was to make the present year's successes surpass what has previously been accomplished. The organising secretary is out on- the road addressing the mill .workers in all the timber camps, explaining the objects and aims of unionism, and the executive of this union is absolutely convinced that the mere chasing of more wages is not the solution of the economic . problems, which are confronting us today. Unless the industrial workers of this country get down and intelligen ly consider some form of ownership of the industries by the workers, we will remain in the blind alley. The Socialisation of industry is a very fine and sound principle, but it will not come all at once. One of the chief indictments against our present mode of production is that ths non-workers take control of the commodities which the Workers have produced, and they are privileged to juggle with them as much as they like inflating values and increasing the cost of living. Chasing wages is a will-o-the-wisp, it is only deluding the worker, and blurring the real issue.

It would be satisfactory to take up this aspect of the question and act upon U, blazing the track for Hip ferm of unionir.m v.hici; v.-iil Ik> i.lc3ti*icd ; .o ufiiicr in '>h<- InrJvatrJal Dei.'.ocrnoy.----FRANK I'.ANv-iTOXE, Secretary.