Auckland L.R.C. Activities

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

Auckland L.R.C. Activities

The Auckland Labor Party has resumed its popular Sunday evening concerts, which, up till now, have been well attended. F. N. Burtram, M.P. for Grey Lynu, spoke at the inaugural one, when he dealt with his trip to Samoa. Freddie was listened to witii rapt attention, and as he made his points against the Government slave system of indentured labor, round after round of applause was given, which indicated feelings of the vast audience towards the enslavement of .the ignorant, illiterate coohe.

On the following Sunday night, M. J. Savage, M.P. for West, and W. E. Parry, M.P. for City Central, took for their subject "The One Big Union. Is it' Practical, and is it Expedient?" Although a very dry subject, nevertheless it attracted a very fair audience. Mick Savage dealt in very fine style with the practical side of the 0.8. U., and very soon had his audience not only convinced of the practicability of the One Big Union, , but also that it was a natural outcome of economic development: He traced in a studious manner the evolution of the machine process, from the handicraft days when a man made a pair of boots single handed, up to the present time, showing how the instalment of the machine displaced the men, and how the making of the boot by one man had to-day given way to the passing of it through numerous hands before it was finally completed. He showed that in the days when the men worked with the small tool the craft union was in keeping with the tool he worked with, but the machine developed and thousands of people were in big factories, so the necessity grew for more effective organisation.

ones, so the necessity grew for more ffective organisation. Bill Parry then took up the expedency aspect, and said that the craft inion was just as ineffective and inixpedient to-day as a weapon of deence against the capitalist machine is was the use of the blunderbus igainst the modern machine gun. The ndustrial machine that Labor was ising to-day was obsolete and should ie relegated to the scrap heap with its nate, the old blunderbus. The peaker went on to show that not only vas the present craft machine obsoete and cumbersone, but it was also wasteful and expensive. In an amusng and satirical fashion, he dealt with he unnecessary duplication in the conomic administration of the preent craft union. He instanced the onstruction of a large building, where •ou would see the Organising Secreary of the Carpenters' Union come long and enrol carpenters, and it night be that a bricklayer was standng alongside of the carpenter, but it ,'as no business of the carpenters' or;aniser to enrol the bricklayer. Eventually along comes the organisng secretary of the Bricklayers' Jnion and enrols the bricklayers, "robably there is a plumber standing kith him, but it is no business of the iricklayers' secretary to organise the 'lumber. The next day along stalks he organising secretary of the ilumbers and enrols the plumber, and r> do so he passed two or three genral laborers; and so this wasteful innecessary duplication goes on. Not nly is there waste in organising, but ach Union has an office with a teleihone, a typiste, and all the incidental xpenses in the upkeep. What is reuired is organisation alonsr the lines f industry, with one big office, where ny worker could walk in, irrespective f what particular calling he may be ollowing. and enrol in the army of ,abor, with one ticket for one organiation. (Applause.) He concluded rith a strong appeal to all unionists o get busy and assist in the creation f an industrial machine that will be n keeping with the natural demands f modern economic and social remirempnts. Freddie Bartram, M.P., speaks at Vhangarei on the 18th, where they mend to follow the Auckland Party's xample in holding Sunday night conerts. . Bill Parry leaves here next nonth for the Whangarei district, and nil give the boys there a week for rganising purposes. Good luck to ■ur comrades in Whangarei. They re in deadly earnest to capture the

The Auckland L.R.C., with its energetic honorary secretary, D. Wilson, is making arrangements to accommodate the three Labor members in one big office, and is also furnishing an adjoining room as a receiving room. This will enable Labor members not only to keep faith with the public by affording easy access, but will give the Labor movement an opportunity of using the Ms.P. for organising purposes.