Westland Timber Workers' Union

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 295, 25 October 1922, Page 2

Westland Timber Workers' Union

SECRETARY'S AJTJTUAI. 'BT-POBT.

At the annual meeting of the above Union held on October 7. in Greymouth, the Secretary,- Mr. Turley, presented the following; report: — . MEMBERSHIP.

During lh3 year sotho 200 new members joined the union, which should prove conclusively that no man Is allowed in the industry for long without your Secretary "getting on his track, and I think with the new preference clause no ; man will be able to dodge his obligations to the union. You will notice' that' over 800 members paid for a yearly ticket and this shows., j-ou'r contributions to. be fairly well paid up. During" the year a large number of members left by cieai'ance, and again a lot of men have left the industry without having" troubled to get a clearance. -= I regret to say that a large number of men left through the slum}} in timber,- when has been worse this year than last, but should now improve with the possible advent of free trr.de- between New Zealand and Australia, and if the mills on the Coast to-day were iully manned then there would be easily 1200 men employed, but as most members are aware the mills are only a little over

half manned. I wish.to again, thank all d-elegiates -ioa , -their' assistance during the year, for without same It would be impossible to -carry on tlie work ot the-.organisation and I trust they will .continue to carry on their good v.'ork.during the coming year in (.he interest, of themselves, their or-S:-mi3cii.iou. and the I.abour Movement generally. : ~:..--,.

SICK AND ACCIDENT FUND. The proposed .Siofc"' aiid Accident Fund in conjunction with the union, which the?, employers attempted <to make believe they were in sympathy with.-has'not yet• received practical support from them, b\it a society lias been established, and if wholeheartedly supported by the men in the industry, I have no doubt If will 'be a great success. I feel sure that a little effort on the part of the i-mion will bring a subsidy from the industry to this society "of Id. per -100 ft. With this subsidy I am sure the society could pay 1/- per week for men off work through accident and £1 per week .when off sick; and with an equal subsidy from, the industry, as piovided for in the coal mines, the benefits could be £1 and £2 per week respectively. ■FORGING AHEAD FINANCXAI/LY.

■ On reading the statement of your accounts you will find that your assets are just over £450, with no labilities. I thlnk this shows your union to be in a fairly good position, and accumulating- assets at the rate of £100' per yeaiv Now that your union is right on its feet the financial position should steadily improve, and your organisation should he a great asset to the Labour Movement generally. During the year quite a number of compensation cases have been dealt with and some hundreds of pounds saved, to the workers concerned. Your union lias also been the means of recovering something over £1000 in. wages which would never have been recovered had no union been in existence.

SEND LABOUR TO-POWER,

People who are reading this can return a Labour man to Parliament next December, if you , only use your intelligence- and vote for your own class, and not for the employing class. The 'elections next December are just going to give you what you want. 1C you want wages down to 10/- per day and your wives and children half fed and half clothed, then vole Liberalism or Masseyism; but if you want decent condition of work, and a decent standard of living for yourself, wife and children, then vote Labour no matter whom the candidate may be. .

"MAKE YOUR OWN .LAWS. , '

In conclusion I wish to point out that as predicted in my last annual report, tho fight to reduce wages 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 organisation- with, highly-paid secretaries dnia organisers' to assist them in their class war. 'You can be sure about this war . .being; a class war, brother; that's" all it is—the master class against the wage slaves. Of course, the workers have it la their own hands, to remedy matters. There

are two ways: Firstly, the way Russia went after having enough of Capr italism; or secondly, the correct.way in this country, and that la to capture that talk shop in Wellington, and make your own laws." .

OFFICERS ELECTED. The following officers were ejected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr: B. Topp; Vice-Presiclent, Mr. T. Moye; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. F. Tur.ley; .Committee, Messrs. N. Warren, M. McLaus'hlan, J. Couison, J. Anderson, and R. Fortiham; Delegates to L.R.C., Messrs. F. Turley, M. Clancy, J. Anderson and CI. Williams; Trustees, Messrs. E. Brennan, and J.C B. Couison; Auditor, Mr E. Warnes.