TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12853, 29 April 1905, Page 6

TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

NEW LEGISLATION SUGGESTED.

[BT TELEGRAtUI. —PRESS ASSOCIATION'.]

Wellington - , Friday. At the Trades rind Labour Councils Conferees to-day a motion was carried in favour of a State '-Kite issue to complete, the. Main Trunk railway and other important railway ■works. A motion in favour of statutory preference to unionists was carried unanimously.

. It was resolved that, provision should be made in the Arbitration Act for industrial agreements between union workers and a majority of employers in any district, such agreements to be as effective as ail award of the Court. A number of other amend- : meats of the Act were proposed and adopted, including one to prevent the reference of disputes to +he Arbitration Court direct. A motion to urge the Government to appoint experts in the clothing trade to ensure • the faithful observance of awards in the clothing industries was rejected by nine to three. It was urged that the Arbitration Court judge should attend solely to Arbitration Court, work. It- was resolved that the •Government be urged to amend the law to enable municipalities to acquire gas works ••registered under special charters. It- was agreed to recommend the referendum and the initiative, abolition of the Upper House, and an (electrics executive. 1 Other subjects as to which resolutions -were passed we're the following:—The amending of i' 1 Lunacy Act, to provide for greater "are being exercised in the committal of uoubtlul cases; the -Appointing of board;? of appeal in connection with asylums, orphanages, and industrial schools; and laws or iemulations preventing t-he full exercise of civil and political lights by '■State Mid municipal employees to be repealed. It. was also decided that the Government •bo urged to adopt a self-reliant policy, and to cease borrowing, except for the redemption of loans: provide for increase in laud and income tax, .nth reduction of the ?exemptions now allowed introduce legislation- ensuring that where male and female workers are employed they shall receive .equal pay for equal work. It was further decided to make a number ok in ingestions for the amendment of the inspection of Machinery Act and the Shipping and Seamen Act. * rhe Hon. E. W. O'Snllivan, ex-Minister foe Public Works in New South Wales, •w.'ao has arrived in New Zealand to inveitigate the working of the Labour laws, ,-iva.v a visitor to the Trades Conference today. In the course of a brief address, he saad he was deeply interested in. the affairs of th labour party. Although he had mob b3en a member of the party in New South Wales, he had voted with it on nine on- of every ten occasions. He Jiad beat president of the Sydney Trades Council when working' as a printer, and president of the Seamen's Union and Wharf labourers' Union. He thought there wis > great future for the Labour party nt 'Australasia. Certainly colonial workers -were • mot : going to work under the co.'idiJtions which prevailed in the Old Count)y. 'A high state of civilisation was going So bo maintained, following upon the rule of I,he democracy. He hoped to give ail address on this subject ire Wellington.