TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13157, 21 April 1906, Page 3

TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

SYMPATHY WITH HOUR WORKING DAY,

INCREASED POLL TAX .ADVOCATED

excouraoemen'* OF natural

industthes

fllV ThL>.<.BO*H.— PHP!** ASSOCIATION - .}

GtmtsrrHi'ncir, Fri'Ur.

Tub Trad* •■-. and Labour Conference resumed f,>day.

Mr. llossvr tAut-bland) umved, '*Ths* in consideration of the '~■< that very ia-nr" quantities of kauri gum are. exported ;<■> Europe and Aniern-a v■]'';>.<,:-,•■ Wing l sorted in the colony. arid, whereas th*> sorting da those countries ;■■ done by cheap labour, '(a the detriment of unionist gum sorters in tin- Auckland province, the eonfpretje*' strongly urges th< Government to impose an export duty on unsorled gum over the value) of £40 per ton." The motion was carried with the addition, "That the Government! be asked to nationalise tin* can industry, and. pending such action, to place a heavy export duty on gum."'

A motion by Mr. Cooper (Wellington.) was tarried. "That the Government f*» urged to introduce legislation to provide foe the registration of all partnerships and certificates of registration, to show the nam*!* and occupations of persons constituting nroh partnership."

A motion from the Nelson Council. ''That the (Government la* asked to provid** a penalty tor broaches of the. Shops and Otiic»ss Act on statutory holidays," was referred to the executive,

The conference, after « long discussion, carried a motion of sympathy with tin 1 Melbourne Trades Council for the institution of a universal six hours' day by nine votes to

seven. The conference next discussed tho motion. "That- tho Government he urged to amend the Electoral Act, making ii illegal lor any candidate for Parliamentary honours to mak'i' donations within three months of an i lotion."

An amendment, moved by .Mr. Walh.* • and seconded by Mr. lirvyu, "That the p*nalty should be imposed in rase of promises to give subscriptions-, or persons asking candidates for subscriptions.' was adopted, and the amended motion was then carried. .Mr. T. (!. Love (Wangunui) moved, "That the Workers' Compensation for Accidents. Act be amended by the addition of the following words to clause 6:—' Ami the inspector of factories shall claim from the employer the compensation the injured person . is entitled to, ami hand over the same to the injured person." " Mr. .1. If. Moore seconded the motion. Mi. M. D. Hampton moved as an amend' ment, "That 'inspector of factories' be .struck out, with a view of inserting 'an ! industrial union of workers may.' in lieu thereof." Mr. A. Collins seconded the amendment, ! which was lost on the railing vote of the > chairman. Mr. Wallace moved, "That, seeing the ~ present poll-tax of £100 per head on Chi news | immigrants is not sufficient to prevent laroo quantities of Chinamen from coming int> the colony, tied hand and foot for years to. Chinese employers who have advanced the amount of their poll-tax, this conference; it of opinion that the tax should be increased to not less than £200 per head." Mr. A. Rossor seconded the motion, and said that in a recent cargo of Chinese, which arrived at Auckland .there* were three Chinos** women. • r , Mir. Collins moved as an amendment, j "That the poll-tax be £1000 tier head." Mr. Westbrook seconded the amendment, j and thought it did not go far enough. »"; * After discussion, the amendment was put and carried. Mr. recti then moved, "That the (Jo- : vernment be urged to prohibit the immigration of Chinese and other Asiatics, and that this conference declares itself in favour of »• white New Zealand." Mr. J. T. Paul seconded the amendment.' Mr. J. Barr asked tho chairman to rul« if the amendment, was in order, as ih; brought up tho question of the immigration! of all Asiatics, and that of a white New'; Zealand. " • The chairman ruled the amendment in or-* der. - ■ •■ "■',.'•'. 'V'\'- ''*■'■ Mr. Paul, continuing, agreed with ; M*„ Collins that to increase the poll-tax simply meant increasing the terra of slavery whicW the Chinese had to undergo on arrival. It/ was bettor, therefore, to go all the way and), prohibit the importation of Chinese alto-; gether. - ■ Mr. A. Rosscr thought there was no 1 , chance of parsing a resolution in favour ofh a white New Zealand. It was unattainable, i and inmany "respects undesirable. '. r Tlio amendment was lost by 12 votes fcof , four. . ' / At the suggestion of Mr. Hampton, the mover decided' to add a proviso to la-is * motion, "That Chinese bo submitted to the same educational tests as any other undesk-\ able immigrant." The motion was carried unanimously. "■ ;'£ Mr. W. H. Hampton moved, " That th« incoming executive 'bo instructed to open up, correspondence with the Australian councils, with a -view to arranging for inter-colonial.'-trades and labour conferences in the- near future." _ .. : .Vv;.;.';;"; Mr. J. Ban seconded the motion, which was carried. . . •• -'i'-'y Mr. J. Ban submitted the following from the Canterbury Council: — As the grocd for surplus profits is a curse to all industries, this Council urges the conference of delegates of the trades councils of New Zealand to discuss the advisablenosa of the work of the colony l>eing done for use instead of for profit." lie- said that if the conferencewas prepared to go into the matter, . he— would 1 lie- pleased to submit a motion on. fchfl subject. ' ; ~,:..' This was agreed to, and Mr. Barr then moved, "That the Government be urged to bring in a Bill fixing the maximum profit* in all industries, empowering the Government to call triennial for returns from all manufacturers and employers of labour in the colony, and to encourage the combination of industries, or on a co-operative basis."

Mr. E. floin's seconded the motion. Mr. McLaren moved as an amendment,, "That the question bo remitted to the several councils for their consideration, with it*-' sfcniotions to report their decision to thW executive in time to go on the next conference order paper." Mr. A. H. ("oo]>er seconded the amendment. . t;,-. After some discussion the conierenow ; aodpted the following resolution, "Thatthis conference, recognising that the greed for' the surplus profits is the curse "of ail indus-< v. try, affirms the principle of displacing-«u profit system in favour of a system _in which, production is for use, and that, the incoming executive be instructed to draft a scheme' I on the lines mentioned for submission to tb«_■;■-•. next conference." J ,= Mr. K. Brecn moved, "That the cnntar-J enee take into consideration the question. of; . united action in. connection with the selee-f tion of the workers' representative on the; :y .Arbitration Court." In support of the mo-; j tion Mr. Brcen expressed the opinion that' ;j'£ it was desirable for the workers to have th»» it beat representative they could possibly get upon the Arbitration Court. • Mr. A. Collins seconded the motion,; ' which was carried. * Mr. It. Breen moved to refer the. matter to the incoming executive. The idea lie had in his mind was to ask the various councils to submit the names of suitable candidates, ' which itf turn could be submitted to the ■'«. various industrial unions. ■■ t, Mr. \Y. 11. Hampton seconded the motion, which was carried, with a m-ommendatiop that the executive consult the various councils. ■■ •• •;• Mr. W. H. Hampton moved, "That the conference affirm the principle of Mr. R. McNab's Absolute Majority Bill, and urges the Government to give practical effect to it by legislation." . ' Mr. McLaren seconded the motion, which was carried, the Nelson delegates dissenting- ■ ■ ■■ Mr. A. Rosser (Auckland) moved,' " That the tariff be revised this session so as to give greater encouragement to all natural industries, and, inter alia, to provide that a prohibitive duty shall -1m- placed on—(a) All imported manufactured parts used in the bookbinding industry; (b) all imported buegies, whether whole «">• in pans; ..(e) all foreign-built vessels sold in New Zealand; (d) the -same duty be placed, on machinery' in all vessels built to order outside tho colony tor local companies as now exists on machinery imported in parts." Mr. W. "Wallace seconded the motion, and after some discussion the conference adjourned till half-past eight to-morrow morningl. :"':'.?