TRADES UNIONS FRICTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19736, 8 September 1927, Page 11

TRADES UNIONS FRICTION

MINORITY MOVEMENT. OPPOSITION AT CONGRESS. BITTER DEBATE ENSUES. ORDERS FROM MOSCOW. SCENES OF DISORDER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received September 7, 8.11 p'.m.) ■ A. and N.Z LONDON, Sept. 6. A bitter debate on the Minority Movement took place at to-day's session of the Trades Unions Congress at Edinburgh. A house painter named Beacham moved to send back t-o the council its instruction that tho trades unions connected with the Minority Movement should not bo recognised. "Were this my last night on earth I would never take instructions from Moscow or from the Minority Movement," said Mr. Herbert Smith, president of the Miners' Federation, in moving the vejec tion of the motion. Amid wild disorder, interruptions, the ringing of the president's bell and delegates rising to speak on all sides, Mr. Smith was continually heckled. He declared there was no difference between the members of the Minority Movement and the Communists. Both were instructed from Moscow and both were determined to wreck the constitutional trades unions. Mr. Walter Citrine, secretary of the congress, seconded the rejection of the motion. He suggested that the slogan of the members of the Minority Movement was:—"The more we are together tho nastier we shall be." Mr. H. Pollitt caused a sensation by declaring that if orders from Moscow were in tho best interests of tho working classes ho would not hesitate to follow them. Amid uproar Mr. J. H. Thomas, M.P., rose and said:—"The machinery of the British trades unions is more democratic than anything in Russia." The vote on the motion was deferred till to-morrow.

GEOGRAPHY AT FAULT. EX-COLONIAL SECRETARY. QUEENSLAND IN NEW ZEALAND. (Received September 7, 8.11 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, Sept. G. At to-day's session of the Trades Unions Congress at Edinburgh Mr. H. Pollitt demanded a survey of the whole trades unions movement. He said the need for clearing up the relation of trades unionism to the Labour Party was illustrated by the present railway strike in Australia. Thereupon Mr. J. H. Thomas, who was Colonial Secretary in the late Labour Government, said That dispute is m New Zealand." Mr. Thomas paused in an embarrassed manner in the midst of roars of laughter and cries of: "Where is Queensland?" He then hurriedly resumed his scat.

INDUSTRIAL PEACE. MR. BALDWINS PLEA. HOSTILE LABOUR REJOINDER. A. and N.Z. LONDON. Sept. 6. The Trades Unions Congress at Edinburgh unanimously adopted a resolution in reply to the plea made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, for industrial peace. This was to the effect that the workers were more desirous of peace than any other section of the community, but that the greatest hindrance to peace was Mr. Baldwin's attacks on the standards of life and the liberties of the workers and his lengthening of the miners' working hours. A repeal of these would be the best evidence of Mr. Baldwin's sincerity. Failing this, the country should take an immediate opportunity of pronouncing upon his policy. Mr. E. Bevin, secretary of the Transport an,d General Workers' Union, in moving this resolution, said Mr. Baldwin was facing both ways. He was responsible for Labour's troubles. Mr. Bevin said he was driven to the conclusion that there was a political policy behind his appeal for peace. The best contribution toward peace would be Mr. Baldwin's resignation. There was a lively debate on an extremist motion for an examination of the future policy and the leadership of the Labour movement. Mr. J. H. Thomas, M.P., asked how the workers could have confidence, when every night they heard their leaders called rotten. The motion was. defeated.