COMING ROUND

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8296, 6 December 1912, Page 1

COMING ROUND

TO PACIFIC METHODS FEDERATION AND THE AIMS OF LABOR. Special to the “Times.” AUCKLAND, December 5. The Auckland unions this week have been circularised by the Federation ot Labor on the questions of—(1) Financial aid to a fund, for the widow and children of the late j?. G. Evans, killed at Waihi, and (2) A request to bo represented at a monster conference at Wellington on January 21st next, composed oj unions registered under the Act and those outsideUnder the former proposal it is intended to raise a fund of .£IOOO for Mrs Evans and her # children, ike federation heading the list .£IOO. The second matter is to obtain the sup* port of unions for a proposal "to consider tho difficulties and dangers confronting trades unionism, and to .agree, if possible, upon a basis of combined action that will strengthen each and all, while making for the consolidation and emancipation of the great working class. 0 Further, it is stated: It is hoped that if the unions cannot agree on all points they can agree to stand by each other in wage wars and against laws opposed in their application to the traditionary industrial policy and principles of unionism. 0 "This is 1 all very well, says the ‘'Star's 0 Labor correspondent, "and it is a, step in the right direction, and it is a great pity the federation did not move in this direction before the at Waihi. The United Labor Party has several times since its formation endea* yored to get tho, federation to agree to a common course of action, and conferences have been held, but without avail.; The federation adopted an attitude that was the ■ reverse of - conciliatory, and told the Labor Party delegates that the party would have to adapt itself to the plat-r form of the Federation # of Labor, which practically excluded political action, and the projected approachment came to nought. I am inclined to believe . that the recent happenings in Waihi and Huntly have shown tho federatiomsts that inasmuch as they have to obey the law the best thing to do .is to take such political action as will enable the workers, to take, a hand ip direct lawmaking, and in order to do this successfully there should be cohesion and solidarity amongst the workers/' ‘ The chief objection to the proposed January conference raised by the Auckland unions is that of expense, and it is suggested • that. the conference shall be held over till March, when the Easter conference of the unions affiliated to the United Labor Party meets in Wellington,so that the one expense can be made to serve both purposes.