COMRADE CAREY

NZ Truth, Issue 571, 27 May 1916, Page 7

COMRADE CAREY

Spread and Silver for a Sergeant

Labor Leadors' Tribute to a Soldier of

the King.

There was a fine gathering of Wellington Labor men at Godber's Rooms, Cuba-street, on Thursday oveutng, tho occasion being & farewell and presentation to Sergeant E. J. Caroy, who Is leaving with the nest batch of reinforcements for the front. Mr. If. J. Renxdon, who for many years has been a olose friend and Trades Hall colleague ol Mr. Care>^, very ably performed tho duties of the chair. In proposing tho health OP HIS OLD COMRADE tin arms m tho Labor movoment, Mr, Reardon said, few men m New Zealand could say that they had done more for Labor than had Mr. Caroy. The Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union, of which ho became secretary when that organisation was all but moribund, and which ho had galvanised into newness lof life, had presented him with his j membership card and contribution book . showing his activities In the cause of i Labor, and when visiting kindred I^ijbor organisations In other parts of the I world it would act as a passport Mr. Carey had taken an active part m [bringing about tho Act of 1907, was instrumental m securing tho Shops and Ofllces Act and the 62-hour weok for hotel and restaurant employees. Previous to this, employers could call upon > their employees to work any hours, and Ihe also obtained for thorn tho weekly j half-holiday. Ho was mainly roapon'slblo for the organisation of the Canter(bury, Wellington and Dunodlu Hotel Wind Restaurant Workers' Unions, and assisted tho council m respect to tho • : Auckland Union. Ho had worked ! strenuously for years to get a alx day j week. "Surely." said Mr. Reardon, "a :man who has been responsible for glv- . ing the hotel and restaurant workors • this has done almost a llfo'w work/ ■Ho went on to show that this wna by >no nieana tho culmluation of Mr. j Carey's labors ON 13KHALF OF THE WORICERS. Ho had been a loyal and persistent battler for a distinct Labor Party m politics, and had been a candidate, both for Parliament and for the Municipal j Council. H was through Mr. Carey's ! agitation that the Arbitration Court ! had boon reopened, Before sitting down t Mr. Reardon presented Sergeant Carey with a silver tea Hervlce on behalf of tho TrAdes Union secretaries of Wellington. Sergeant Carey feelingly and fittingly replied. f Several well known Labor men, Including Measra. \V. T. Young. John Rijfg. ex-M.L.C\. W. O. Veltcti, M.l*. and Alf. illndninrsh. M.I 1 ., ulho pftJO tributes to the doparUng sorgcani'H ability and uccompliHhinentK, and expressed the fervent hope that ho would j return with now and greater honors. "Truth" wishes to add its word of ncknowledgomont of thft work and worth of "Little Jack" Carey lo the coukx and waiters In particular, and the Labor movement an a wholo. If there wu« one man m. tho iJthor movement who had made hlmnelf thoroußhly master of th« lawn, Mtatuteß, regulationn and awards governing Labor In thia country, that man wiw Carey, secretary of the Willlnßton Cooks and WaltorH* Union. "Truth" had long been of opinion that Mr. U. J. Cnrey hod qualified for higher and more important work, ami hud tills dtotructirig war not broken out. it would have HUKgi'»ted that a Ijxbor Advisory Hureau should hav<> boon opened, lo u'hlch workiTH and aecroiarlos of unions could have applied for advice IN ALL KINDS OP DIFFICULTIES and that Mr. B. J. Carey should havts been aueh a buroau'tf /lr«t director. Perhaps when the war l» over thin Idea may bo revived and brotisrht to fruition, and. if «o. "Truth" trust* "Little" Jack Caroy will bo to the for« ito "1)11 the bill." Won voyage nnd a. i glad home-coming ta bi«J