TRADES COUNCILS CONFERENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13268, 27 April 1905, Page 7

TRADES COUNCILS CONFERENCE.

(Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April. 26. ' The Trades Councils Conference .u'as'eoutinucd to-day. There was keen'competition for the hsSdquartera. for tho. coming year. Chrislchurch aiitl". Dmiediiicriticised Wellington's administration, of. affairs. .■ Eventually Duncdin wis selected. . It was decided that tho. next conference be held ut Christcluu'ch. . ' ; . It was decided, after, animated discussion, that the Government ; should be 'urged to establish legal bureaus and appoint nublie defenders in all cases of indictable offence:! in which the accuscd . persons " had not tho necessary means to employ . professional assistance. It was', resolved .to recommend that all articles manufactured in the colony bear a stamp to that, effect;. IFbou Ova Ows Coxiirseohdeht.l , AVKIjIiIivRTOK, April 26. Labour,.is apiiiil displaying ii : ' tendency to "beat its Joss," if the expressions of its leaders in tho Trades Conference : can bo' accepted as a Criterion!. Tho Otago delegates (Messrs Scott, aiid.. Hood) protested at the conference against .the.expression of regret in the annual report of .tlie executive that the-Otago Council had."not remained loyal to the decision of last year's conference tliut unions should. suriporfc tlio- reeloctiori of Mr It. Slater, to the Arbitration Court' and,_the. election'-;of Mr' Hood ■ as... acting-member of. ;the " court,'- 'as;' the, , Otago Council nomine(ed Mr'Hwd iti bj»-"

position to Mr Slater. ,Mr„ Barr (Christchurch) supported tho Dunedin representatives. During the discussion several delegates freely tho workers' representative on tho bench/'" A Nelson delegate said:, "\Yc. voted loyally for Mr Slater, according to the direction of 'tho. conferenee, but we have altered our opinion of Mr Slater . since.'' . Wellington delegates held that tho most .important phase of tho question wa9 not. that of men, but loyalty to the governing body's direction: Toting ono ( way at a conference, said Mr Hampton, and acting contrary to that action in private council had been, the weakness of tho Labour party. On tho motion of Messrs Hood and Barr the : paragraph .in question was struck out" of tho- report by 6 votes to 5.