SHEARERS' UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17327, 29 May 1918, Page 3

SHEARERS' UNION

THE RECENT CONFERENCE. COMMENTS BY MR BOREHAM. A Daily Times reporter yesterday had au interview with Mr S. Boreham, who has just roturned from Wellington, whore he j attended the third annual conference of tho Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' Union, the largest union of workers in Now Zealand, with a membership oi about 4000. Mr Boreham prefaced his remarks by stating that anything ho said! was strictly an expression of his own personal opinions. .Speaking generally, the conference had accomplished much useful work in every direction. Tho personnel had consisted of a great many of tho old workers in the union, and tho general trend of the discussion showed him that the mature judgment of theso men had taught them that there were two sides to every question. Personally, he thought that if the employers would' only J discuss matters over the table thev would find it a much more effective way of settling differences than by standing aloof, and iudustrial matters would proceed much 'more smoothly than in the past. Dealing with tho question of the press, Mr Boreham said that his observations, based upon his experience at many conferences, led him to tho conclusion that organised labour was bitterly opposed to the tactics of tho public press. However, his own view was directly contrary to that opinfon, and if it had not been for tho press the agricultural and pastoral workers would not have hud the benefit of the Shearers Accommodation Act. Personally, no had always found the press willing to support a g°od cause, and to do its utmost towards any genuine- grievance that was brought before its notice. A remit was before tho conference proposing- that the union which is now registered under tho Trades Union Act should return under the auspices of the conciliation and arbitration laws, but this was defeated. It was pointed out during the discussion that the union had made application for registration under the Industrial Concilation and Arbitration Act, but the employers had opposed this action, and had driven the union to register under the Trades Union Act, which provides for a legal strike. That registration was the greatest factor in preventing the union from becoming a branch of the Australian Workers' Union, which adheres decisively to the provisions of tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act in Australia, providing for tho settlement of all disputes by arbitration. Mr Boreham said he would liko to give it as his opinion that the employers had made a groat mistake when they opposed tho A.P.U. becoming a corporate body under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. _ With regard to the question of amalgamation, it was proposed at tho conference that the union should become a branch of the Australian Workers' Union, but this motion was defeated l . The reasons given were that certain Jegal formalities had to be overcome, and as a result of subsequent discussion it was resolved to empower the secretary' to keep in touch with the Australian Workers' Union, with a view to overcoming these difficulties and smoothing the way for amalgamation. In Mr Boreham's opinion the defeat of this motion was very regrettable because, in a ballot taken on the question 3000 members of the union had voted for amalgamation as against 400 who had opposed l it. Continuing, Mr Boreham said: "I regret this failure, too, for the sake of the employers! because war or no war, owing to our militant constitution and to the affinity between Labour organisations here and in Australia, organised Labour is in a position to check the influx of labour from ono industry to another, and also from Australia to New Zealand. This, I thintk, was made clear to the employers in the pastoral industry of this country last year when, during the last sheaving season, only 16shearjrs arrived in New Zealand from Australia, and this notwithstanding the fact thot the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister of -Interna! Affairs) used his best endeavours to entice shearers from the commonwealth to come to New Zealand. Wool growers in the dominion will agree with mo that there was a great shortage of shearers in New Zealand last season, and as a result the shearing was extended for two months over the usual time. Had New Zealand been affiiliated with Australia under a common law, say, the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the fact of this affiliation would havo resulted in preventing any opposition to tho Australians coming to Jlew Zealand emanating from our union." Dealing with the question of shearers' accommodation, Mr Boreham said that tho reports of the union agents disclosed a revolting condition in parts of the North Island. These were made Tery clear, nnd sne-cifio cases were pointed out to the Acting Minister of Labour, showing that the conditions at Gisborne and in Hawke's Bav were i abominable. It was alleged that men, women, and children were herded together in the most deplorable manner, and this not in ono case, but in no fewer than seven instances. The conditions in Otago wore much better than this, and the only possible conclusion was that the Act was administered in a very lax way in tho north. A motion was carried l urging tho Minister to replace the present system of police inspections bv appointing civilians. A matter bearing upon the future nolv*v of the union was also discussed by Air Boreham, who stated that in tho past tho A.P.U. hntl always boon averse to political notion, preferinpr to settle disputes "on tho lob" I>y tho strike mothod. A motion hn<? Vioen brought forward at the conference to tbe_ effect that the union adopt political action in tho future for tho purpose of ronVpssHKr frrinyoTipps. "T tliitik.", commpnted Mr Boroham. "that this is n wisn st"rj, because frnm now onwards political •loHon or constitutional moans will v> strictly to .is acrninst tT»« out-of-date and orudo m?thod of tho strikV The conference pnssod a rosoluHon irVin Maori worlcors special representation on +'•>? Tt w*s also r^olvpn , thnt th« •Wion of tho Onvommonf in su<;nonrli"" the provisions of ArMtrqtinn rv>nrf awnrrls in rocard to mhiniM soM-'ors k* rnnof bointr anv to tho r"tumpH men. n«w rnmil.it'on w<: oonsidcrod f o j, n de<»M«yfly ininrinn<! ripcni™ iturovont-rl tlipm from rmin<r aWo to obtain award rnt«s of pny.