UNITY OF LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3031, 17 April 1912, Page 33

UNITY OF LABOUR.

PROFESSOR MILLS'S SCHEME ADOPTED. WELLINGTON, April 10. The Labour Unity Conference has concluded ita deliberations. The unity proposals and constitution of the proposed United Labour party were amended and drawn up for presentation to a separate conference of the Labour party and Trades Councils. When these two organisations have dealt with the scheme in ita amended form the constitution will be submitted to the Unity Conference for final endorsement. In connection with the pledge in the past signed by parliamentary candidates it is understood that in future there will be no such pledge, merely the affirmation signed by all members "of the party when they first join the organisation. This affirmation of principles embodied in the constitution will guide the parliamentary representatives in their actions as it would a private member of the riarty. . The general principles of the Unity proposals were formally adopted without discussion. MA' ft. Breen (Otago) then moved: " That the constitution of federation be amended by the adoption of the unity proposals in whole or in part, together with any further amendments which may be agreed to, and such amended constitution shall take the place of the present constitution of the New Zealand Federation of Workers, as endorsed by the Trades and Labour Councils and affiliated unions." An amendment to withhold consideration until the unity proposals had been considered was lost, and the motion was carried on the voices. Discussion then took place on amalgamation with the Federation of Labour. Various motions were proposed and met with some opposition, one speaker saying that the Miners' Federation, if given time, would die a natural death. Ultimately Mr Coleman (East Coast) proposed a resolution affirming that the delegates to the conference, if unity proposals were adopted, should do their utmost to bring about the amalgamation of the Trades and Labour Council and the Federation of Labour. The President (the Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C.) agreed that " this side of the movement had done everything possible to bring about amalgamation. The leaders of the Federation of Labour, or some of them, were not prepared to promulgate a policy acceptable to the majority of the workers of Xew Zealand but one which was personally acceptable to themselves. They were in the position of dictators ; they were not administering to the desires of the democracy. He did not think the motion, in view of the unity proposals, should be adopted. The Federation of Labour had by its attitude forfeited its riccht to take part in any unified scheme in the interests of labour." Mr Sullivan (Canterbury) agreed that nothing short of the adoption of its revolutionary constitution would satisfy the leaders of the Federation of Labour. Mr Coleman, in replv, emphasised the fact that the real need was to get into touch with the rank and file. The motion was carried with two dissentients. A drastic motion referring to the conduct of the president of the Arbitration Court came before the conference this afternoon, when Mr Sullivan (Canterbury, in very strong terms, mover! a motion condemnatory of Mr Justice Rim's treatment of the union representatives before the court, nnd attributing a larere number of the union cancellations to his merhorls in ndministerincr the act. He said that the lansnarxe of the remit misht be strong, but he asserted that the discourteous treatment meted out bv Mr Justice Sim was responsible for many of the of registration that had ♦ -ton place.

1 Mr W. T. Noot (Wellington) moved an amendment—" That a committee be set up to draft a new Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, this to apply to all remits i dealing with the act." He declared that he had been treated courteously by the court, and it was undeniable that certain ~ union officials had tried to browbeat the ; court. Whilst the Wellington Council was of the opinion that somebody other I than a judge should be president of the court, it could not support the motion. The President ruled that the amend - j ment was not in order. Mr Muir (Wellington) also stated that ' he had been courteously treated by the ] judge of the court, and in one case he

had received considerable help from him. Still, the judge sometimes asked the union officials to make their case as short as possible owing to the pressure of work. He seemed to make the Arbitration Court subsidiary to the Supreme Court. The work of the Arbitration Court should be pre-eminent in point of importance. Mr Burgoyne (Canterbury) said that in the recent case at Christclmrch Judge Sim had jumped on him almost before he opened his case. Mr W. W. Naughton thought that the discussion was not likely to do any good. The same complaints had been made about Mr Justice Chapman and Mr Justice Cooper. It appeared that some people always expected to get concessions from the court. He thought that most people who went before the court received the greatest courtesy. Mr Burgoyne: I have not.

3dr Naughton demanded that if the conference thought that the judge of the Arbitration Court was the wrong man ■why did it not say «k>? He doubted whether they would do any better with a commercial man at the head of the court. If the motion was passed what good would it do? If they were going to suggest that a Supreme Court judge should not be at the head of the court—and he honed they were not going to do so—they should say so. There was nothing to be gained by slanging judges. Mr R. Breen (Otago) said he would oppose the motion, because in the first place it was not a truthful motion. The motion was rejected on the casting vote of the chairman. April 11. I The Combined Labour Conference tonight adopted Professor Mills's unity scheme and the constitution promulgated for the new proposition, which is to be called " The United Labour Party of New Zealand." Its objects ane set out as follow: 1. To promote the organisation of all the workers of New Zealand in all forms of necessary service. 2. To protect their interests in the matte* of regular, rational, and remunerative employment. 3. To promote their good citizenship and to increase their efficiency. 4. To consolidate their political power on their own behalf and to use their whole power, both poiitic-il and economic, in negotiations with employers before the courts in municipal, county, and Dominion governments, in international relations, and if need be in industrial revolt. 5. To use the fruits of every partial victory to strengthen and continue this work until the power to oppress and exploit any of the workers either by private monopolies controlling the Government or through the private monopoly, ownership, and control of industry shall utterly disappear and there shall be secured for all the people powei to purchase with their income tlhe total products of their labour; until, in short, the means of production, distribution, and exchange in so far as they constitute in private hands instruments of oppression and exploitation shall be socially owned and operated without profit and for the common good of all. Membership.—This organisation shall consist of—(a) Single local unions of workers; (b) national federations of distinct trades, services, and occupations; (c) r.atioral groups of federations of distinct trades, Mrvices, and occupations; (d) distinct trades or labour councils •' (c) associated societies and individual members. righting Platform. —Tne establishment of State ferry services and State collieries, also that the Dominion Government co-operate with the Federal Government of Australia in the establishment of an interstate shipping service, the abolition of the country nuota in determining parliamentary representation, the parliamentary franchiso to apply to the election of all local bodies and to all local polls. Legislation reversing the Osborne judgment as related in Now Zeuland; the restoration of full political rights to all public empoyces; the initiative, referendum, and recall on proper petition and by bare) majority; endowment of motherhood; pensions for widows, orphans, the blind, and incurably helpless, and State medical aid and hospital care in ail cases of illness; proportional representation on a single transforrable vote; (he Establishment of a State bank and of the sole right to issue paper money. A land system shall bo established which shall bring into the most productive use, either by individual undertakings or by public enterprise, all national resources, which shall make absentee ownership and private monopoly in land impossible, which shall secure to the landholder all the values created by him and those only; all such values to be exempt from all taxation, and shall secure to tho public in an annual tax all values created by the public. No further sale of Crown lands, increase in taxation of land values, the revenue so raised to be used to reduce the cost of living by the reduction of Custom taxes on the necessaries of life not produced in New Zealand, and by the reduction of railway freights and fares, j That a free and secular State education system bo maintained with compulsory at- j {•ndance up to the age of 15 years, -.nd that I the necessary books and stationery bo supplied free by the department, that bovond : that age all boys and girls not receiving full time instruction at secondary or other schools shall attend continuation classes for not less than 15 hours per week until they reach the ago of 17, that no employer shall employ boys or girls under 17 years of ago for more than 30 hours per week, that provision be made so that up to the ago of 21 yearn systematic physical exercise shall bo substituted for military drill, the right of the peoplo to decide all questions submitted on a bare majority vote, the establishment by law of a national minimum wa,ge, and a right of work act, tho

establishment of competitive State factories. works, and services, the settlement of industrial disputes on the lines of legally established agreements and awards by methods of conciliation. The party leader is to be elected by caucus. April 12. At the New Zealand Labour Party Conference to-day Mr W. H. Hampton (president) moved the following motion, adopting the unity constitution : —" That the conference accept as a conference and promise to loyally adhere to and do its utmost to bring into full operation the constitution and decisions of the United Labour Party Conference which has just closed." Mr R. Slater (Dunedm), in seconding the motion, said their difficulty was to bring the working men into line. It was not their opponents that were the trouble. When this difficulty was overcome the party would achieve success. The speaker said that he presided over the first conference held 21 years ago, when the Hon. W. P. Reeves recommended Mr Treaear as head of the Labour Department. This was endorsed by the delegates, and Mr Tregear had done exceedingly well. Mr Tregear acknowledged the compliment paid him. Mr J. A. M'Cullouch said he had been connected with many movements to solidify the workers, and he was very glad to know that this was being accomplished. This alone compensated him for being out of the direct fight. He was satisfied £hat the party was going to capture the reins of Government and rule what would become a great nation. The fact that the constitution allowed any useful person to enter the party was the hope of the future. He had never known anything which made him so proud as to see the Labourites sitting from 9 o'clock on one morning to 3 o'clock on the next, and devoting their full attention to such impoi-tant proposals. Mr Ro3enfeldt (Woodville) expressed his pleasure that the farmers had awakened to the fact that they must be represented in the Labour movement.— (" Hear, hear.") Mr Hunter (Christchurch South) said there had never been a Liberal-Labour alliance, and the success attained in the last few days was owing to the party's absolute independence.—(" Hear, hear.") Mr J. Smith said an organisation had been formed which would make history. Mr W. J. Jordan (Wanganui) declared that if they got off their horse to kick at every little dog which barked at them they would not go far. Many little dogs would be found snarling at them, but they were on too good a horse to get off. Mr D. M'Laren said he greatly appreciated the move they had taken. On all sides they had met men and women bent not on securing their own ends, but on the fulfilling of the duty oast upon them. The Labour party in speaking on behalf of the democracy was not speaking for an abstraction. If the ,party could make the environment of life for children better a great work would be accomplished. —(" Hear, hear.") He appreciated the kindness of a section of the electors of this city who gave him a holiday so that he could go in for organising work. A liabour man was of no use unless he would leave his seat for his principles. — (" Hear, hear.'') The movement was always above the private individual. A big forward stride had been made in the last four years, and now they had the unifying work of Professor Mills.—(Applause.) The message could go out to the workers that there was hope for them in the coming years. The motion was carried unanimously amidst applause. It was also decided)—•" That it be a recommendation to the delegates of the New Zealand Labour party to urge the desirableness of passing resolutions of congratulation and of the action of the National Administrative Council, and of assisting to bring to a successful issue the proposals contained in the unity scheme." A motion setting up a Board of Control (to consist of the National Administrative Council), with instructions to revise the rules, bringing them into oonformity with the decisions of the United Labour Party Conference, and give effect to those decisions as far as they applied to this organisation, was adopted. TIMBER WORKERS. WELLINGTON, April 10. The unity proposals came before the Timber Workers' Conference to-day, when Professor W. T. Mills, Mr E. Tregear, and Mr D. M'Laren addressed the delegates. The first speaker, Professor Mills, gave an interesting exposition of the scheme to federate tlie distinct trade organisations in a general national body. The units wpuld have representation in the central organisation. No one who could by any stretch of imagination be termed an employer would be admitted. Each trade organisation would be preserved intact. The matter had been discussed by about 50 delegates to the unity conference, representing 35,000 or 40,000 working men, and the delegates worked hard for 23 hours. He would like to place on record that he had never in his life met such a group of people representing interests so patiently, continuously, and sincerely endeavouring to discover the wisest thing to do, and to devise means by which it could be effectively undertaken. The Chairman (Mr E. Phelan) said that the conference proposed to appoint an organiser, and he desired to knpw whether such work would be peformed by the main body. Professor Mills replied that each of the different groups could place its organiser in the field with instructions, he suggested, to co-operate with Ipther organisers. ""Bodies which could not appoint an organiser would probably be aided by a bigger organisation.

Mr M'Laren favourably commented oft the spirit shown bv the members jof the '' unity conference. With the backing of all the workers of the country they would quickly have a united Labour party. The ; mists were being cleared, and he believed that excellent progress would now bo ; made. Mr E. Tregear said that in all his ex- ; : perience he had encountered no scheme so perfect, so flexible, and so sjolid -as the unity proposals of Professor Mills. He had nothing but praise for the scheme. ■ The Federation of Labour point of view was put before the delegates by Mr P. C. Webb, who said the Arbitration Act was of no value to the workers. An;: organisation of the wage-earners was . needed in New Zealand under one great federation. So far las the unity pro- j posals were concerned the union between I fanners, doctors, bankers, and prjofee- I sional men. and miners and timber I workers, was going to result in a milk--, and-water policy. No freedom would I come by toadying to the middle class.. He did not think there was going to be ■ much unity. The middle class, as a class, I had neyer taken the side (of the workers. | His friends were organising for the pur- :■ pose of abolishing the system of private I property, and to build up such an orga-ni-sation as would give to the wealth-pro- I ducers the value of their labour. Organ-1 ising for any iother purpose than Socialism I was of no use, and it was a waste of I time worrying as to whether it was re- :i volutionary or not. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded I Mr Webb for his addrew. He was also I told that the matter would be considered. |