TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3031, 17 April 1912, Page 52

TRADES AND LABOUR.

SAWMILL WORKERS. WELLINGTON. Aoril 9. Mr E. Phelan, Auckland, presided at today's conference of the Federated Sawmillers and Timber Workers. The annual report stated that the executive thought the matter of organisation and the making of a Dominion award should be further considered by the conference, which should also consider the question of federation The question of obtaining a Dominion award caused a lengthy discussion. Mr P. J. Lyons said that seme of the unions were to blame in this matter in not letting other unions know what they were doing-. It was time the -conference concentrated its attention on this question. The Wellington Union was going for new conditions, and definition of yardmen, etc., wore imperatively needed. AH the holidays allowed were not wanted', especially in the bush mills. The Wellington employers \Vou'd give nothing, as they knew the other unions were at sixes and sevens. He moved that the conference adapt the principle of a Dominion award. Mr T. O'Byrne agreed that the unions should work more in concert, but ho said there were places where the men were quite unorganistd The trouble was that there wore so many men outside the union. When these men were enrolled it would be oasier to secure a Dominion award. The Chairman said a Legal and Advisory Committee, with representatives from each centre, should be set up to simplify matters before approaching the court. It was the duty of each union to finance the committee. The stronger unions should come to the assistance of the weaker ones by appointing a Dominion organiser. It was decided to set up an Advisory Committee of three to advise the unions to tak e car«; before the Arbitration Court if necessary, and to act as assessors on the Conciliation Council. Messrs F. J. Lyons, E. Phelan, and T. O'Byrne were elected members of the Advisory Committed. April 10. The sawmill and timber workers' conference to-day decided to instruct the incoming executive to take immediate 6teps to register the federation under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, also to urge the Government to carry out the work of reafforestation. April 11. Replying to a deputation from the Timber Workers' Conference, the Hon. G. Laurenson said he had a good deal of sympathy with the proposal to nationalise the timber industry, but he did not think it could be tackled in the near future. The Minister did not see how they could avoid leaving mortgages at first call in the case of bankrupt employers. Personally, Mr Laurenson favoured increasing the duty on foreign timber, but that would mean raising the cost of living. The establishment of a State ferry service would be a necessary corollary to the completion of the South Island Main Trunk railway. Mr Laurenson said he would support statutory preference to unionists.

FEDERATION OF DRIVERS' UNIONS. WELLINGTON, April 10. The New Zealand Federation of Drivers' Unions, which lias just concluded its deliberations, gave full consideration to a proposal from the Gisbprne Union as to the advisablenees or otherwise of withdrawing from the Trndes Council Federation, and (as a federation) joining the Federation of Labour. The Gisborne Union recommended that this should be done by the Drivers' Federation. After a lengthy deliberation an amendment was put and carried : —" That the Drivers' Federation take a referendum of the whole of the unions affiliated with it on the question as to whether the federation shall join Professor Mills's unity scheme or the New Zealand Federation of Labour. As soon as the copies of the constitution of bpth the Unity Federation and the Federation of Labour ajce available, then a ballot shall be taken on the distinct understanding that, unless the Drivers' Federation decides to join either of the federations as a federation, rp individual union shall join either of the federations referred to as a union." Messrs Stove and H. Hunter were appointed representatives of the Drivers' Federation at the New Zealand Labour Party's Conference.

DRIVERS' FEDERATION. WELLINGTON, Aoril 10. At the Drivers' Federation Conference it was derided to take steps to obtain a Dominion award, a preliminary conference to be sought with the employers with that object. It was also resolved that before disputes are filed throughout New Zealand the federation request the Government to appoint a man with industrial and commerei.nl knowledge, with a view to having the disputes settled on a basis of equity and justice, and not on legal teehnicalitißfi.

SHEARERS ,*YT> " T . lO i_ SHEr) gM. FLOYEES. WELLINGTON", April 10. At the third annual conference of the New Zealand Shearers and Woolshed Employees' Association to-day, representing about 450 workers-, it was decided to take a ballot next shearing season as to whether the union should cancel the registration under the Arbitration Act. April 11. The Shearers' Conference decided to establish a head office at Wellington not later than September 1. April 13. The Shearers' Conference passed a resolution calling upon the Government to repeal the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act, also expressing the opinion that the effective defence of the- Dominion lies in a scheme of naval defence with the. Commonwealth of Australia.