UNITY LABOUR CONFERENCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3149, 22 July 1914, Page 5

UNITY LABOUR CONFERENCE

ITS OPERATIONS OUTLINED. INTERVIEW WITH MR MAGUIRE. Messrs W. E. J. Maguire and M. M‘Allen (secretary of the General Labourers’ Union), who were delegates to the Unity Labour Conference which has just concluded its sitt.ngs in Wellington, returned to Dunedin on the 14th inst The former gentleman gave an Otago Daily Times reporter an interview yesterday, in which ho set forth some interesting views upon the conference. _ - v Mr Maguire stated that a spirit of cooperation was manifested generally from the outset/ and every delegate seemed keenly desirous to assist in the promotion of the one and only theme —solidarity. The presence of Mr J. Rigg in the chair a confiderce that freedom of expression from all sides would be given the fullest latitude. Though the conference lasted five days, the same conciliatory spirit and vitality manifested at the initiation of the session was mantained to the end. It was generally admitted that the constitution adopted was one that could be safely accepted by all unions, and that any trades unionist that opposed its acceptance could find but one alternative —the Employers’ Federation. Healthy compromises were generally agreed to for the purpose of effective propaganda, but were merely t&ctful phases of organisation, and in nowise shrouded the one great issue—the emancipation of the wage-earners from the selfish utilisation of the fruits of their labour by those who control the machinery of production. Otago, from an industrial standpoint, represented, to many, a medley, and it was soon discovered that under the constitution there was nothing to prevent the Otago Labour Council from becoming, if it so desired, the district council of the United Federation of Labour. The election of Mr D. G. Sullivan as president and of Mr Mark Fagan as general secretary, together with the adoption of such careful and prudent provisions against any unjustifiable attempts at irresponsible strikes, gave an assurance that Labour in New Zealand was at last determined to build a movement national both in name and spirit. To render a federation workable, several conditions were recognised as necessary. The first was that there should be a sufficient amount of mutual sympathy among the whole of the trades unions. The second idea aimed at for the stability of the federation was that, while unions were given complete self-government in their own affairs, they were not dependent upon their individual strength against any combined encroachment by the forces of capitalism, neither could they involve any other units of the federation in any strike without the sanction of the national executive. So that any recalcitrant union was open to a pehalty, decided by the next annual conference, for any violation of the constitution, under which a union owed allegiance to two forms of jurisdiction—one to . its district council and the other to the national executive. The constitution read on this point: “ District’councils shall have full power to deal with all matters coming within the province covered by their affiliated unions, provided that all matters likely to involve the’ national body are submitted to the central executive.” On the political side the idea of making the Social Democratic Party the political exoression of the United Federation was keenly debated, said Mr Maguire, and there could bo no denying the fact that for the purpose of those who belonged to the same class, having the same interests, all their sympathies directed into one national political channel, as conducing to a feeling of identity of political interest, was advisable, and as’ it was the only national political body, its claims for priority could not be lightly set aside. Therefore, this binds the members of the United Federation of Labour to fight on one political side, and must tend to kill once and for all any personal feelings towards one another, or any diversity of feeling on the political field by the working class. Furthermore, it was a’great conference, and its deliberations will have as salutary an effect as any other extension of the practice of co-operation, through which the weak, by uniting, can meet on equal terms with the strong and with the all powerful combinations of divergent organisations. By diminishing the number of those potty independent labour bodies or unions, which are not really equal to their own protection, it also weakens the temptations of any aggressive policy being adopted, without 'the sanction and support of the whole of the rank and file. The question of the greatest moment, continued Mr Maguire, was in regard) to the mode of voting in regard to strikes, and the adoption of the secret ballot was found to be not only imperative, but justifiable and preferable’ to open voting. The vote will now become a sacred trust, a moral obligation, a valuable instrument of order, and will bo free from coercion, by opprobrium or otherwise, on the part of those who precipitate rash action. It was to be clearly understood that the old executive was riot turned down, but voluntarily stood aside, and the vote of thanks for their past services, and the general recognition of how they were drawn into the last strike, was carried with more than ordinary enthusiasm He was profoundly-impressed with the significance of this conference. The debating was entirely free from personalities. Indeed, it was a great gathering of capable and earnest men. The smoke concert held on the eve of the close of the conference wg,s a function never to bo forgotten, and gave the fie to the tooth to those who charge the workers with intemperance. In conclusion, Mr Maguire remarked that he was out to conciliate in the first instance in the direction of uniting labour under the banner of the federation. If that failed, then, at the cost of sacrificing the two official positions ho held, ho would devote his attention henceforth in the direction of combating any opposition to establish a national movement. The door of unity was now wide open, and it was urgently necessary that all unionists should discourage the continuance of war between factions in labour circles. An immediate necessity existed for making the objects of the conference the common interests and the common cause of every working class organisation in the dominion. “United,” concluded the speaker. “ wc stand on industrial terra firma. divided wo are derided and bereft, and merely floundering like a lot of industrial and political ciphers or pigmies in the industrial and political revolt against a system which is destroying the kingdom of social righteousness by preventing the binding of men too-cther so that, from mere grains of sand, they become members of one body, knit together -in the holy bonds of love and service.. in the interests of the widest and fullest national family life.”