Trades Conference

Southland Times, Issue 19324, 11 April 1904, Page 3

Trades Conference

(Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 9. The Trades Councils conference decided that it be an instruction to the Executive Council to draw up a scheme for the inauguration of a Union label system. Ii was also resolved to urge that the Morgan method of mensuration be* introduced into tho elementary schools. It was d& cided to urge the Government 'toYproyjdc /or compelling all per_3pns or "firms, taking orders for tailoring to employ; tailors di tailoresses, •: such work to ;- be performed in workshops .•'for the ;.;tu_e being owned oi V occuiu-dY%x^e pdrabii or Yfirms. taking V such :.brder^Y*he object : being: to prevent • Yxer.taihv shops; charging. ' for tailor-made .'.•- "Suits ipid -'■ sending the cloth to be madei up "in' other ; ■ It was decided to urge an increase ol the; old age pension to 10s a week, and to urge the Government to pass a Shop Hours Bill, providing for a uniform hour ol closing, and a compulsory Saturday halfrholiday^-all shops to shut at G o'clock five days iaHbo week) and at one o'clock on Saturday. !-' The conference . decided to recommend Robert ' Slater to tlie . Unions for re-ap-pointment^ as the workers' representative . on the Arbitration Court. W. Hood - (Otago )'"• was * VecoxJOLin.o_._e_l a.s deputy r6- --• presentative. "'. - Resolutions were carried that the Government should be urged to amend the Municipal Corporations* Act to provide for payment of councillors for their services ; that tho next conference should be held in Wellington and fc-cccmmiend the following as tho fighting platform :— (I) Legal tender of State notes, (2) abolition of solo of Crown lands' and a periodical revaluation of all lands held on lease, (ft) government reform, to; ■provide that the Partiomiaitary franchise -.• shall extend to the YClectibhs of 'aU local ; bodiesf and that -every /elector shall have the right ..--to vote on: all financial questiohs submitted to a' poll, (4) Refereh-. Yduih Bill, with the initiative in the hands of the people, (5) compulsory preference' V to Unionists;, ' (-) abolition of the Upper •House. Y-.y ; " .. '-"' : "'. V; ■":■■ On _de motion of Mr TV. Hood (Otago) seconded by Mr J. Barr (Canterbury) it wasYresolved to make an- urgent appeal to Parliament for £500 for each trades .council; to assist in securing a trades .; hall 'for each centre. ;. .Uie Premier/: of Westralia ;(Mr James) is ai. daggers drawn with the Labour .party in his State. In the course of his declaration .of : Ministerial policy at Perth, : heis'-reported to have said : " The policy; Yof. the Labour party seems to consist of 25 .per cenk ? practical politics and 75 per cent, birdlime. I notico in their policy eig;ht compulsory items upon which electors are asked to give a definite opiiiion/ and an equal number of plunks on which a man can stand as he likes. It;-, seems to" . Ijc a policy of half-bond »nd half -free,, o policy the greater portion ;6f .which is outside the range of practical (politics, arid put; there foi* the purpose of .'attract-. .'ing unwary; electors, for. the purpose of ; -political bir'ddiine, and political birdlime Only. We want none* of that in politics. ■'. In the platform ;. of .the Labour party there are. planks which, I agree with, and ■'; which .'':eyeryY,v!pro'gfcessiveYvinaa'/ in this; :State.;agrees with ; but .the Labour party: represent a section . only— the trades unionist party, and the trades .unionist ■•party only. 'The so-colled Labour party are the trades unionist party pure and simple,, and not Y the Labour party, and Government stand .here prepared to, figlit" the monopoly of the trade unionists, • v 'as they would fig;ht a monopoly pf cap-' italists. We are not going tof allow Parliament to' bo controlled by 'any monopoly, whether it 'springs from trade unionism or. capital." .*"'•, ' .-. __ ■ ' - I