FEDERATION OF LABOUR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 23, 25 January 1913, Page 5

FEDERATION OF LABOUR.

UNITED ACTION WANTED. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, January 24. When the Labour Conference met this morning, discussion was resumed on Mr Ross’s motion yesterday, in the direction of securing united labour action ,and on a lengthy amendment,, moved by Professoi* Mills, to the effect “That with a view of securing a complete industrial and political unity all industrial and political labour bodies, not identified with the United Labour Party, be requested to appoint a commission to meet and confer with the Easter conference of the United Labour Party for the purpose of consolidating the forces.” Mr Ross’s motion Was carried, and Professor Mills’ amendment is now under discussion on similar lines to preceding discussions. EXTRAVAGANT SPEECHES. AFTER MR MASSEY’S BLOOD. Wellington, January 24. The Labour Conference this afternoon adopted a resolution by Professor Mills: “That a special industrial committee bring down to this confeience an outline of a constitution; such outline as approved by the conference in be later recommended to all trades unions as the decision of the conference; a sub-committee afterwards to be set up to work out the details and report the same to a joint conference, comprised of delegates from all unions adopting such outlines of constitution.”

It was resolved that a conference be held at Wellington on the first Tuesday in July, and that applications be made to the United Labour Party and Socialist Party to postpone their annual conference to the same date. The following were elected to form a sub-committee to work out the details of the new constitution Messrs. Ross, Semple, Hickey; Fraser, Hunter, Young, Parry, Belcher, Holland, Mills, Webb, and Tregear. On a motion to refer the matter of political unity to a committee of 12, Mr. Ross opposed it on the ground that they should first come to some decision as to the essentials for unity which were objective, and the name the Federation was prepared to have for unity on tjie political field, providing it was on a sound basis. Finally an amendment by Mr, Tregear : “That one committee act in both cases,” was carried. It was decided to establish a central bureau to distribute information on matters of special interest to unionists.

Mr. .Boreham (Dunedin) moved: < 'That with the lessons of the past year written in the blood of our dead comrade before us, no effort should be spared during the next twenty-two months that will tend to bring about the political destruction of the Massey Government.” He said that immediately the Massey Government got into power they repaid the workers who had put them there by sending police to Waihi. Evans was killed by the law of thuggery, put into operation towards the destruction of clean unionism. Mr. McLennan said that after what had been done at Waihi and Huntly it was up to every worker to help to shift Mr. Massey. The condemned the scabs, but those who were accessories —who endorsed the scabs—were worse than the scabs. The scab was sometimes the victim of economic circumstances, but the man who stood outside and applauded the scab and aided him was far more worthy of censure. The Massey Government’s actions had ended in murder. The Miners’ Hall had been broken into, not only with the police looking on, but with the police assisting, under instructions from the Massey Government. The discussion was unfinished when the conference adjourned till to-mor-row.