THE World of Labour

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 760, 18 July 1916, Page 3

THE World of Labour

TOWARDS UNITY. NEW LABOUR PARTY. The annual conference of the New Zealand United: Federation of Labour was smaller than its predecessors, says the Hon. J. T. Paul, in his notes in the "Olago Daily Times." Notwithstanding this fact, it represented something over 10,000 workers. The smaller number of delepates was compensated for by the fact that district councils were represented, and these are composed of many single unions. One of the most far-reaching decisions of the conference was the decision to invite the delegates to the Social-Democratic Party Conference to meet and discuss future political action. The outcome of this step is referred to in another note. The Military Service Bill occupied the delegates for some considerable time, and the conference was unanimous in its condemnation of conscription. A plebiscite vote of the organisations will be taken on the question, and it is expected that this will further strengthen the protest against the Bill. Various industrial questions were discussed and future action determined on as the circumstances warrant. The conference decided to recommend the unions to support Mr J. A. M'Cullough for reappointment as workers' representative on the Arbitration Court. Mr John Dowgray .was recommended for appointment as deputy representative. The conference was successful in every way. The Political Labour Movement A little more than 12 years ago, continues Mr Paul, a Labour conference decided that Labour in New Zealand politics should be separate (and distinct from all other political parties. For those 12 years Labour has been divided on the question. Labour parties have come and gone. The reason? That is too long a story for a brief note, but this may be said: When one section formed a party the other section proceeded to annihilate it. And this internecine warfare has consumed 12 precious years. That the time lias not been wholly wasted, however, was borne in upon me many times during the recent conferences. Men formerly separated by "what they considered vital points of policy and purpose, reasoned together last week to such purpose that instead of forming a "new" party they decided to weld all existing political Labour forces together under a well-known name—the New Zealand Labour Party. The result is that the Labour Representation Committees, the branches of the SocialDemocratic party,' and affiliated unions are joined together under the simplest political constitution orga-; nised Labour in New Zealand has yet put forward. And its simplicity is its strength. Pitting aside the present political situation and the apparent advantage which it gives for the formation of the Labour Party, there has been at no previous time a better prospect of internal unity than at present.. Never before in our political history has an executive been composed of such elements as the executive of the New Zealand Labour Party. Altogether the future outlook for success—and Labour unity mean', certain success—is much more hopeful than at any time for 12 years. And when one looks back, 12 years is a long lime. One Big Union.

One Big Union of Workers is a big idea. By some it is thought merely a dream. But the dreams of to-day are the realities of to-morrow, writes a contributor to the "New Zealand watersider."

Will One Big Union ever come? is often asked. It must come, continues the writer. Modern conditions will force it. Modern machinery eventually will do away with the craftsman and replace him by the machinist. Modern Capitalism, grouped into trusts and combines, will force the workers to combine to counteract such captalist combination. Each generation demands better educated and more skilful workers. The teamster is rapidly giving place to the motor driver. The farm worker will have to know how to

A Column for Workers

Conducted by D. G. SULLIVAN

run the tractor. The milking machine is already replacing the cow-span-ker; electric motors are ousting the steam engine; engines of the Diesel type will be used in the future to drive the, ships. The trimmer and fireman will give place to the oiler; utilisation of water power will diminish the need for the coal miner. All these factors (and others not mentioned) will produce a class of workers who have more in common through their occupation than the various tradesmen of to-day. Five or seven years' apprenticeship will not be required to run the machine. The standard machine-minder is here already in the munition factories of Great Britain. Women who knew nothing of machines prior to entering the factories are to-day working from one to six machines. In the boot factories of Wellington what is known as unskilled labourers are employed making boots or parts of boots. In these factories men are tending machines who, three months ago, did not know such machines were in existence. One such machine is being run by a carpenter. Self-discharging colliers and ore-carriers have been running in various parts of the Old and New World for years. Trade Barriers Tumbling.

The old trade barriers are fast tumbling down; what attitude is Organised Labour in New Zealand taking toward this changing outlook? Come in and do something! There arc 20 or 30 unions in Wellington—--20 or 30 union offices! Have a look at the pigeon-boxes of offices we rent and the shacks we hold our meetings in. What we are paying in rent and wages is considerable; don't you think we can do better than we are doing at present? There are not a quarter as many Y.M.C.A. members in Wellington as Trade Unionists. Would they dream of swopping their building for the Trades Hall? When we federate, the present Trades Hall won't suit us. When you butchers, bakers, drapers, carpenters, etc., leave the waterfront during the winter months (as you will be forced to do), advocate federating on the lines of your industry. Visionary Ideals Useless.

I (D.G.S.) am glad io sec the "get together" principle being advocated in order that Labour may be strong. But I am no less anxious to see Labour wise. Instilling visionary and unreal ideas into the minds of the men is worse than useless. Many of the advocates of closer combination have a false perspective, and visions rise before their minds'of a wide-spreading and successful general strike, when the present holders of the factories and machines, etc., will surrender their wealth. My own ideal is to see Labour some day owning the tools of every kind with which it works—in other words, to substitute the workers engaged for the joint stock company now in control, but I can see no chance of it being accomplished by force, nor do I think it desirable from any point of view whatever that it should be so accomplished. It is of no use the workers getting control of the administration of industry until they are mentally fitted to exercise such control in their own interests and the interests of the nation. To attain to such fitness it is necessary that they should have experience, and such experience can best be gained by methods of cooperation as practised by the trade unionists of Great Britain and the Continent, by co-partnership, and by seeking to attain to a high degree of trade union efficiency. The adoption of these measures would give the workers immediate relief from the pressure of the cost of living, train them in management and enterprise, and carry them directly along the path which leads to the Co-operative Commonwealth. My plea, in short, is that practical and not visionary ideals shall be placed before the workers, and that Ih'ey shall not be taught to look to the revolutionary general strike as the objective to be attained by closer combination and stronger organisation.