WAR AIMS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4221, 8 December 1939, Page 5

WAR AIMS

STATE MINERS’ DECISION. SPLIT IN LABOUR MOVEMENT. The State Miners’ Union branch at Greymouth, at a general meeting, on the motion of the president and vice l " president, passed unanimously a resolution, “That we as an organisation emphatically dissociate ourselves frpm. the seditious and mischievous resolution arrived at by the West Coast Trades and Labour Council at its meeting on November 25, and since published in the press. Furthermdre that until the motion in question is, rescinded and expunged from the minute book of the council, we refrain from any representation at any future meeting.” The resolution of the council to" which the union objects stated: “That the Trades Council, representative of organised workers on the West Coasi r recognising that the war in Europe is another Imperialist struggle for-mar-kets and raw material between capitalist Britain and France on one side and capitalist Germany on the other, which may involve the whole world with the accompanying slaughter Qf„ millions of workmen, calls on the Government to make public the reasons for which New Zealanders are expected to fight, and to give a definite assurance in keeping with its oftrepeated statement that no attempt be made to introduce conscription in this country.

“Further, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Federation of Labour with the demand that*' an emergency conference of the ’•federation be called without delay to formulate a policy in connection ’ With the war, and to resist encroachments ’ on our liberties and standard of liv-.« ing.” .... „

Mr George English, president of the State Miners’ Union, said the decision of the Trades and Labdur Council might lead the public to believe that it had the support of- the* majority of workers on the West Coast. Voting at the Trades and Labour Council was eight for and eight against, the eight supporters of the resolution including the president, Mr J. Doyle. Besieds exercising his deliberative vote, Mr Doyle gave also his casting vote for the motion. “The statement that the council represents the workers of the West Coast is correct, but it is not in my opinion correct to state that the resolution is the opinion of the majority of those workers,” said Mr English.