THE CIVIC CENSORS.

Observer, Volume XXVIII, Issue 26, 14 March 1908, Page 18

THE CIVIC CENSORS.

An Evening; with the Trades and Labour Council.

(Seeing that the daily papers are devoting the major part of their space to elaborate reports of the mo st minute details of the Trades and Labour Council meetings, we beg to follow the lead of the dailies, and give our own detailed version of these exciting affairs).

THE Trades and Labour Council met last evening, Mr Arthur Bosser, J.P., in the chair. Mr Bosser said that he would be pleased to receive any complaints which any delegates might be inclined to make concerning civic management or anything else. As was well known, the Trades and Labour Council were acknowledeged to be the ruling power so far as Auckland was concerned. A delegate : " Hear ! hear f" Another delegate : "Go it, Arthur !" Another delegate : "Rats !" Another • delegate was understood to hiccup, but made no other remark that could be recorded in a family paper. Mr Spratt (delegate from the Fish-Curers' Union) said that a man had told him that another man had said he had heard a rumour that fish merchants were at present in the habit of sending the heads of deceased fish to the destructor. A delegate : " Brutal !" Another delegate : " Appalling !" Another delegate : "Fearful "' Another delegate : "That's the time to catch 'em." Mr Spratt said that it was not right that those fish-dealers, who, he might point out, were capitalists, should be permitted to thus deprive the local cats of their lawful nutriment. He would move that a vote of censure be passed on all fish-dealers who are guilty of the practice referred to, and that MiArthur Bosser be instructed to form a union of all cats in the city." Mr Freak (delegate from the Street-Sweepers' Union) seconds- 1 This, he said, was only another example of the uncharitable methods of capital. How was the supply of cats to be kept up if such tactics w ere allowed ? A delegate : "Down with capital !" Another delegate : " Hooroo 1" Another delegate : " Shake 'em up. Bosser I" A delegate, whose name could not b»> ascertained owing to the fact that he had to escape hurriedly after having spoken, said that in his opinion they ought to make sure of their facts before taking action. A delegate : "Piffle !" Another delegate : "Rot I" Another delegate : " Bumktm !" Another delegate : " 800 !'" Another delegate coughed. Mr Arthur Bosser expressed surprise at the attitude of the dissenting delegate. He pointed out that the Trades and Labour Council had always, in the past made a point of condemning first and enquiring afterwards. He was pained and shocked at the attitude of the dissenting delegate. A delegate: "He ought to be shot !" Another delegate : "He ought to be hung I" Another delegate ; "He ought to be boiled in oil 1" Another delegate : "He ought to be made a Jaipee !" Another delegate sneezed five times. The motion was carried unanihjously. Mr Plimmer (delegate from the Handcart Propellers' Union) brought Up the matter .of the Blackball strike. He pointed out that as the Trades and Labour Council didn't know anything about the rights and wrongs of the affair, this was a unique chance for them to distinguish themselves. He would . therefore move "that this Council, knowing nothing whatever about ' the matter, hereby tenders its sympathy with the Blackball miners in '.-;. th<jir • struggle

against grasping capital, and that this Council is of the opinion, although it knows nothing about it, that the Government should at once proceed against the mine owners for their tetneiity." A delegate ; " Hear ! hear !" Another delegate : " Hear ! hear 1" Another delogat'j : " Hear ! hear !" Mr Spratb asked if the Blackball mineis were not working under an award. If they were, then there was no necessity for the Council to pass the resolution. The men had their legal remedy. Mr Arthur Bosser, J.P. and member of the Conciliation Board, said that Mr Spratt's attitude was contemptible. Being a J.P. himself, he knew the law to a very small extent, and he was well aware that the Blackball miners were breaking the law. At the same time, as a J.P., he had a reputation for originality to maintain, therefore, he intended to support the action of the miners. If these men were prosectited he. only hoped that they would be brought up before an enlightened J.P. like himself., in which case the charges would certainly be dismissed. He thought that a vote of censure should be passed on Mr Spratt. It was high time that the Trades and Labour Council took the gloves off, and showed the capitalists and Mr Spratt that they would stand no nonsense. A delegate : " Hear ! hear !" Another delegate : " Squash him !" Anothor delegate: "Biff him, Arthur !" The motion approving oi' tho action of the Blackball miners was

carried unanimously, Mr Spratt having been scientifically slaughtered before the question was put. Mr Eiiery (delegate from the Win-dow-C.lean&rs Union) said that <i man had informed him that ho heard somewhere a few years ago that somebody had mentioned the fact that somebody else had heard it stated by someone that somebody had recently been refused admission to the hospital, although the person asking permission was suffer ing from a severe scratch on his big toe. A delegate : " Brutal !" Another delegate : " Shameful !" Another delegate : " That's the way the working man is treated." Another delegate was distinctly heard to blow his j;ose. Mr Enery said that, although he hadn't any proof of the truth of his allegations, still h<- was quite sure that the Trades and Labour Council would take the matter up; especially in view of the fact that his information was thoroughly unreliable. He moved " that this Council severely censures the hospital authorities for refusing to admit a patient who was in extreme agony from a scratch on his big toe, and, further, that George Knight be called upon to give an account of himself before this Council." The motion was carried unanimously. Mr Paul Hansen was nominated for membership of the Council, the President (Mr A. Bosser) sneaking in high terms of the candidate. The meeting then closed.