UNITY CONGRESS

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9062, 22 April 1937, Page 3

UNITY CONGRESS

FORMATION OF NEW ORGANISATION NEED OF CO-OPERATION t "NO STOPPAGE OF INDUSTRY" The Unity Congress which had been called by the Alliance of Labour, the Trades and Labour Council and the New Zealand Workers' Union with a view to forming one organisation to control industrial matters in New Zealand, proved a great success. The congress, which sat in the Trades Hall, Wellington, lasted for five days and concluded on Monday. Representatives from this district were Messrs J. Thorpe and J. Bincham (Ohinemuri Mines and Batteries Union) and the Hon. E. Dye (Amalgamated Society of Engineers). It was unanimously decided to call the new organisation the New Zealand Federation of Labour. The conference was opened by the acting-Prime Minister, Hon. P. Fraser, who delivered a very telling and impressive address, stressing the need of co-operation between industrial and political action in New Zealand and urging that industry must be maintained. After the Minister had retired, the chair was taken by the acting-Minis-ter of Labour, Hon. P. C. Webb. In his opening remarks, Mr Webb made a strong appeal for the unity of all classes so that there would be no stoppages of industry ini New Zealand because such methods only reacted against the workers. After a general debate, the delegates unanimously pledged themselves to support the New Zealand Labour Party in its legislation.

The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Mr A. McLaggan (Coal Miners' Federation), vice-pre-sident, Mr R. Eddy (New Zealand Workers' Union); secretary, Mr F. Cornwall (Trades and Labour Council, Wellington); executive, Messrs El Canhim (Watersiders' Federation), F. P. Walsh (Seamen's Federation); trustees, Messrs J. Roberts (Watersiders' Federation) and S. Cooke (New Zealand Workers' Union).

An impressive scene followed the election of Messrs McLaggan and Eddy, the delegates rising en masse and singing "For They Are Jolly Good Fellows." Mr J. Roberts, recently elected president of the New Zealand Labour Party, was an outstanding personality in bringing about unity in the conference.

It may be noted here that at the conference of the New Zealand Labour Party which was held prior to the above congress, an application by the New Zealand Communist Party for affiliation was defeated by 487 votes to 14.