FEDERATION OF LABOUR

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24900, 13 June 1946, Page 4

FEDERATION OF LABOUR

ELECTION OF NEW PRESIDENT IRREGULARITIES IN VOTING (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 13. Irregularities in the voting for the election of a new president of the New Zealand Federation of Labour were disclosed when the result of the poll was announced .to delegates at the annual conference to-day. Consternation was caused when it was discovered that more votes had been cast than the voting strength of the conference permitted. The question was immediately raised whether some delegate or delegates had held more voting authorities than their union strength entitled them to receive. The poll was declared invalid, and another will be taken to-morrow.

Such an occurrence is unprecedented in the history of the federation, and was almost the sole topic of conversation in Wellington trade union circles to-night. In round figures the result of the now invalid poll was: A. W. Croskery, 110 votes; W. B. Richards, 80; F. G. Young, 40; P. M. Butler. 20. This vote totalled roughly 250, whereas the full voting strength was about 240. Asked for a statement on the position. the secretary, Mr K. McL. Baxter, said there was no announcement to be made other than that the results of the election were not available as they had not been determined. It is assumed among delegates that Mr Croskery has every prospect of being returned in to-morrow’s ballot. The result is determined by an exhaustive vote. Under this system, if the voting is roughly the same again to-morrow, Mr Young and Mr Butler will be eliminated and a straightout issue between Mr Croskery and Mr Richards will be put to a further ballot. The result depends upon the placing of the vote of delegates who in the first instance supported Mr Young and Mr Butler, and m the second instance will be required to vote either for Mr Croskery or Mr Richards. ANNUAL CONFERENCE PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT ON NATIONALISATION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 12. Attempts were being made to frighten small businessmen into believing the Government would nationalise everything, said the president (the Hon. A. McLagan) at the annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Labour yesterday. The enemies of Labour claimed the Government could go no further in its policy of socialisation without taking over every small business. “The Government ‘would be mad to try to take over every small retail business and farm in New Zealand,” he said. There was no likelihood of the Government attempting to do so. Mr McLagan reported that the staggering of annual holidays under the Holidays Act had been proposed by the federation and was receiving the Government’s consideration. Disputes and complaints over labour and other conditions in the Cook Islands will be investigated soon by the secretary of the 'Federation of Labour (Mr K. McL. Baxter) and a representative of the Seamen’s Union, Mr T. F. Anderson. The federation’s executive had discussed the matter with the Government, it was reported, and Government approval had been given to the visit