TRADES' COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 442, 26 February 1909, Page 9

TRADES' COUNCIL.

» ITS CONSTITUTION DISCUSSED. "TOO CUMBERSOME." A 6pecial meeting of the Trades and Lab<> our. Council was held last night to consider notices of motion regarding alterations to the rules. The president of the council (Mr. W. C. Noot) occupied the chair. Tho effect of the amendments was to provide that subject to the control'of the council in general or special meeting, tho property and funds of tho council, and its business be managed by a board of management.

Mr. A. Pariane thought sthe council was-,;, ,'! :m far /too. cumbersome, and .expensive. . If ,»'"-.';. ;.' '■'. board of,management were eet"up' T the.work ■ / . .; could begot, tjirough with greater celerity. "K. .'::./ At the present it. was liko a stfiam engine,:. '•' •' a greater part of its = energy : was used .in- V .-.;;'■'■ overcoming the .friction, of the. various:parts..-, . ; , .:■ Theyhad a board of,management,'.but■'that:';, -. : board had no more : control over the council, ' ~. than he had over India or.some'rdistarit.part..;/';; of the world. .They had members whom they; '■".: could entrust .with the:,;representation \<of :■ i :, ;; : Labour in Parliament" and on the'£!ity Coun- '~-'. oil, and he thought there .were plenty whom :: V. '■; they could/entrust'with' -the. management , of;-J,''•'.', ".. : .:- their- own affairs;-. .Tho number of delegates' -.-"j -i v ;, at present was:.far greater than the; number y'■ .'.'• ,of representatives in tho.Now Zealand House ■' ':/■:■' House;of,Parliament.:. The; board,- too,"should^'.;!■ '•-;'- be responsible to the council, arid in presenting .■: ': : :0 its reports' it should bring.:ddiiTi a/yearly :v.. : one; 'as was.done by"such bodies .as; the•'."■ : -■:,■'.'■. Chamber of. this: would do ■; : 'v.';. far. more good, than - tho-/reports':'that', had ■'■: ''Oi: '•■■■ been' gbttihg' into the'papors; lately;.,/.'• :^Vi^i ; ;/-',/;- •Mr.;:P. SliamionVsaid he was nbt-, e going' to ■•'•'.: -■;; ;treat,'tbe.'notice of motion/seriously. '!?€-• ,).'/-.}/ form.was needed, but hot of this'kind. ':V.lf.;i.'' :u '■_■■ tlii3 board 1 of management were .set up, as. ! - S V prbpbs"ed);ho would -never pay another, penny/;.,'.'' to a union..;//;/;■/■ •;;/: ;/: ■'. : -, , / :,, /;H:/ :;i ■■' , ;. r .: :^ ;'We"',have been.acpused of running "this f. '■'/■ : .\ -, coimcil in cliques,' , .said/Mr. Conchie, and be^ ; - : ; r went on •to demonstrate where the. cliquism >■■■ :• /. , ■. :'/■;/>;:/;;;",.// -■..^'X- : :)\: '-■'~ '-."'-- '■'{■■''• .-This drew^'a..,p'rptcs,t.from : lir;.Carey,;'"Are yougoing to.sit" there;".; he "a'sked the chair- S:-//. man,/"and allow/delegates to bo insulted in;/,'. ,')■'. this way?"/'' ,/' : ''/ ':''['/,: '.':/■'' ■;•■' .://•'.:■/ •''■''■':. :■■':'.%' ,"I am;jiist v gbing tb pull'iiim up,"ssaid the '.-' .; chairman. .MriiNoQt/ wcnt{-'bn ; to say :that ".'[■'■ '•.■'-::'■■ 'the : members' of ; the Board. of.;. Management .-■;•■■.,.■ '\ were-delegates'from the unions "and. appointed ;/:.!' : by the council.,' /"I{ am .not,'?; he said ""going; ; ,';.'-'■ ,tp sit here and allow you,'or any .other ;deler : /J/ ; --'-;,/. gate. tb;.insult' any/union-that/sends its.;re- ■ : |"' presphtatives/ to/; the. council." ■; \. ,/ : ■■ '• /:'' /?/;■// ■<:•■:. ./.Mr./Conchio-explame/lthat/he did nbtvuse ;i/; / the: word-' "cliqiie !> in. \aii^'A^cr^i<>^sßßSK'.'-';y-^'=\ '■ Mr.- Kooi:. There' /is-no /clique :so : 'far/as : i>../.. the individual members-iare; cdncerriedi-..' : ;;:.:/;: /: ■■ ../After further discussion Mr. : Parlahe rose.;■•■/'/.' to •reply. / The best ;proof,';he.'.said, ■ of. the.'V i ; : efficiency;of.the^Council;was.what ■ :/!•. "in the past, twelve , months. Hβ thought /that .■/;:•,' the best/15 menfof the cbuncil/ 1 -if entrusted /■'.' with.its affairs,- would considerably raise'the- ■'./';:":; ■ prestigb..of .; ; thb/;body;; -Even- if took the -./ i/'' li)'; 1 worst men-:matters.;wbuld:;be conducted;"-., '/.': much'better .than ,. they.had been during, thev-v..-.'"-"-.' ■past)y-ear.'i-.'//'/-I'/.v,/ v/'/.v/'--'■ft/.,v/.\///!/ : s '--y ''./ The motion:was thenVput,.arid,defeated on > ; i aehow of;han'ds,;V.yv22,tb. : ls;;"!//.'V../ ■■'~:.-.' -/. ; /,.v,;:j:*/ ■:j The. chairman was' about to put the remain- :•'; •/ ■ ing motions / as a /whole when iMr. : W. / T. : - "';• , : Young/objected.', He wished /the amendirien*./.././-; to.'Rule:2l "At all. meetings of the council // one-fpurtli "'of •:the;,total shall, form,:. :-: : " s quorum',',.to go to/the,vote. 1 /He/suggested. " i> that ""15"/ should/be substituted for "one-'\ !;v fourth." This was ; after: some/dia-.-l' , ■.' cussion, ■; as ■ alpo was : the" notice of ■ motion. / ',":-: