LABOUR-CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 650, 29 October 1909, Page 8

LABOUR-CONFERENCE.

v.-.':s. : "wiDE''-.PLANS-.:OF : -'NATIONALISATION'., V MINISTER'S STATEMENT DENIED. . The .Trades and Labour Conference -was con- £ Sinned/yesterday, Mr. : : R.' Brcen' presiding, v. ■ ■ Messrs. iS: E. Baume,- C. H. Poolo, A. E. Glover, -'.'.-...0«-''.Wi% t t.4Uid;CF<n'bes l ' M.P.'s, were welcomed ;: :diirlng.'<the-morning'.as. visitors.: , , - i j : It'was -resolved "to cotivey hearty; approval' ;: and':'moral - support .to tho Hon. I).- Llovd- .''' Georffe in'.his .courageous effort to: bring, about better;.conditions in the Motherland.'^. Tho > resolution further ..expressed a hope , that . tho. efforts?, of.' theßritish' Chancellor.' of. the ; Ex- ■ -cheques' would vbef-"crownod- with- tho; ; hopedvfor::by.'all lovers of:humAnity." t: ■' 'i'v Mr. 'Gulnnsis's Insuring/Scheme, ■ .The-' Hon. -A. ■R. Guinuess's National -Inaur- : aAce Bill was Guinness himself boing present. .; Tho discussion was . very., favourable. to • tho :. Bchemo,'; which was' characterised by one dole- .. gate.as ; :"the~-natiohalisation':of:.the-.benefit so-' oidties"!: : ilt,.was- espeoiallyt.welcoiried vby,; a :. n'umber. as'a-means; of avoiding the . expense and uncertainty; attached to litigation, : claims;/The principle of insuring the.worker for the whole 2i-hours , was. also-.very much appreciated. .. ;V; Mr. P. V.'Ttonfr (Canterbury), "said,> Mr.,, - Guiniiess .had-: estimated, that £2,125. per annum : : for ; eaoh>man'..(the'employers ; paying .the larger : share)jwould be' sufficient'to' support the fund. ' i questioned this:, estuttate, - and ■ ■': pdifcteiL. out'.; that the f benefit societies,. chareed.r - £3. per ■ annum, ' and; they: dealt ■ w;th none but .■■■■ pifeked.bves,-and granted:smaller benefits than ■'.■■■• those proposed m.Mr. Gmnness's scheme. : . T. Young thought it--was a flaw that tfaer.scheme;-did- notiprovide .for,..the unemploysd. » .v.,":.'.- 'A.'iiesolßti(m ;■ eirrcerfnfr general approval of .the-prmciplOs'-of . the Bill -yas .itnanimously ! ; adopted,: and Mr. Guinness was thanked for his efforts m the matter r : Mr. . Guinness, acknowledging a . vote .of thanks, 6»id -'he would give careful consideration- to the points, raised;, and he hoped that all objections oould be .met when the Bill. ■ -.got ; -into committee':of--the, House, though •it : wouH perhaps'nOt .rcaoh that stage during the present 1 session. 'Independent Labour Party. ' -Mr;: G, .R. Whiting (Canterbnry) resumed - the .debate on the. motion —that ■ the' time has nowv- arrived^.when .the Trades and : labour .' Councils• should take definite. action in endeav-. ''> - onrinff'--to ireturn'labour i members to ■ Parlia-ment;''-The mover said that the, time was ripe 1 : for/entering on a new phase of unionism. -Mr.'l.vAlswoilep (Southland) spoke m favour ■ :of- the - creation -of an Independent, labour i

party. ~ 1 Mr. P. F. Darcy (Canterbury) said that the ' Liberal party-should not :be> merely ; on* the strengthi of its past record. If it was " not'' going; to." dowhat ; the Labour : party - now - required, it' was of no use to them; He.had: ; :sat-in' the House;the other night; and heard a Minister state that, eo, far, as skilled, labour was oonoerned, there were practically no unemployed in New Zealand during the past iviEDelegates It's a lie :- i'Mri' Long: lOf .coufse at's a lie.' Are we go- : - Ing- to support -such men ? Ho, referred to tho exertion wage - proposals and the legislation ..against.strikes as showing a want of sympathy -with Labour on the part of. the Government, r ■ : Mr, W. C. Moot . (Wellmgton) s<iid it had ; ; for, yeai'£ .been the: opinion of. tho local • Trades - Council th&t .there' should be - an' Independent • . Labour, party—with l one or two'exceptions. . >' MT.:Naughtftn: Thousands, of: exceptions. , ■.: • • • Mr. Noot: Not thousands in the Wellington • ■■ Trades Council. ■ There were unfortunately men v' iflirthe .oouncilivwho did not conform to its ■ ;i rules, .but -twhen ::a .-Labour> candidate' was -put ' supported - another. y- What - the Labour ,;- party.: wanted'at('present was .a great- leader— ..., a, Grey, :Ballanc«, or a Seddon; ;:He waS not anxious to see'the*,Labour party on, tho Treas-: jry benches, but he wanted .to - seo thera holdc. ing: the balance- of -power.:. The statement of the Hon.' E. STKcnzie, already alluded to, was a deliberate lie, as isinuiiibfery'^of{^menji|piit.;^i.oii Wellington: ! too !•)—and;sby, .-the.- faot-'that i the •: Government itself subsidised, tho-unemployed'reliof funds: '■ Moxsotf : :'(Aucldand)).Tvas ■ stronfely ~ln favour,'of an independent Labour party: ; SJr. T. • in .replying, . said that some ... workers in.-; Southland - liad recently.'been , fed. if;,; on- swede tufnips. ' ,:Yet; there - Wfis money" for gift Dreadnoughts t • Tho, motion ',wai.'carried;- ;tho. Hon. Ji Barr and Mr. H. E. Eusbndge dissenting Mr. J. T., Hall (Easfi; Coast) moved"That; .;.;;sthe\c6iiferehce>be.:reqnestedyto /seek .'affiliation with' ( ', ;;the Australian Trades i- and '-'Labour - :■ Councils, with a^view to consolidating organised labour." This was seconded by Mr. E' J VVCarey(wyiin'f^u)^ aspirations - and. achieve merits; of the Australian :- . Labpur .parties -.were far :ahead - of- -anything' of the. .sort .'in-,New<:Zealand. •,'He..instanced.". f new ■:, protedtion»"r.tho>;"non-borrowing :policy,"-vState :notels, f'Stato .banks, etc.,. ' and:- 'argued that j . - federation with. AuStralia-would .bnng the' New' Zealand -/Labour .v Movement up-to-date. • 'The afotioh was darned J C- 1 " State .Enterprises, ' An Auckland remit in favour, of the State .: nationalising - the - iron .industry was - adopted-' The following Westland femit was also.; earned —

■ "That the, Government, bo< .urged to .cancf the ; agreement leasingthe-Parapara iron , or : deposit to the .late A. J. Cadman, and at prt ' ■. Bentiheldvin- trust by-;the :l?nbhc,: Trustee; am tbat« the: State -work the".non : .deposit in th interest of the people * ■i- Stfoaking :onvthe rsubjcct,: the :Hon. .J.' Bar . said the" iron deposits. could, perhaps, not b Aprotitably' wsrkcd 'ati present.-' brit tfiey shouL be resoryed by the; Mate, especially in viei . • ofi'the'report.that an syndicate mi :i socking to monopolise all tho iron deposits 11 the world. > y . Motions wore. carried .urging tho Governmen . : >.to,-open-additional - State .coal - mines and de ■f pots,': and. :to bring.down .a scheme to utilisi tho water power of the Dominion, for the pub lie benefit:- / , ■ • • Mr. W. T. Youiig (Wellington) moved- Tha :.-,t of-conference it. is • dosirabli ; .. that;- In-the-.-best-interests of.-.v New' - Zealanc • thoro-should be. a State connecting, -link be , tWeep^tho:North-and South -Islapds, and' wit! thatvob.ject .ifi view, ■ we . urge /upon the Got eminent i tho.*desirability- of . taking -oVer - th( steam ferry 'sewice between , Lyttelton anc iWcUiEgton.' < • <: - ,;*af ;unaiumously Mrried, as also weri _ tho following -That the Government be urgec to acquire a mail carrying service, instead ol gnbpdising private ship-owners, That the prefi®nt; condition, of ;tho'.-.OrOYerninent-' coah service is- incomplete, and the time has arrived" when • havo' their ofrn colliers Mr. W. H. Watt-en (Otago) moved That the Government be. urged to .establish Stato flour£f 11 P^ rpos ; °f supplying the people reasonable cost. <. ■•Mr. J. Jackson (Greymouth) said that if a non-borrowing policy, - Asj approved' by' the conference, tfere iadopted, ho did not see where from ™' 7 9 flourmills was to come Jft, J 7 - T - J 00 ?S (Wellington) said money «mld . apparently be . found tor, Dreadnoughts, ™nL Wt . y uso ' to the people of this money for State flourmiUs •m Obtamed .by taring the' large land- „ ©wnefs.up:to!the:oyeß.- v - ■ -.i • •• " / ' Snlhyan; (Canterbury) amoved : " •'fe .? ' s ¥ n3 ,imf ' amus e m ? l it)' the •: ■ follawinc Rniendrnrnt. I hat the: Government be urceel to .establish an industrial settlement in Canteran "ea of not less 60,000 acre?, i f°" owm ß industriesAcriv :-.t , dairying; beo . and • pouftrv te ! ? g, f7 m^rd I I f ß U f,<lar and woollen mills, a , n !} bacoll ketones / " i; rj? odn i ct3 : o '^ e supplied direct to the ptibtrps m F ln CsDterbllr y aid other centl,e proposition was a serious 1 ; . artd ;had; been seriously - discussed in Can- I ■j . terptuy- . v : .. .. i . The chairman ..ruled the amendment oat - of ; . order,,and tho motion was theh carried" ««rSf & r Whltm S (Canterbury) moved •i hit tha-.Government be urged to start State • .h6pt;fcctori6s,.:and-that jtheiconference suggest «"<:■■■ -one- - in-the 'North, and one ill the South Island." Mr. W. H. Warron (Otago) seconded the motion,, nnd : contendcd- that' the shoomaking Intho/ WQfst ..paid m tho Dominion; 'Take, down -the walls of protection," ho said the;catoitalißt : in the ■; ■ capitalist. Of ;, others countries. j.sThe -bootmaker i,,JHad- hardly,ia soul to ' call his own. and tho ~ .-.trcntmont'he ; received was disgraceful." • . t.The: words; "ond-,- clothing"wore introduced by -amendment into tho ' motion, . which then ifloluded>;:"cl6thiiis--'.''.factories/Xas ;-.rrell. as boot K<'.v.factories/ i;-;. ' :> ; r : .. . • -.Mr;. Whißng,opposed a proposal from Auck- • Idnct"DatiohKnsing.': the ; :bpot:'V. industry, >;..- In ..Bineiidment. to. that-effect .'was lost.-' . '.. . .. .' Mr:'.: Whiting assured conference • that : ' tlioiflffor.: of.-lthe bootmakers' to - provide £2000 towards the establishment of a .State bool fac- *■' torj-f-was a • bona-fade' offer,. and ;in !spite of statementsand-reports to the contrary was otill open. ; - : Tho mohOn • was'. carried' Unanimously, 1 , .Arbitration Act. • On 1 , the, motion of Mrk:Jackson (Westland),- it was' resolved to recommend,: "that, Section . S3

lof • the Industrial. Conciliation and Arbitration Act' Amendment Act.: 1908," be struck out,: arid that 5 'of' the.'; principal Act ba reonnclcd." This was agreed upon, the idea being to allow lndustfwl unions to be formed, vjith a membership-of seven, instead of sixteen, as now.i required. . • ' Mr.'O'Byrne (Southland) moved: "That the conference take. stops to - appoint an organising • Sgent .:.tb V especially.;'.follow ■up Arbitration Courts, and conduct; all cases on behalf of affiliated unions." ■ Mr., Browne (Otago) considered it a pity if the Arbitration Act was, such that it required a special, organising - agent to plead the cases of the unions. He contended that the Act should be amended first. " • , -'• 7 Further discussion, ensued,: and it was ultimately ree [lived; "That the incoming executive be-instructed., to devise, a scheme, for the appointmenit of,.an; organising agent-to follow -up the Arbitration Court, ..and .conduct all cases, on. behalf: of'affiliated unions, such scheme/to be" submitted: to', affiliated.' councils and; unions for approval." .

■ 1 ' Shipping and Seamen's Act; : . A,.consideraWe number .of amendments to the Shipping and' Seamen Act were proposed by Mr. 3V. T. Young. (Wellington),' The'amendments," dealt' in.: an..'exhaustive • way with', the matter, of the increase..of the manning. '6cale, desertion/ boat, drill,; certificates of. discharge, steer oaraV-for.- Ufe-saving ..boats,..allocation .of boat. statioiis,' aiid. ' piecauticns. ' . Mr. Young'.dealt- lucidly with the-various amendments,, and?contended that such alterations .would .considerably; minimise snob .'fatalities, as the Penguin wreck.. ' : i Thei'amendments were resolved! upon. ' Mr. -Alsweilermoved: "That, the. Government be UTged, to: gradually reduoe the. private areas of, land, so : that no. one parson'shall, hold - more than 1000 acres first-class,laid, and .3000. acres second-class land." .' The mover briefly stated that the object:of the motion vjis to sat jip and reduoe,large estates. , ' Mr.: Hart (Canterbury), seconded the motion. < j . Mr. W.;Naugh-ton.-moved,.as;an amendment: "That the government, be urged to increase the'graduated land tax- with a view to reducing, the-present : area of land." • i,, ; ' J-Mr.,' W. .T. Young seconded .the amendThe'amendment was eventually added to the original motion; Tyhich, with the addition, was earned unanimously. . l • The*conference adjourned at 5,15 p.m. ...