LABOUR'S PROBLEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 975, 16 November 1910, Page 8

LABOUR'S PROBLEMS.

"MERELY WAGE SLAVES." CONFERENCES AT CHRISTCHURCH. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Christchurch, November 15. At a conferenco of Shearers' Union; held last Friday to consider the qucs tiou of the reduction of the cost o: running the Shearers' Federation tin president explained that at present i cost, roughly, £900 or £1000 per an num to run the federation, and it wa felt that so large an expenditure wa; not warranted. It was decided tha there should bo one central office ii Christchurch to control the whole o the affairs of the federation in the Do minion. Mr. F. Waddell was appoint ed secretary at a salary of £3 10s. pe week, and Mr. M. Laracy was appoint ?, t i'? vcllln S organising secretary fo the Shearers' Union and the "Maori laud Worker" at £4 10s. weekly. Otbe alterations were agreed upon, tho ef feet of which will he to reduce salaries totalling - £650, -to about £350, cxclu sivo of rent, and thus effecting a sav ing of about £200 per annum A Suggested Amatamaiion. ■ Last Saturday a conference betwee the representatives of the Shearers Federation and the New Zealand Fee 1 eration of Labour was opened, Mr. Kin (president of tho Shearers' -Federation presiding. Tho amalgamation of th shearers and the miners was discussec Mr. Laracy (Shearers) stated that th shearers were in a position to organis the country workers, and he hoped the would ho organised soon. The object c the conference was to establish a papo of which every New # Zealand worke would bo proud, and which would brin about a real . and lasting ' solidarit amongst the workers.. Ho was persoi ally thoroughly convinced that tho Mii ers Federation was the one the cheai ers would join, but he would like t [ have the , attitude of ;tho miners ea . plained with regard to political action. ; , True Labour Party Wanted. ; Mr- Semplo (organiser of tho Ne /Zealand Federation of Labour) sai ; that his federation was distinctly -. i« . anti-Parliamentary, but they laid moi ■ importance., at present on industrii I organisation than on political actioi . lolitical action at the present tin i would be merely a reflection of diso i- ganised Labour, and would result i ' +w gl i n § m s° po,Ter a Labour pari . tnat later on the workers would, hai ' i , tu / I 1/ 0l ! ud and fight, as they h E r fiaci to do m various parts of Austr, " tLi ? I , er ( ? I TCrc ?» sorts of no! . tical jellyfish ready enough no - to sign the platform of the Labor , party for the mere purpose of obtaii ■ ing olnce. The Labour movement wj s too sacred to be prostituted by the ai - mission of such persons as these. Ii ! dustnal organisation - and continuot ; propaganda work for advanced ecoi omic of tho toilers c i tins Dominion were the first essential ) It was better to have in their ran] 3. live thousand class-conscious and orga ; ised workers than twelve' thousand ra< - iviio had ho real knowledge of the da ■ struggle in the. midst of which tl i world was cast. ; industrial Solidarity Sought. ' i M /. Webb (president of the New Ze land l'cderation of Workers) advbcat< most strongly the building up of ; industrial qrgauisation. At present ] • thought that : even the admission political clauses into tho constitutii ot such-an industrial organisation . theirs would spell inevitable chaf > i Here were far greater powers for go. in industrial unionism than'-in all-tl ! political organisation the •'■ workers''' » this country were likely to attain f. - a long time to come. It was the bouuden duty to-bring all workers in i the New Zealand Federation of L > hour wherever possible and cduca ■ them -to their real interests in life • - seo that as long as -capitalism prevail > so long were they merely wage', stave - « r was onlya -matter of a few mont" before the miners and the navvies ai '- the waterside workers, and, he hope - the shearers would be united. in oi - large and powerful organisation pledg. - to bring about industrial solidarity: s Labour Journal and its Policy. Ultimately, after much discussio ■ and after the representatives of t - Shearers' Union had agreed 'to a mo'ti 5 to the effect that they would do all ' their power to induce the Shearei 3 federation to join the New Zeala' ■ Federation- of Workers, it was decid 1 that the shearers should contribu - £2000 and the New Zealand Federatt of Workers a similar amount, to pi ; chase plant for the "Maorila; Worker. '. [ At a later stage, Mr. Laracy (She; .ers Union),said: "We came here pi I pared fa> lay down the policy of t ' paper in. conference." . • Mr. Semple: "The policy is alrea laid down for the 'Maoriland "Worke ' lou have got the policy, and wo are pi ' pared to support that policy. It c ; go on as it is, and wo are prepar ] to hand out a certain amount of mon | until the ballot is taken, and then ' j can alter the policy as we wish, a t have equal representation with us . the Board. You have never said yo paper or, your policy was perfect, a " wo don't say our constitution is pi fact. We want.to leave the policy . your paper as it is, provided you ach cato our constitution as agreed.". The motion was then carried una] - mously. Mr. Laracy:."Are tile delegates he ' from tho New Zealand Federation ■ 1 Labour going to appoint anyone to t ; sist in the management of the par ' until February next?" , : Mr. Webb: "No." . • Mr. Laracy: "You are not going' help us m any way, except 'financial! and by the writing of articles?" '. . Mr - T . c ™ple: "We. promise you fina 1 cial assistance to whatever extent y< [ require it proportionately, and if -yi ■ want to put on aai extra man to i work wo aro prepared to meet o , share of the additional cost." TROUBLE AT STATE MINE. [ . Kokitika, November 15. 1 Information was received by t! ■ "West Coast Times" to-night to tl effect that tho truckers employed the State coalmino at Runanga, < account of being dissatisfied with tl thou existing conditions, had decidi to, stop work on Friday. As a rosu . of a conferenco with, the managemen , a settlement of tho difficulty was a rived at. - [ Extreme reticence is being obser cd as to. what the grievance was; fact, all the information, for some re son, has been suppressed, with the e: coption of what can be gathered iro of. tho miners, as the truclcc: practically cojitrol tho mine. It satisfactory to know that all the mil ers returned to. work for tho half-da on Saturday, and matters aro said I have been in a settled condition t< day. It is not-generally known wh ther further, developments are to 1 expected. SHEARERS BAN ST. LEONARD'S STATION. Christchurch, November 15. This afternoon Mr. M. Laracy r< ceived the following telegram from Mi Kerr, representative of the shearers a St. Leonard's shed, near Culvcrdou:"Thero is trouble at St. 'Leonard'-! Closed off. Employer refused £1. War tho men." Mr. Laracy states tlm shearers went to St. Leonard's, but di not intend to shear at less than £1 hundred. As far as Mr. Laracy know tho shearers in all other parts of Car i teibwv. aro getting £1.