UNWONTED AND STRIKING-SPEECH

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1011, 29 December 1910, Page 4

UNWONTED AND STRIKING-SPEECH

AT THE LABOUBEKS' CONFERENCE.' Addressing the General Labourers' Conference yesterday Mr. P. Shannon, retiring president, condemned the rule under whicn the office of secretary is held subject to periodical contests. "Apart from its absurdity," Mr. Shannon remarked, "and its manifest injustice to a capable man it: is irritatingly annoying to tlwss responsible . for the good management of the union. The rule that admits of'this farce is one of the many anomalies which, get into. Tulebooks at the inccp'don oi unions. The rule as.it now stands leaves it open to any navvy in tlie union who may. be suffering from illusions 'iQ get himself nominated regardless of competency or character'.' ' In. tho meantime, he can foster a: spiral "of discontent among men whom the secretary has compelled to pay - ThisGilbsraan-style of electing a scM , etary^i's''advoßafed ; 'dn'the grounds of being democratic. Well; if this is whatwe- may expect from democracy, if ■ ever, it gets in the ascendant, it wants leavening with some of those elements, of con-. servative stability that stand for. what is fair and just. "A, trades union is not a place for displaying sentiment—sentiment is not reason, and when we dispcn&e with rea-. son in union management tho union also must soon go. ' Another contention is that this system is in, vogue in Australia, but this is no plea for its adoption. 'We develop erratic notions enough here without, imibarrassing ourselves, with Australian idiosyncrasies. We are lectured too much 011 "things Australian by blatant demagogues. • There exists an erroneous impression that the . mobile Australian has arrived at perfection in politics, while he is' only washed up to the crest of - the wave that mar resale. at. any time. ITt looks all right at a distance, but, like the mystery that Psycho solved with regard to Proserpine's beauty, when one comes iK-nr it it'is mostly vapour. "You would bo amused as well as astounded were you to know some of the causes that keep sonio unionists tilting at the seerstarv. He' cannot wear a dccent hat but that it is construed into exultant ostentation. His position is regarded as a sort of nnl.ob.ship on a' small stale.- He must needs be a Lazarn.s with a propensity for parading his humility."