THE FEDERATION OF LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1450, 27 May 1912, Page 7

THE FEDERATION OF LABOUR.

jSATURDAY'S SESSION. THE SOCIALIST I'ARTV. Messrs. Eos?, Howard niul Freeman, re presenting tho New Zealnnd Soeialis: Party, waited upon the New Zealand Fed cration of Labour Confcrenco. on Satur day afternoon. Til© following is the offi rial report-of tho proceedings:—' Mr. Hi J. Howard (president of tin party) introduced tho speakers. Mr. Frank Freeman stated that at tli< last conference of the. Socialist partj many remits liad been dealt with concern ing the Federation of Labour. .It hat been decided at the conference to ask the Federation to abstain from taking political action, anil to leave that i'unc tion to ;th? Socialist party. In the fu tnro it was thought that tho necessity ol this step would bo more apparent thai at the present time. Mr. B. S. Koss said that it was neces sary .that every candidate speaking or belfalf of the working class must be £ Socialist.' Both the Federation of Laboui and the' Socialist party stood for th< same things. Tho Socialist party hither ' to had been behind the Federation righi ' up to the hilt. The Federation of Laboui and the Socialist party were at ono or tho questions of arbitration, the right tc strike, anti-militarism, and many otliei matters. The Federation was made up o: three political tendencies —those who wen opposed to any political action, those wlu would vote' for tho Labour party, _ an< those who would vote for fTie Socialist party. The economic, salvation of thf Federation finally rested in political ac< tion. Throughout New Zealand the Federation had been known as the ."Red; Federation. • Let delegates recognise that they were indissolubly wrapped up in the Socialist movement. They should boldlj ,and frankly declare their allegiance tc that movement. Questions were asked and answered and the deputation was thanked. Mr. Joseph Taylor, of Nelson, address cd, the confcrencc upon the question o: the nationalisation of the mining indus try. He contended that all. the coo areas should be nationalised, an<l thai steps should be taken to prevent nnj further leases being, granted to privnti exploiters. A vote of thanks was tend ered. to the speaker, t The conference, adjourned until Sundaj morning. CONSTITUTION TO BE ALTERED. INDUSTRIAL UNIONISM. The fifty delegates composing the con ference met in special session yesterdaj morning, Mr. P. C. Webb presiding, J manifesto for issue to organised laboui was adopted. Tho consideration of remit; was then commenced. Mr. H. Semple moved:—"That confer ence take into immediate eonsideratioi the advisability of introducing certaii machinery clauses that will have . th< effect of transforming the federation intc a National Industrial Union of' Workers on the lines of the Industrial Worker! of the World." . Mr. Semple said that the I.W.W. sys tern of organisation was sound. Tlx machinery clauses of the federatior could not now cope with necessary work The committee to be set up, if tho remii was approved, would have to mouk the I.W.W. structure to suit tin industrial conditions of New Zea land. Tho workers had to b< organised in their industrial battalions. At tho same time delegates must not put or paper methods which would prove ineffec ,tive in practice. Mt. H. Coppersmith (State mine) sait that . they all recognised that the era ol craft unionism had passed. In seconding (he motion he wished to mention that the time of tho organiser was almost entirelj taken up in settling factioiial disputes. Each industry must bo linked up. Mr. I'. Eraser (Auckland General Labourers) said that the adoption of the remit did not in any way commit them to adopt in every minute particular the rules and procedure of tho I.W.W. The I.W.W. font) of organisation had shown itself infinitely superior to any' form of federation. or even confederation as in' France. If they approached the matter with an open mind they could forge a weapon for building up the greatest, organisation this country had ever known. Mr. E. Canham (Auckland Watersiders) said that tho adoption of the remit would consolidate the workers' forces. Mr. 6. Smith (Paten and Picton Watersiders) said that the experience of his union was that craft unionism failed in important aspects. Mr. A. liosser (Auckland Tramways) said that the present machinery was effete, and therefore his union supported the remit. Mr. J .E. Duncan (Huntly Miners) said that I.W.W. methods were winning in America. What they needed was do build the industrial structure requisite for tho overthrow of-capitalism. ' Mr. .J. B. King (Auckland General Labourers) said that they must adopt I.W.W. method* to the economic conditions of New Zealand. Mr. E. Crowley (Inan.gahua miners) said that though instructed to oppo-o the jemit he-had the opinion that an adaptation of tho I.W.W. might bo applicable to New Zealand. Mr. E. J. Howard_ (Canterbury labourers') said that the/United Labour Party had adopted a bogus form of I.W.W. organisation, and they had therefore to adopt the real thing for tho preservation of the working class. Mr. M. Fagan ,(Innngahua) said that 1 federation machinery, was obsolete, but that he was pleased'to know that it was not the intention to adopt entirely I.W.W. tactics. Mr. JI. J. Savage (Auckland brewery workers) said that tho remit was to keep their machinery in harmony with industrial development. Working class history was going to be mado at last in New -Zealand. „ , Mr. P. H. Hickey (West Coast workers) said ho felt satisfied that in view of tha facility with which the employers could organise it behoved the workers to perfect their own machinery. Mr. J. Dowgray (Gramty) said that the federation had .ill along iccognised that its machinery would have to be altered from time to time, and tho need for a further move was here. Mr. M. Laracy (shearers) said that tho I.W.W. was the only sane system of organisation at this stage. A move in this direction was the very thing the unions had been looking for. Mr. W. Bromilow (Blackball) utilised the Singer -Sewing Machine Company's strike at Glasgow to illustrate the wisdom of (executive) said that he was pleased with the feeling of tie conference. Ho hoped that when the new constitution came down it would be supported with the same sjilendid spirit and unanw mity as the remit. ' Mr. J. Cummings (Seddonville) said that mora organisers were needed in order to. expound the principles ol industrial unionism. _ , Mr. H. T. Armstrong (West Coast Workers) said that in order to hold their own against the forces of capitalism they had to remodel their constitution, the workers were looking to them as their representatives to devise means for their emancipation from wage slavery. Messrs D. Kcidv (Wellington Watersides), .1. Scott (beuniston Minors). It. Gould (Timarii Watersiders), 'I Stephenson (Westport Labourers). J. lloberts (Wellington Gas Stokers), I-. lurch (Lyttellon Watersiders), A. Pattison (Canterbury Labourer*), 11- Morns (J)iinodui Watersiders), K. II- Dalhotlsiy (Manawatu Flnxmillers). .1. Newman (Grauity Miners) A. .T. King (Shearers). W. E. Parry (Wu'ilii Miners), J. Scott (Greymonth Watersiders) all spoko in favour of the rP Mr' P 0 Webb (president) said that it'was little use calling themselves industrial unionists unless they adopted the remit He was pToua that' the federation had compelled tho employers to organise bv its declarations and objective. The principles of industrial unionism had been established five years ago on the West Coast by the distribution of literature. For months' this organiser had gone round with bags «H of literature. Thev must never forget that their ami was'" to abolish the capitalist system. Tho remit was then carried by acclanmFor the purpose of remodelling the constitution and rules in harmony with the remit, the following committee was s-et up :-Messrs. .1. Dowgray, .T. B. Kmc. L. ,T. Howard. P. Eraser. M. Laracy, M. J. Savage, and P- H. Ilickey. It,- jraa decid«d_ that ualess '.taq Asms.:

papers inserted the reports supplied nc further reports would bo handed to them, At noou the conference adjourned until Monday morning. ' "INDUSTRIAL UNIONISM." LA BO UK lULLY AT OPERA lIOI'SE. "Tho Mission of Industrial Unionism' was tho subject of addresses delivered al tho Opera llouso last night by delegate! to tho conference of the .New Zealand Federation of Labour. Mr. J. Robert(Wellington) presided and tho other dcle< gates were seated round him 011 the stage. Tho downstairs portion of tlis building was practically full and there were numbers of peoplo in the circU also, Mr. P. C. Webb (president of the Fed eration), who wits the first speaker, referred to tho growth of the FedcratioE and to its aims. The workers, who had hitherto been existing under a system of small organisations, were beginning tc realiso that tho Arbitration Court had failed' miserably in its elforts to bettei the working classes of this country, and that it was no uso of one nnion existing to fight against another. The Federatior of Labour was out to organise the whol< of the working classes solidly and corn pletely and bning them together undci one ftreat combination, that must owr all tiio industries and manage them bj the people for tho whole of the people, Mr. E. J. Howard, of Christchureh, devoted his remarks to the subject ol class war. The Federation represented the useful class of people and there was a clear line .between them and tho other side. Until the -general body of peopk understood tho meaning of the question the Federation was going to tolerat< ttiem. They would have to find out or which sido they were. If they were or the enemy's side,.the Federation was going to fight them for all they were worth Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland) said tin aim of the federation was not to build ar organisation merely for the purpose oi fighting to-day's battles, but to qualify the worker's to take their placo in tho industrial commonwealth that they were about to create. Mr. I'. Fraser (Auckland) said the feder ation consisted of men who knew exactlj what they wanted and exactly how thej would get it. So far from being dead (a: had been said of it), tho federation wa: reborn and iiad a unanimity and solidarity almost beyond conception. Thero wai no power on earth, in heaven, or in hel that could prevail Against them. Thcj (the workers) were the almighty power. Mr. J. 13. King (Auckland) explained how tho federation, which was the ren' Parliament, was going to organise all tin industries into one great union, and the] pass laws and ,how those laws wouk be carried out. He pictured the legisla tion arranging for a six hours' day, ther a four hours' day, until finally tho tim< would come for them to blow tho whistlf for the boss to go to work. When tin organisation ivas complete "condition: would be rosy, everything would be lovely and the goose would hang high." If al tho workers would clamber into tho feder ation they would show within very few Dlonths that they "were able to delivei the 'goods' in cartloads." Mr. K. Semple. organiser for the federation, delivered a lengthy speech, whiel: consisted in the'main of an attack on the press. Referring to the Waihi strike, h< paid time would prove whether the Federation of Labour was with the strikers oi not. • At the conclusion of the addresses cheer; were given (at the call of the chairman] for the workers who were fighting al Waihi and Keefton.