LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1658, 27 January 1913, Page 6

LABOUR CONFERENCE.

NEW ORGANISATION PLANNED INDUSTRIAL AND POLITICAL. Tho delegates to tho Federation of Labour Conference concluded' tlieir deliberations on Saturday. . Appended is tho official report A telegram was received from tho Wauganui branch of the Socialist party, congratulating tho conference on its efforts to crcato unity. Attention was directed to a published telegram in. the pr«ss, and Sir. Hickey moved: "That tho attention of this conference having been called to a telegram appearing in the daily press re Mr. M'Lennan being repudiated by tho Waihi miners as a .delegate to conference, it desires to point out that Mr. M'Lennan is accepted as a representative of organised Labour, and not as tho representative of non-unionists." This was carried unanimously. Tho Dunedin Trawlers' resolution ro the destruction of the Masscy ' Government was carried unanimously. UNITY PROPOSALS. , Mr. Webb presented the report of the committee on.unity proposals, and moved the adoption of tho report. lie said tht6 would achieve unity.on the industrial field. _ ' Following was tho committee's report; "That this conferenco recommend tho following outline as indicating tho lines along which a constitution should ; Ims drawn Up by the sub-oommittce set up-to draft a constitution to be' considered, amended if necessary, and adopted by the joint congress of : unions to be held 1 in Wellington, commencing oh" , the first Tuesday in July. 1913. Your committee also recommend that the proposed conference to bo held- in July shall forthwith inaugurate tho new body as a going concern. ' - • "

"Name: United Federation of Labour. "Composition: The organisation shall be composed '©f actual wage-workers, brought together in an organisation embodying industrial departments, each department to cover some industry such as mining, trans-' portation, building, trades, etc. "Preamble: The working-class and the employing-class have nothing in common. Tkero can be no peace so long 'as hunger and want are found among- millions of working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the.'good things of life. ; Between these two classes a struggle must go on, until tho workers of the world organise as a class, take possession of the earth, and the machinery of production, and abolish the wage system. We find that the centring of the management'of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trade unions unnblo to cope with, the ever-growing power of the employing-class. The trade unions /oster a state of affairs which allows oneise't of workers to bo pitted against another set of workers in the fame industry, thereby helping to defeat one another in wage wars.. . These conditions can be changed and tho interest of the workine-cla&s upheld only by an organisation formed in suoh a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries, if necesGary, cease, .work whenever a strike or look-out is on in any department thereof, thus making ah injury to ono N an injury to all. Instead of tho conservative motto: 'A fair day's wages for a fair day's work,' our watchword is: 'Abolition of the wego system.' It is the historic mission of the-' working-class to do away with capitalism. The array, of production .must be.organic ed, not only for the everyday struggle with capitalists, but also to carTy on production when capitalism shall have been ovcrthrown.\ By organising 'industrially wo are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old. Knowing, therefore,, that such an' organisation is absolutely necessary for our emancipation, we unite under the following constitution:— -

; ;"Objects: (1) To secure employment of' our' members in preference to non-union-ists; to maintain a spirit • of fraternal sympathy with, the workers* of .this and other countries by, i assisting them when necessary., (2) To use our united efforts to- discourage tho contract labour and bonus systems, and as soon as possible to abolish these, believim* the said systems to be detrimental 1o the best of organised labour.. (3) To enable and provide for the federation to own, publish, and contrbl a newspaper or newspapers. (4) To ensure to members who are proved to have been unjustly treated the support of the federation." " v ,. ...

(5) To link up with the industrial organisations of all other countries for, tho •achievement of 'international solidarity, and also for more effective working ; class action in time of international industrial conflict.

(G) ihe United Federation will, always act with the end in view, of securing to the workers the full product of their labour.

Management: Tho National Executive 6hall consist of general officers and of representatives from each industrial department, tho officers to bo clected' by' ballot, of the whole organisation, and the other executive members to bo eleoted by referendum -of their respective industrial departments.

Arbitration: Tho United Federation of Labour leaves the matter of registration, •or of not registering, or of cancelling registration under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act entirely with each union,. but in any case it will opposo the registration of any new union to succeed' any union which may have 'cancelled its registration, and will seek, for legislation to that, effect.

Strikes: Eaoh union shall have power, of internal, government, - but no union shall involve another in any strike ' without 'fftst placing the matter unreservedly in the hands of its department ■ for its .decision, and no department shall involve the national* organisation'in any strike without first placing the matter unreservedly in the hands of the National Executive for decision. In , the event of 1 the National Executive deciding in favour of a strike, it shall givo the whole power of the United Federation of Labour in support. '

port. . Existent Parties: That the respective executives of . the New Zealand Federation of Labour and the United Labour Party be invited, while not in any way abating their o ( wn activities, to utilise their existing machinery and organisers to push forward the work of organisation on the lines agreed upon at this conference. Mr. R. Semplo supported tho motion. Ho said the conference's result: was a magnificont achievement, and he, was sure that the miners would hail its decisionsdecisions which sealed the doom; of the Massey Government, and proclaimed for the abolition of the master class.' Mr. Tregear supported the motion. • Mr. Mills, in seconding tho motion, said ho had taken part in many conferences for consolidation, but ho had.never taken part •in a oonferenco where the warring edges had' worn oft so readily as in this case. In arriving at their decisions the utmost consideration had been accorded, him ahd his fellow-delegate, and no vote. had been carried because . tho majority was thero to carry it, but as 'the result of careful discussion and deep

thought. - The report, after discussion, wasadopl

ed. • , Mr. Webb also presented tho followinc report, which was adopted, on tlie motion of Messrs. Webb and'l'oung:— Political Heport: That this conference recommend the following outline as indicating tho lines along which a constitution 6hould bo drawn up by the sub-com-mitteo set up to draft a constitution to bb considered, amended if neccssuo", and adopted by tho joint congress of unions to be held in Wellington, commencing on the first Tuesday in July, 1913. committee also recommend that the proposed conference, to be held in July,'shall forthwith inaugurate tho new body as a going concern. _ '_ Name! Social Democratic Party. _ : Objectivo: The socialisation of tho ool.lectively used means of production distribution and exchange. Composition: Tho party shall'consist or unions, local brandies, and individual members prepared to endorse, the, foregoing and pjedse their support. .-Principles: That the sUb-committeo w instructed to draft a declaration of prin-

ciples. ■ Platform: Tho sub-committee shall prepare'a platform which shall include the usual legislative proposals of organised labour in this country including a consideration of whges, hours, togethor with Buoh qs land, industrial! and corn-

mercial monopolies, tho initiative and referendum, tlii recall ap'd proportional rc-' presentation.

EXISTENT PARTIES. That, tho respeotivo executives of the N.Z.F.L., the lf;L.r., and tlio'Socialist party bo invited, whilp not in any way abating their own activities to utilise their existing machinery and to push forward the .work of organisation on tho lines agreed upon at this ctalerenco. ' • • • s This party shall be distinct from any other party or. parties; and its attitude towards any other parly or parties shall bo that of mdcpendonce.'' PRESENTATION TO THE CHAIRMAN. ~A'l ? , conclusion df .tho proceedings. Air. Webb, president of tho I'VJ.C., congratulated tile chairman on the iblo aud impartial manner in which ho had concluded tho affairs of, the confcrenco. (Applause.) Ho presented Mr. Rigg with a trained photo, of tho conference. • • • Thopresentation was accompanied with cheering, delegates singing "for He's a Jolly Good Fellow. Tho chairman said that was tho greatest ovation, ho had over received in his life, and it was greater' because of its siuS 61 * i the,'good'fortune to have had tho* unanimous* corporation and .assistance of tho delegates, Only once had ho had to touch the bell-to keep members .in order, and even, then tho bell didnt sound; .Ho congratulated them on the great work they had' done, and hoped when their great party was formed he would meet with them' again as a member. ' Mr. Mills also added a tribute as from tho U.L.P. to the chairman's conduct of the conference. THE WAIHI MINERS. ' /'MOST SATISFACTORY' INDUSTRIAL' ' AGREEMENT." (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ' ' ■' 'Wailii, January'2s. The president of the Ohinemuri Mines and Batteries Employees' Union has com--municated with the .. Labour Federation Confertnoe dohyiiig• the statement that Mr. W. M'Lennan is the accredited topresentativo of the Waihi miners at tho conference. :

At the timo tho. union informed the federation that they had succeeded in drawing up with the dii.trict mine oifliers the most satisfactory industrial agrcfciient ever drafted in-New in connection. with thb industry.