LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1659, 28 January 1913, Page 11

LABOUR CONFERENCE.

ON "MILITARISM" AND "CONSCRIPTION." NEW IDEAS ABOUT WAR. AND SUNDRY OTHER THINGS, The conference, of Labour delegates, which has been sitting fqr the past week, resumed yesterday, tho' Hon. J. Rigg, M.L.C., presiding. Telegrams of congratulation were received from tho Flaxmillers' Union's annual meeting at Palmerston, and the Hikurangi Miners' Union. • It wag resolved that conference's resolution ro Mr. M'Lennan's delegateship be forwarded to the daily press, with a request that it be .printed in its correct form, and that the official reporter insist on resolutions being published as carried by conference. {The resolution was not amended in this' office. However, the amendment whioh the conference wishes to have made is to the effect that Mr. M'Lennan represented "organised l Labour and not se-abbery." This was by way of retort to the repudiation by the Ohinemuri miners of Mr. M'Lennan as their delegate.] Mr. Cook moved:—"That this conference is of the opinion that militarism has always.been against the interests of 'the workers, and therefore condemns it, and' is prepared to recommend to _ all unions the hardy and yaliant resolution, calling a general strike on a declaration of war by any of the great Powers. And we declare onr' determined hostility to the form of conscription placed on the . New Zealand Statute Books, and demand its immediate repeal, and also the immediate stoppage of criminal proceedings against 'our youths." He said war was quite unnecessary. With an international understanding among the' they could prevent war by acting unitedly. British working men positively refused to 'endoree conscription, and yet on the plea of assisting Britain they were being asked to do what Britain wouldn't do. Their real'enemies were not the workers of other eountrif®, but the exploiters and adulterers. . .

Mr. 11. A. Campbell seconded. Ho said 70 or 80 of the very best boys in the country were being sent to gaol; and an effort was being made to make them into criminals. These boys were destined to be the foremost' figures' in the working' class movement..' When the war against South Africa had been fought and won, the main effect of the viotory had been to drive out the white unionist and bring in some 200,000 Chinese, who were really in tho position of slaves. . - Mr. Fulton supported. He argued that mental development and . not, military training was needed. An Act that took away the civil rights of the. boys should be fought. . . Mr. Robs said thero was only one viewpoint from which they could approach the subject/ and it was that of the working class. The common enemy of the working class declared that militarism and conscription were necessary. At Waihi, when the strike took place, . the arms • of the. Territorials were called (in, and when, the. Huntly trouble occurred the soldiers were held in readiness. He read telegrams from tho West- Coast showing what was -being done i there; also from ■ Christchurch. Throughout the whole world the arnied forces of tho political State had been used against; the industrial workers in time of class conflict.

Tho-motion was carried unanimously, with applause.'- ' . . ■ Mr, Curtis, president of tho Wellington Watersiders, addressed the Conference, congratulating/the Conference, on its labours' results, and a wish for • greater .unity;.- He conclmlet|, 'by,, inviting delegates to- attend the' ann.ual'picriio 6f the Watersidors at Lyall Bay. Miy Q®v'iett>moveiU that,'an ..annual con-fc-r^ncd''of'all trades -tfnions.'ba-iheld. Mr. Borehnm seconded.

On ,Mr. Cainpbeii's amendment, the matter was referred. to the Unity. Com: mittee. '■.

.; Mr; O'Brien moved: "That in the.opini ion of this conference the trades unions of New 'Zealand should support 'The Maoriland Worker' heartily, and therefore the delegates present pledge themselves to do all. in .their power, to establish- the paper in the 'unions, and further urges that where possiblo all union printing bo handed over to the- 'Worker's' printer for 'execution." :

Mr. Douglas seconded the motion, which was.: carried' unanimously, J after having been supported by Messrs,"-Boreham, Young, -.Campbell, and others. ■ It wbh resolved that "The Maoriland Worker" be the official organ of the unity campaign {luring the next six months. " Mr. O'Brien drew attention to "the fact that the engine-drivers at the Point Elizabeth State , Mine were in danger of bt'ing forced into conflict with the management, by whom the engine-drivers' attempts to secure a working arrangement'were being positively flouted. He moved: "That this Conference' declare its support ■of the AVestland Engine-drivers-in 'their struggle with : the Mines Department." ' The riiotion was carried unanimously. : Mr. Campbell moved, aud'Mr. Ross seconded:. "That this coiiferenco expresses its conviction that State-aided immigra--tion on the lines of "the Massey Administration is detrimental to the interest of the working class," and oalls, upon \the unions of Now Zealand to vigorously combat a-palpable design to flood tho Jabour market and aid the employers -in:-their nttack upon: the workers."—Carried. Mr. Ross moved, and Mr, Campbeil seconded: "That in view of developments at Huntly, and the situation created th'ere,, by the corrupt recognition of a bqsks'l Union,-this Conference pledges its support to the .Waikato, Miners' union in ' any action it might deem it necessary to tako for the preservation of straight unionism and the protection of '• tho principles of Honest working-class organisation.—Carried. , . '

Mr. Jones moved, and -,Mr. Armstrong seconded: _ Tliat this Conference places on record its severe condemnation of the conduct of tho Government and:the police in connection with the mobbing and evictions of the strikers, at Waihi; and this Conference is of opinion that the charges jjede in connection therewith by the Waihi Miners' Union and the Federation of Labour emphatically warrants a tniblic inquiry into tho happenings,: and tliat all unions be requested to urge their representatives in parliament to tako steps to secure such inquiry.". •• . , Mr. Belcher moved pi "That the Government be requested to amend tho Constitution Aot of N'ow Zealand so as to admit of the Dominion Parljflmeiit enacting, any necessary, to conserve the interests of the persons engaged in the maritime or any other occupations of tho Dominion. •

Young seconded. In 1903 the New Zealand Parliament passed a shipping law which was sent to England for Royal assent, and hung up for 18 months,,in whinh time it was submitted to the Board of Trade solicitors as well us to the solicitors for the Shipping Federation. Later,' Parliament placed a 25 per cent tax on tickets and'cargo on ehip9 manned by Cheap Asiatic labour. Tho seamen did' not soy that the Asiatic was to be debarred fvom getting his living; they simply said that when he was so employed h« was to get the same wages as the white or European seamen. The 1910' measure was hung up, and lapsed because it did net secure Itoyal assent within, tho prescribed two years' period. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Wobb, that tho matter b<s deferred until after other remits were dealt with. 11 Y ?,!U! g n,m ; cJ . Rnd Mr ' Fulton seconcieus J/hat wliero a union registered under the Trades Union Act or other law can establish , that its membership excei'd that of a similar union of worlcors engaged in tho same industry in the same locality, it shall not bo lawful for any such similar union to lie registered or exist in such locality." ' " Mr. Compbell opposed on tha ground that tho motion would have tho opposito oflcct to that intended. He held its result would be to strengthen the position of the scab unions now in existence. Mr. 11. R. Voyce moved, and Mr. Agar seconded: "That this conference of trade unions'vigorously protests against the notion of tho Government in allowing a union in connection with one of its own industries the right of a close corporation and the right to the election of its members by ballot." He said that at Lyttelton they had a railway union of about eighty members—a closo corporation—absolutely controlled by tlio D<i. partuioiit arul Khar duuuided that tka

occupation should bs oponed to ovcrv worker.

Mr. L. Dinmond moved: '"That the Compensation Act bo so amended as to ninke compensation imperative in all accidents sustained during the hours of working, and irrespective of any other Act in existence." Ho referred to. the 5 n50 ,?/ Knight, who had been injured for life, and to whom compensation had been denied because of the merest technicality. Mr. Dowgray seconded. He said if a man was away from his working place when he met with an accidcnt, lie forfeited every claim under • tho Act, and thero was at least one hour every day when a man was compelled to be away from his case. He asked them if an appeal were made in H. Knight's case to be roady to ask their unions to respond liberally. Mr. Fulton supported. Tho motion was unanimously carried. , It was also resolved that in all cas«9 under the Compensation Act insurance should bo compulsory on employers. A telegram was received from Millerton asking whether the organisation were prepared to stand by the passive resisters, or whether they must drill. Mr. Seniple moved: "That Mr. Price be informed of the conference's deoisions ro militarism and conscription." Carried unanimously. Mr. Rogers moved: "That the conference refers the Millerton telegram to tho committee on unity for immediate report to the unions of the Dominion."—Carried.

A hearty vote of thanks to the chairman for the able way ho had conducted the business of tho conference was carried with acclamation, the chairman briefly responding. • A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Hickey for his ivork as secretary of the conference.

On the motion of Mr. Webb the conference adjourned, the mover remarking that this had been the greatest conference ever held in New Zealand. '

Mr. Semplo, in seconding, 6poke in a similar strain.

Tho conference concluded with cheers, and the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."