TEACHERS' POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1650, 6 January 1914, Page 6

TEACHERS' POSITION.

"IDEALS & NO SALARY."

PROPOSAL TO FORM A UNION

REJECTED.

I (By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

Auckland, January 5

A proposal to form a. union with power to cito a case before tho Arbitration Court wns discussed to-day at tho annual meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute. The remit, with which tho discussion opened, oamo from Hawke's Bav.

Mr. J. Duggan, speaking in support of the remit, said that by the term "union" ho simply meant the teachers joining together for the purpose of conducting their own affairs. The word was used advisedly to stress the point that a stronger form of unionism than tlio institute was necessary for their well-being. AVithout making any reflections, there wna feeling amongst teachers, ho said, that the present institute was not strong enough to carry out its duties. "Wβ have been outlining reforms for thirty years," he said, "and still the teaching profession is about the rottenest in tho country, so far as salaries are concerned, and, if wo don't want the profession dragged in the mire, we will have to stand up and fight like men. What result have we ever had from our discussions?" asked tlio speaker. "This order paper to mo seems very like last year's paper, and tho one before. In iOll we aimed to got a promotion, schoine, and now it is 1914 and we are no further forward than wo were then. It simply comes to this —that the conference is a talking machine without the power of enforcing reforms."

He referred to the step taken by the New South Wales teachers in registering as a trades union, and entering tho field of politics, and he went on to say that many tpachors of New Zealand wero disgusted with the institute. It was estimated that tho voico of fully 50 per cont. of them was not heard in tho conference. Ho would advocate the appointment of a. permanent secretary in Wellington to ensure centralisation and recognition of tlio principle of preference to instituto , members, nfter the manner practised by accounting and kindred societies. Ho would also advocate that, in the event of a total deadlock with tho Minister of Education, /they should have the right of appeal to tho Arbitration Court, and the right of obtaining direct representation of the teaching profession on councils and boards of education.

Mr. F. J. Bowley (Hawke's Bay) seconded the motion, and stated that, though the mover had been rather strong in his remarks about the past work of the institute, he concurred with what ho had said concerning tho need for action.

Mr. T. W. Ambrose (North Canterbury) said that his institute supported tho suggestion to form a New Zealand Council of Teachers, but not a union under the Arbitration Act.

Other speakers dealt with the work of tho institute and opposed the motion.' In his rcplv tho mover said he recognised what £ho institute- had done, but the question was whether or not their position was satisfactory. He had not advocated trades unionism, but an amalgamated society with tho right of appeal to the Arbitration Court. Ho did not wish to throw their idsals away —ho diorjfjjed some himself—but they could not "live on ideals. If thn future under his scheme- was to bo all salarv and no ideals, »tlic present was all ideals and no salary. The motion was lost by a very largo majority.