LABOUR NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 94, 22 April 1911, Page 12

LABOUR NOTES.

(By "Unionist.") ITEMS OP INTEREST. Nineteen delegates from six district councils and one federation of unions — Waterside Workers— attended the annual Labour Council's Conference held in Christchurch during the week. The conference sat as a Federal Council, under the constitution finally adopted at the council's conference in Auckland in July of last year. A few of v the old-time delegates were absent from the gathering on this occasion, but their absence in no way detracted from the ability and intelligence of the conference as a whole. For the first time for some years Messrs. O'Byrne and Aleweiller were not credentialled as • representatives from xht> Southland Council. Their places were filled by Messrs Forde and Farrant, both new to such assemblies, but each entitled to represent the Southern Council because of active work in the trade union movement in Invercargill during the past year, and especial ability to fill.j tho post. The East Coast Council was not repre sented at the conference. Labour participation in the Gisborne municipal elections limited the choice of delegates, and in the end prevented the chosen representative from being present. The constitution of the federation prevents proxy representation, and as it was the first conference tinder the constitution, delegates were averse to establishing a precedent, much as the whole conference would have liked to see the East Coast Council represented. One of the big issues of the conference was the question of attempting to bring about an amalgamation of the two rival federations. On the part of all delegates there was a genuine desire to put an end to the rivalry between the two bodies with the object of united political action at the coming general election in view. It remains for the committee set up by the conference to try, while adhering to the policy of the Trades Councils, to at the 6ame time convince the Miners' Federation representatives of the wisdom of it, and thus arrive at a settlement of the differences existing between the two organisations. A remit from the Southland Council, asking for "statutory unconditional preference to unionists, ' engendered a very lengthy discussion. In the end the remit was approved, though, the debate indicated that delegates were alive to the improbability of the Legislature granting full unconditional preference. Had any delegate pressed for the deletion of " unconditional," most likely an amendment to the remit to that filfect would have been carried. Whether organised labour should at this stage declare for a 40 or a 44 hours' week, was put to the conference on two occasions at its Tuesday's sittings. A "majority of delegates were instructed to support the 44 hours' week, and in addition certain delegates, while voting for the lesser proposition as instructed, also personally favoured the declaration for 44 hours, in view of existing conditions and present disparity of working hours in the several callings. At last year's conference a resolution affirming the principle of a 40 hour week was^ carried, but this year delegates realised that it would be easier to obtain a shorter working week for skilled trades when the eight hour day principle had been- established in the unskilled and unorganised trades. The good sense of conference was against agreement with the bald request of the Auckland Council for the removal of Mr. Justice Sim from the Arbitration Court bench. The discussion, however, clearly showed that organised labour has but little confidence in appeals to the Arbitration Court as at present constituted. _ Especial resentment of the " legislative " clauses in the several awards inserted by his Honour v»at> evinced by every delegate. In the end an amendment to the remit was carried, requesting the incoming executive to state the case for the conference, and to suggest amendment to the Act, so as to ensure that the 1 future administration of it and the decisions of the court shall be more in keeping with the> principles and spirit of the Act as originally conceived by its framer. Much time was devoted to consideration of the Waterside Workers' remits, all aiming at the prevention of accidents on the wharves of the Dominion, and the betterment of conditions' of labour in the calling. When the decisions of conference are laid before the Minister, reprsentatives from the Wharf Labourers' Federation will be asked to attend the deputation to specially deal with the matter of waterside employment. Delegates representing the Southland Trades Council amd attending the annual confeivnce report very good progress on the part of their council during the past year. Mr. G. A. Froggatt, is the new president of the council, and Mr. A. Glass has superseded Mr. J. Alsweiller, who has been Becretary of the council for the past five years. ' Mr. Eoberfc Slater has been elected president of the Dunedin branch of the New Zealand Labour Party. He also represented tne branch at the congress of the party held in Christchurch during the week. In addition to the Trades Council and Labour Party Conferences held in Christchurch during the week, there have also been held conferences of delegates representing the Moulders' and Timber-workers' Unions of tho Dominion. Both latter conferences dealt principally with maitteis affecting the interests of the workers in the respective callings. Labour ie making a big bid for municipal representation at tho elections throughout the Dominion on Wednesday next. " Under the auspices of the New Zealand Labour Party candidates are announced in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, invercargill, Timaru, Wanganui, Greymouth, Gisborne, and Parnell, while Labour men, selected by unafliliated branches, are also entering the contests in Kaiapoi and Waimate. Roughly, over fifty Labour men are standing altogether. Generally the policy rvf the party in all places is based upon the principle of public ownership _ and tho extension of municipal services.' Prospects are brightest, according to Labour opinion, in Wellington, Christchurch, lnvercargill. Gisborne, and Parnell, but a big Labour vote in the aggregate is expected to be recorded in all the contested districts. At a cost of £1500 a section has beon purchased by the Trades Hall trustees in Auckland for a trades hall site in the northern city. The section is located in Hobson-street. Of the amount expended £700 has come from the Trades Hall building fund, built up from tie pronto of former Labour Day celebrations, contributing unions nave furnished £300, and the. remaining £500 has been advanced on loan by the- Government. The trustees have also the privilege of obcaining a further £5500 from the . Government at 4£ per cent. Plans for a hall are at present under consideration, and it is anticipated that building operations will commence within one month.