THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 20136, 28 March 1929, Page 12

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

[By J.S.S.]

Brief eontrlljutions on mailers with reference 10 the Lnbout Movement are invited. THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FUND. The most important business ol tlio approaching Labour Party annual conference is that of the best methods to adopt for building up the big national campaign fund tor lighting the next general election. The conference will be held in the Trades Hall, Wellington, commencing on Easter Monday, April T, and will bo presided over by the Rev. J. K. Archer. Already over 100 remits have been sent in by branches of the party and affiliated organisations, but the majority of them deal with matters of internal administration rather than with those of general policy. There is a general desire on the part of all within the movement to see ample election funds available, and it is proposed hy the Whangarei branch that the conference recommend to all industrial unions throughout the dominion that a levy of a penny per week per member be made. » * * * PR EFER EXC E TO EXIOXiSTS. Hitherto there lias been no preference to unionists in the conditions governing the hairdressers’ trade in New Zealand. Tims a signal victory has been iron in the cause of unionism by the mutual agreement between Southland employers and employees to amend the award to give preference to unionists. Mr W. W. Batchelor, secretary of the Otago Hairdressers and Tobacconists’ Assistants’ Union (which includes Southland), was present at the conference held at Invercargill, and, as he was the dominating factor in developing support for the preference clause, the success of his efforts must have been satisfactory to him. The employers of Southland wore of the opinion that the clause would assist in making for better understanding and clearer relationships between those concerned. The agreement was ratified by the Arbitration Court. * * * * OTAGO DELEGATES. Tile Otago delegates to the Labour Party's annual conference are Mr M. Silverstone, president of tlie Otago Labour Representation Council, and Messrs J. Robinson and W. G. Cocking, representing unions affiliated to the central labour office. Mr Robinson left for Wellington yesterday. As secretary of the Dunedin and Suburban General Electrical -Workers’ Union he is responsible for a remit to alter the section covering qualifications of parliamentary candidates. Th’s union desires that a. person be eligible for selection ns long as be has been a, bona fide member of flic party for one year. At present a person may qualify if bo is an affiliated unionist for two years, which, in effect, means Unit be need not actually be a member of the political Labour Party. Another local remit calls lor an amendment of the LG. and A. Act to provide for a Court of Appeal. A CORRECTION. Last week an interesting survey ol the beginning and progress of the Otag.> Trades and .Labour Council appeared in this column. The article was from the valued jion of ‘‘Acteran,’ but by an unfortunate printing omission the fact was not made known. PROP OUT! OX A L REP RESEN TA - TJOX. An indication that the proportional representation system of election is not favoured bv all branches of the Labour Parly is afforded by the remit )rom the ‘Canterbury Drivers’ Union, who propose deletion of tins .section of the partv’s platform. The Napier branch of Ihe L.R.C. will also support the remit. # A X E Rif OX EO U S B El. 1E F. A current idea, and one given credence in ibe Press recently, is that the Xew Zealand a closed union. This is incorreef, as there is no statutory power to limit the number of new members who may join. In view oi widespread nncmplovmciil among members, however, it‘ha-, been the unpleasant duty of union secretaries to discourage prospective members by an unequivocal statement of lads. Mr W. Clark-*, head of the Dunedin Seamen's Union, slates that it is extremely difficult ioi those new to sea life to gain employment on ships at present, and lor tins reason bo is forced to discourage people. Financially, bis union might benefit from increased membership, but that woujd not bo safeguarding the interests of experienced seamen, many of whom were at present in desperate straits. ESTABLISHING- A LABOUR DA.UAL The question of establishing a daily Labour newspaper is exercising the minds of delegates fo the annual convention of the Australian Workers’ U„j„ii. Already there have heen m vn-al day.-, of debate without a final decision being made. To raise the necessary capital it is suggested that the A.W.U. dispose of MacDonell House, worth approximately £2UU,(K)(>, realise on the investments of Labour Papers, Ltd.. L55.0U0, and dispose- ol the ‘ Worker ’ buildings, worth about another .CoO.OtX). This is, however, optimistic reckoning according to some delegates, who fee! also that nothing should be attempted without at least £41)0,1)00 capital, as, apart from the enormous initial cost, the paper would probably not pay for tiio first tew

years Much of the money invested in incperty by the A.W.U. was raised by levies on all the unions scattered throughout the Commonwealth, and this has given rise io much diversity of opinion"as to the best place to start th * paper. Sydney, however, is most favoured, on the score of population, ft was hoped that tho present faction*! Svdnev ‘Labour Daily’ would bo incorporated in the new paper. An objection to Sydney is that it is the centre of a factional light at present which is doing much harm to the Labour movement. All were unanimous that tho paper must be run on sound business lines, and only expert journalists employed. The journalists would "be outside the influence of, politicians, and responsible only to the Labour policy as laid down by the Australian Workers’ Union. The assistance and power given the movement by the successful operation of the ‘Brisbane Standard’ and tho ‘ Worker ’ were commented upon. A note- of caution was sounded at Hie failure of the ‘Sun’ newspaper- m Melbourne, which was forced to close at the end of a. year and a-Jialf after losing £400,000. A message received yesterday stales that the final decision was embodied in the following resolution: —“That the directors of Labour Papers, Ltd., having reported to ■ the A.W.U. convention that the only way they can sec of establishing a newspaper is for <Tbe Worker’ trustees to sell their land and building in St. Andrew place ami erect a building on property owned by them and known us 420-20 Pitt street, Sydney, to bouse both ‘The Worker’ and Labour Papers, Ltd., and Labour Papers, Ltd., to sell Hie property known as MacDonell House, Sydney; that the directors be further instructed to purchase some existing Sydney paper with the- finances in band, and in the event of their being unable to do so that the aforesaid proposal be given effect to.” * * * * BRITISH LABOUR PARTY. A good omen lor the success ol Labour at the .forthcoming British elections is the winning of twelve out of fifteen seats in latest by-elections. The enormous vote recorded by Miss Jennie Lee, who rose by her own efforts from early hardships to her present success, was most outstanding. A sweeping of the polls in the great industrial areas of Great Britain is expected by even Conservative supporters, who apparently feel that the existing Government is doomed by reason of its failure to deal satisfactorily with unemployment, it has been rumoured that Air Ramsay .Macdonald i.s a sick man, and that a successor must be found shortly, but be seems to be standing up well to the campaign, though lacking the insatiable energy of the Liberal Leader, Mr Lloyd George. Mr MacDonald is a man of steadfast and remarkable ability, and the accusation often beard that be is cautious 1 o tho point of Conservatism iumvami nted. * » * * LEAGUE OF NATIONS. ‘Towards .International I’eacc ’ wathe subject of an address delivered by Air H. E. Holland, ALP., at the annual meeting of the ol Nations Union at AA cstport. ’.I be Rev. J. W. Bloyee presided. Mr Holland directed attention to the .Bishop ol Winchester’s specli, in which lie stated that peace could only be made along the road of international fellowship. Mr Holland spoke in favour of the Kellogg Pact, which was a forward step, ’inasmuch as it declared war an illegal method of settling disputes. He traced various peace movements down the centuries, stating that in the early ages there were peace movements and peace advocates —even when Rome was at the height of her Imperial splendour. the conditionwere developing in which Christianity was to find its first dramatic oxpres.sion. •* 'The address ended with Ihe quotation from ’ Vi.-ta ’ ( John Addington Symonds) : These things shall be I A loftier rare Than e’er tho world bath kno-.ui shall rise. With flume of freedom in their soulAmi light oi knowledge* in their eyes. Nation with nation, land with land, Unarmed shall live as comrades free ; hi every heart and boon shall throb The pulse of one fraternity. Air Holland was accorded a warm reception, and a hearty vote of thanks moved hy Mr J. Alotson (director of the Technical High School) was carried. On the motion of the Rev. Alex. Miller, it was decided to urge tlie Prime Minister to have New Zealand represented at the next .International Labour Conference at Geneva. Sir Joseph AVard has replied that be is favourable to New Zealand being represented at the conference.