LABOR PARLIAMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1438, 26 April 1905, Page 2

LABOR PARLIAMENTS.

By Electric Telegraph—Per Press Association—Copyright. MELBOURNE, April 35'. ... •The' Labor Council Conference adopted resolutions in favor of federa- - ting the State debts, that all candidates in tho ‘Labor interest he pledged to the new. protectionist policy . and. ip favor of a Protection of Wages Act on tho lines of New Zealand legislation, with a provision that wages not exceeding £2 he exA empt from attachment by, any; means.

(Per Press Association.) .WELLINGTON. last night., The annual ‘conference of the Trades Councils opened its business ' sitting this morping. The annualreport was discussed at length. Some of the Aaiabiiand arid Bqpjcdin delegates took exception to the way '*■ .the report girded ‘at the Government. Mr McCullough (Christchurch) said the report had girded at the "Government for years past because the Government had been do- * ing little or nothing for -the workcra. The Otago delegates objected to the reference in the report to the effect that Otago had not remained royal to the decision of last year’s conference that unions should support the '* •re-election of Mr Slatter.to the‘Arbitration Court. During the discussion several delegates criticised freely the workers’ representation on i. tho Arbitration Court. In' reply it was urged that the question at issue was not one of men, but loyalty to the governing body’s direction. sVoting one way at the conference and. an-"* other in private council was what had .always been the weakness of the Labor party. Eventually the reference to the Otago Unions’ action Was struck out of the report. ir A committee was set up to recommend, what shops, if any, should be exempt from the Shops and Offices Act. A letter was received from the Westland Trades and Labor Council, stating that the needs that district differed oo much from the rest of the colony that it wa3 decided to hold a separate conference there for min-

ing interests. It was resolved to ssnd, letters to tho Reefton, Wanganui, and Invercargill Councils, regretting non-repre-sentation. Mr Breen (Dunedin) moved a motion in favor of State iron.. works, \ woollen and flour mills, clothing a6d boot w factories, and the nationalisation of all mineral wealth. A long discussion ensued, and the motion was carried unanimously. A motion .vas carried in favor of the establishment of State or munici* pal coal depots.' A motion that the Government be urged to introduce legislation to restrict the importation of labor under contract is now being discussed. ' xtj

trades hall wants.

[(Fee Press Association;: 1 )!' ' Wellington, last night. r Resolutions were carried that Govern- •' ment be urged to establish clothing and ■-'f boot factories, iron works and shipbuilding yards, flour aud woollen mills, and nationalise marine and all sources of ■ ~f. mineral production; that it is advisable to begin the establishment of State or municipal,coal depots; that Government be urged to introduce legislation restrict- J 4 ing the importation of- labor under con-"' tract; that all shops shall be compelled<lo olose on five working days at-6 p.m.Yt&d at 1 p.m. on Saturdays, subject to necessary exemptions'that the Minister of , Railways be urged to raise the wages of ' casual labor so that it'shall not be less than the district rate of wages paid in other employments for casual labor; that there be no further sale of Crown lands; that there be a periodical revaluation of ”» Crown lands, but no- revaluation of existing leases to take place until the death of a lessee or transfer of the lease; that the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act be amended so as to apply to every section-■ of female wage-earners.