UNIONISM

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1947, 1 December 1906, Page 1

UNIONISM

MR FOWLDS AND PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. BSSStSI PRESS ASSOCIATION Auckland, last night. The secretary of the Auokliad trades and Labor Oounoil subm ited to bis Council the following letter reorived from the Hen. G. Fowlda :—" Y jur le t.r of the 22ni inat., conveying the resolution oi jour Counoil regarding my vom on the question of preference to unionista when too Mining Aot Amendment Bill was be 1 * fore tbo House, reaohed me in due oourae, 1 1 view of the faot shat in all my politics! campaigns 1 expressly etated thai I wae oppossd to preferonoa to unionists, at any rate without some important qaalfioatioce, I am rather surprised that your Oouuc.l should have Been fit to proaa such a roao lutiou. When Parliament decides to adopt tuoh on important princip e, I think taat it should apply al round, and nit meroiy to one section of iha workers ot the colony, as was proposed by Mr Guinness aid further that any such provision would operate very unfairly unless a Bubs’.aatiel m-] irity oi ihoso employed in any pert « oular trade wero members of the Union. I shall always be giad to ds everyihing in my pow<r to asuai the wotksrs ol the colony to got in return for their labor the full value of tbo products oi labor, but in working iu this direction I muss hold myeeli frto to do it in a way that I think wi 1 bo most iH-.ctivr.”

A member ijiculatcd; “And thai’s vo y unsatisfactory, ’’ Mr Hosier said ho did not ooneidor it uoßstbfi.ciory. Mr Fowida had told them straightforwardly tbat he would not sup. po.t preference, but ho believed from this letter teal when the Bill carno fioally bsfoio the House ho would vote vi h the M nietry. It wu< dtc’ded to Bckaowledg, tbo letter es satisfactory.