THIRD DAY.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 23, 11 August 1911, Page 11

THIRD DAY.

Ga-resuming, the President reported that the deputation appointed toiWaifc on the Minister of Labor and. oh MY. McLaren, IVLP., ■cewsi-stiiig of Meissrs. McLeod, Townsend arid .himself,.; Iliad interviewed Mr. Lomas, Secretary-' of the Labor Department, and had*been informed that it was impossible for the' Department to appoint other than police as inspectors raider the Acoajnmodation Act, and''had- admitted that.the Act was not satisfactory in various ■.ways,: particularly in regard toitheir being no penalty clause in re bad a»commodation. An interview had; been promised with the Minister of 'Labor; Mr., McLeod and Mr. Townsend'also reported the result of deputation's visit to the Labor Department. The reports were received and tlhe deputation thanked. The correspondence with the N.Z. Federation of Labor in connection with the -postponement of the Federation Conference was laid on the table, aiud discussed by various delegates. ""In regard to the Christchurch Technical Collegers request to allow learners to" 1 work on ■ the shearera' board at certain shearing sheds without payment, it was resolved that the -Secretary-reply that the Union did not approve of this, and that it waa contrary to the award, providing certain minimum rates for all shearing. \various remits sent >in by Master were then brought forward and - dealt with by' conference .

UNION SHEARING RATE, £l. : The folloAving remit.AvavS sent in. by the Canterbury branch': That,a manifesto he issued to members fijoin cojnference; that 'the Union rate for .all shearing be' £I'per, hundred, and that this price be strictly adhered to. Alter a lengthy diseitssion on, the subject, it Avas unahimously rcsolv<kl, by conference that the general secretary be. instructed to seek legal advice from Mr. O'Rogan, solicitor, Wellington, re the issuing of a manifesto stating tfcat the conference of shearers' delegates pledged itself unanimously not to become Avorkers within the meaiiing of the Arbitration Act at Jo&s 'than 2Qs per 100 for shearing, and strongly urged all members of the Association not to become Avorkers under the shearers' award and the Arbitration Act at less than 20s per 100 during the coming season. It Avas urged that 'inasmuch as no shearing Avas being done now, the members of the Association' Avere not "AAorkers'' within the meaniing of the Act In order to be °AA ; orkers" within the meaning of the Act, members must be actually employed in the industry at the particular time when they were considered to be "AA-orkers" ; and that therefore by issuing such a manifesto before shearing operations commenced the Association Avas not acting 'in,-ep.ntraventiori of the "strike clauses'' ! .o£Hhe Act and of the shearers' award!' At a later stage Mr. Q'Regan's letter of advice Ava.s ; receiA--ed, expressing the opinion that the Association's contentions in this respect were sound in laAv ; i.e., that obviously there could be no discontinuance of employment till the employment had commenced; no breach of contract of service, because at present no contract of service existed; and therefore it Avas obvious that at present (out of shearing season) no unlawful strike of shearers could take place. So long us the Union did not in its manifesto counsel a discontinuance of shearing after shearing had actually commencced, it Avason safe legal ground.. At this stage the President Avelcom ed Messrs. "Webb and Semple, the President and organiser of the New Zealand Federation of Labor. As it had for various reasons been con si detv-ot inadvisable to-hold the conference iof the N.Z. Federation of Labor in. a.s contemplated, Messrs. Webb and Semple had been appointed delegates to attend the Shearers' Conference on behalf of the Federation of Labor. In regard to the rates for crutehing and dagging, after a lengthy discission showing the various rates pan* for this Avork in various parts of the Dominion, it Avas resolved that it be a recommendation from this conference that members endeavour to obtain a minimum rate for crutching of 4s per 100. CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION NOT FAVOURED. The President proposed the remit. from Canterbury branch: That the "NeAV Zealand Shearers and Woolshed Employees Industrial Association of Workers cancel their registration. He argued the matter at some length, and contended that the shearers Avould be better off if they cancelled their registration, threw over the Arbitration Court, and dealt direct Avith the sheepowners. This matter. Avas debated at g;reat length by various delegates, and the concensus of opinion was that the shearers Avould be extremely ill-ad-vised not to make use of the ages the Court offered in the settlement of their disputes, Avhile at the same time they endeavoured by industrial organisation to benefit their coivdritions. still further. On the .question being put, the voting Avas as fellows: —For cancellation of registration : Mr. King; against cancellation : Messrs. Purvis, C. Johnston. W. Boon, W. Johnstone, J. SteAvart, J. Nicholson, J. Cooper, A. McLeod, J. Townsend, J. Morgan. The general secretary stated that he had no vote in this matter, but he would nse all his influence to prevent the shearers taking such a retrograde step as to cancel their registration at the present time. DISCUSSION WITH FEDERATION DELEGATES. At this stage the various matters to be arranged betAA-een the Shearers' Association and the Federation of Labor (which organisation the shearers had by ballot taken last shearing season decided to join) Ayere discussed at length. The matters Avere: (1) The representation to be given to the Shearers' Association on. the Fedoration Executive; (2) the representation, to be giA-en the Shearers' Associate non the Newspaper Board controlling ".The Maoriland Worker," and (3) the reduction of the contribution of 2s per year per member to the Federation from the Shearers' Association to Is per year per member. The Federation delegates said that they had been authorised to offer proportional representation on the Federation Executive ItAVo members) and one seat oh the Newspaper Board. They

©oilld not deal with the matter of the reduction of contribution, as that had to b© settled by the democracy of their Federation, and not by its officers. They expressed their regret at the postponement of the conference of shearers and miners, which was rendered absolutely necessary owing, among other things, to the delay in setting up the Mines Commission, the report of which had tq__bp -ra'iisidcred-'-:----by the Federation t\\Zr~ present time it Avas of-vital importance also to conserve all the funds for the establishment of "The Maoriland Worker en : a sound financial basis as a working-class paper owned, controlled and printed by the workers. The question cf the suitability of the paper as at present conducted to meet the needs and Avishes of the workers of the Dominion Avas debated at length, and it was agreed that if the paper was not catching the ear of the workers it must be made to do so. At the same time, it could not deviate from the basic principles it was founded for.the purpose of advocating, \iz., industrial unionism, Socialism, and politics. After some further discussion as to the finances of the paper the Federation delegates retired. On resuming conference proceedings it Avas ■■unanimously agreed that the shearers * ask for equal representation on the NeAvspaper Board and four members on the Executive of the N.Z. Federation of Labor, and that the contribution to the Federation from the Shearers' Association be reduced to Is per year per member.