Auckland Tramwaymen.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 43, 5 January 1912, Page 11

Auckland Tramwaymen.

PARRY AND FRASER BEFORE THE UNION. Greetings, all of you. Kditori.il stall's are. as busy at Ckristmastido a> are Iramwaynicii. May the circulation ot "The Worker 1, be doubled by next Christinas —that is a wish iliml -ivill be echoed by the Revolutionary Socialists and class-conscious industrialists of Now Zealand. To business. The tramwavmou's strike is off; peace is declared, and tho heart of the Quee.n street trades--11.011 glad in consequence. A while ago we demanded a £16,000 share of the £J3,000 profit which went to the financiers of London and Berlin for the good and betterment of the sweated, underpaid tramway workers of Auckland. The company offered £9000, and then we gave a fortnight's notice to strike. The N.Z.F.L. Executive sent up our old friend, W. Parry, to guide, in conjunction with P. Frasor, the destinies of the Union and the youthful federation. There wore several battles royal in the company's head oflioo between the representatives on both sictos, plain words and forcible arguments being the irost outstanding features. The result was that the suggested grading was cut down from sis years to three years in the ease of traffic— which means a gain of £1200 a year to tho Union. A meeting of the union was held on Thursday morning, and the final struggle took place over the telephone, when tho company granted another £400 per annum extra to tho '•bottom dogs," the general laborers, car cleaners and pitmen.

The company's proposals wore Ihon recommended by the union's delegates and Federation representatives for the union's acceptance as far as the financial question was concerned; certain tilings pertaining to working conditions, clothing, tools, etc., to be left over until I\lr. Tegetmeir arrives, This was embodied in a resolution and carried at the morning meeting by a majority of 142 to 29.

Comrades W. Parry and P. Fraser addressed both meetings at length, and wore greatly pleased with the. solidarity and growth of the industrialist movement amongst the trannvaytnon.

Comrade Parry oniphasiwd the need for a militant organisation, based on class lines, to cope, with the increasing power of the ruling class, and how this organisation must stand foremost in tho thoughts of the working class. Ho showed also that even as the interest of the individual is second to the common interest of the union as a whole, so also must unions consider that the Federation of Labor has the first call on their 'attention and that tho building a.nd progress of that organi.>ation is of far greater importance than the obtaining of a \d or Id por hour' rise.

Coiriradp Fraser eongrntulafnd the Tramway Unioii upon its delegates, who had fought an uphill light in an fiirnest and ronseientiou.s man nor. T-lvey ■A'ore men who had. to say Uie very loast, as much intelligonoe as the company's representatives.

Both s])oakors won l lu-artily rtpplaiul:vl. \ot-os of thanks to the delegates p.r.fl the olficials woivi rari io.l unnniiiiously with iioclaiiiation, an<l Comrade Parry was uskwl Ui convey iraternal greetings (') all n'filiatod unions, and to emphasise the nep-d for closer organisation and education to help free the work ing-class fmm «?Gnijinir bondage.

There is on/* thing tint ought to ho nienl ione-d, viz., thai: tli#- union, un- .!■•>!• the. present partial agreement, had tin* power to accept or rojpct th<> wliolo <r liny part of the .ignvMix'tit, a thing whicli' {\w fiissilisivl aiul nntiquat-od Ar'lilration Court do*':; not allow, but ■■. > 111 j>ol is tho "i c^pf.u'.c. , of t'l-e wliolo, i):-r liH'diiiin of tin , Irtiv.

Another thing Hint was n groat gain in niv estimation was tin- grunting of Is lid per hour to tho laborers, in addiii.in d> which 1 !''■•>' !i;n'e a froo travelling pass. Thi.-s will bo good r.i.-itii'rial for the Oenoj-'l Laborers" I'ii-on to go on, and shows, after all, bow ii)ii.-l] ov.:-- s.-'-tion of tlif working .•lass depends upon other sections in ilicir- Mg.iiiis! the common c-ivemy. I'Yieud Parry met on t!h> conference :.n old jioqiini;il mice of !ii:iny other conferences, Mr. Rhodes, who, I think, will SOOll illilVO 3 wholesome dl'Vl.l of (he power of the X.Z.1.-'.f<., ond wlio, ! hear, \<<\t quite annoyed that the Tramway iuiiou stil! reserved, the power to strike.

Vv'n had a hi , ,; meeting at t.lie ivhnrf mi Sunday jirienioon, wliieh was adrlr<'ssed by Coiura-ies Bloodwort.h, Frasor, Rnrker, and Andrews. Tlie !p.st-ii;(med eoinrade was :i revolution to mc, and in my opinwni onu;hb to hive a ebaiice on tlte pint form. The way that lie read from ",loik-s' Boy" and emphasised the points war, worth going miles to hear. lie is a new e.liuiii, and I understand late secretary o'i' an 5.D.1 , . lirancli in Londo",.

Sunday nighb was wt, but notwithstanding a hrge crowd turned up bo tlif Opera House to hear Comrade E. H. Hartley lee.turp on "Kin« Baby. ,, fii his subject iiiJittor he deal! with the child problem in a rlo.-ir, concise and eloquent- manner, and proved beyond ;il! doubt that the only way to create i\ mreat coimtry was to fosier, foe.4, and nitionallv clotlie dm Hiildvon and to .--dtioato tlicni by -; D-i\," and not Coinrwlf Hartley al*ti ve-r-itf>d "Molly. 0," a Oliristiiias i'lom ''I'iiik'li," in a and olo-i-|uont. inaTincr, and as lie 010>,.-'d leftriM.fi.fx ;i niinilsof of wet ours in the audic.iH'f. fiHiiradest all, isni*t\ hi''k -the fight v.-i!! tvdid'nne, and ultiiiiately will ftisd ■i: vict-orv ll'^st , '.vtih<\=i ;t!id surwss 1 Din , s;'re.iii->sl f;wU»r. ''Tite Worker." riI'AXWIUR,