THIRTEENTH DAY.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 66, 14 June 1912, Page 6

THIRTEENTH DAY.

On Tuesday the President occupied the chair. Finance. The r.cw constitution was adopted. The rcpori of the Finance- Committee, together wuh estimates, was adopted. On the recommendation of the executive, it was unanimously carried that £."'0 he voied to the secretary for past: services. The expenses allowance for members of executive while on duty was fixed at 225. M. per day. Agreements. Moved by W. E. Parry and seconded by G. Smith (Patea): That t-he F.L. cease to make time-spocilied agreements with representatives of the employing class. The remit evoked an animated discussion, but upon a card vote was defeated by £■">•} votes to 57£. A discussion ensued upon the matter of a uniform entrance lee, but the question was left- to ihe individual unions. 11. T. Armstrong moved, J. E. Duncan seconded, and it was carried: That, considering there are some thousands of men employed on the public works of this country are not members cf any Union, the Executive consider a scheme for organising them as soon as possible. On the motion of Mosts. T. Montgomery and .1. 1). Kirn:, it «as carried: That the conference of the N.Z.F.L. tecoiumeiid that all Unions hold fortnightly meetings, apart from ordinary meetings, for the purpose of discussing the principles of Industrial Unionism. Resolved, that the c,m - titui ion of the Federation be amended in the direction of permitting unions to aililiate only by a majority of the financial membership. Preference to Unionists. The motion previously carried .a-: to preference to unionists was rcs'-inded. On (In- proposal of Messrs-. R._S'ompl" and J. Montgomery, the following motion was carried: "That the question of unconditional prrfcreneo apply only to co-opfraLivc workers in public works." It was d--< :d-d that in the event of a strike oCa-p; shall not receive more hem}';-■ than the ir-neral body. A hearty welcome to New Zealand l<> If. E. ' ltelland. who arrived in Am-klioi-l i'--".-- Sydney en Sunday, was carried by a.-t hmat ion. £10 was voted to the HoUaaid fund. It was curried: "That federated unions he Ins* nice"! not to take any vole or ballot tor or asrainst a strike unless in-truci. d by the N.Z.F.L." The m;.iter of work ceasing at certain hours mi v.harv.s was n faired to

Conciliation and Arbitration. On the motion of Messrs. P. H. Hickey and W. Young, tho following was adopted: 'That it bo an instruction to all unions in tho federation to cancel registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act as soon as practicable ; further, that it be a recommendation to all unions desirous of joining the organisation to seriously consider the advisability of cancellation before joining, as we consider the Act detrimental to the best interests of the working-class and directly in opposition to the spirit of Industrial Unionism." Agm-d that the question of report re co-o|M>rative works be left to the executive. Auckland Trouble. The Auckland trouble was fully ventilated. The conference affirmed the principle of a 44-hours' week and a minimum wage of 10s. per day for unskilled labor. Surplus Remits. During tlie day a number of remits were withdrawn," chiefly because they had either been dealt with in another form or were covered by the new constitution. The withdrawals included: State Mine Nos. 3 and 4, Shearers No. 1, 2, and 6, Waikato Miners No. 5, Otago Miners No. 3. Inangahua Miners Nos. 1, 3 and 4, Waihi Miners No. 3, Taitapu Miners No. 2, Timaru Waterpiders Nos. 1 and 2, Groymouth Watcrsiders No. 2. Remits as under were lost: Auckland Watersiders No. 2. Auckland Tramways No. 5, State Mine No. 5, Taitapu Miners No. 1. Grtvinouth Watersiders No. 1. Transport Matters. In the evening an extra sittin_ took place, when a report from the Transport branch was received and discussed. It said in part: To President and Delegate* N.Z.F.L.. We have to report that delegates of the transport assembled in conference on May 21, 1912. to discuss items of interest appertaining to the waterside industry. The most important business transacted which will be of interest to the N.Z.F.L. conference is that relating to direct action, and we (the Transport Branch) ask. after placing before you the details, that conference endorse our action. For some considerable time, it has been a burning question upon the waterfront—namely, the suppression of the dust nuisance with certain cargoes, such as cement, lime, superphosphates, etc. Although the watcrshhrs in August last decided upon the imposition of proper lined dust-proof cement bags, we found that owing to t he inferior quality of article supplied tho hags have proved a failure. We then arranged a conference with cement manufacturers, and met on May 21 and 22. and arrived at the following decision, being Jirst submitted as a resolution and liually drafted into an agreement: That on and after January 1, 1913, the waterside workers of New Zealand absolutely refuse to handle cement imported from any port outsido Now Zealand unless contained in cask's lined with zinc, tin. oi galvanised iron., and made absolutely dusi-pnmf. in censid ration of the above resolution being car:ie,l the b,ur manufacturing comon!. companies represented guarantee to provide a dust-proof bag of superior quality to any yet used in New Zealand, and guarantee that the dust nuisance shall be reduced to a minimum. The same to come into force on January 1. 1913: veighis of bags not to exceed three to the cask and 1271b5. to tho bag. Further provided, that the paperlined hags now in s-teck he used til! January 1. 1913. provided that should same run out of stock before expiry of time, cement to be contained in double bags. On and afur January 1, 1913. (he watersiders pledge themselves to strictly enforce tlie above resolution by refusing to handle any cement nol contained in dust-proof receptacles, thereby placing both Home and local manufacturer:, upon an equal fooling re dust nuisance. We further have to report that the deputation authorised by conference to wait upon the Ministers of Maiinc and Haihvays to lay before iln-m grievances' relating to our industry were given a very patient hearinu: by both Ministers: reports of which we expect to receive in a few da\s. '1 he report was .adopted. " Maorilancl Worker." The following remits were, carried, alt er e-MiaiiM ire discussion :- - Thai < until < nee consider the policy and conduct of "The Maoriland Worker with a view to alteration. Thar Tin? MaohiMnd Wokktu: be owned and financed as tho official organ by the N.Z.I.L. as a whole. Arising out of the first remit, tho following motion was carried: ''That it be a recommendation to the Newspaper Hoard thai' no space be devoted to the discussion of religion except to

defend the philosophy of the movement or in connection with reviews." Arising out of the socond remit: On the motion of R. N. Ridd and P. Richardson, it was decided: "That it be an instruction to the incoming executive to consider tho advisability of merging Tfte MAonu.ANn Wonincn into a limited liability company, for the purpose of more effectively carrying on the business of the newspaper, and to. as soon as possible, lay the, result of their deliberations before tbe affiliated bodies." Conference rose at 11.30 p.m.