Ideal of One Union Attracts T.U.C. Chief

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 450, 4 September 1928, Page 9

Ideal of One Union Attracts T.U.C. Chief

SPEECH TO CONGRESS FARM COLONIES AT HOME (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United" Service) Reed. 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Monday. When the Jubilee of the Trade Unions’ Council opened at Swansea, Mr. Ben Turner, in his presidential address, suggested that it was time they made a move forward in trade union structure. They might well consider whetherone union was a wise possibility. Personally, he was attracted to the ideal, if they had industry groups and decentralisation with “We need more trade unionism, and more unity in the unions. The problem is how to get it. “We don’t want to jump out of the frying-pan into the fire, nor be carried away by dogmatism and crankiness, but we want to have every man and woman in the respective trade unions.” He believed that the hours of labour of manual workers should be reduced, and thus overcome part of the unemployment problem. There was need for 'a big slice of immediate land nationalisation and colonisation. Britain would do better to till her own land than to send men as waifs and strays to the outposts of the Empire, where they must fight Nature in more brutal fashion. He would not hesitate to take 2,000,000 acres of land, misused or unused, and start colonies of men thereon.

Miss Margaret Bondfield, supporting a proposal for the expulsion of the National Union of Seamen, pointed out that the seamen admitted encouraging and assisting in the formation and development of the Miners’ Non-Political Union, which the T.U.C. regarded as a breakaway union. Mr. Jack Jones, attempting to oppose the resolution, was shouted down. Mr. Turner said a troublous debate was unnecessary, as delegates had virtually decided that some action was, necessary and the seamen had already withdrawn from membership.

The Congress carried the proposal, with one dissentient. Mr. J. R. Clynes declared that the Government had never been more untrustworthy, untruthful and callous than it was regarding unemployment. Mr. Baldwin’s pitiful appeal to the employers was contemptible.