TRADES & LABOR COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 118, 5 October 1912, Page 8

TRADES & LABOR COUNCIL.

interesting; addresses. j There was a good attendance of workers at the meeting of the Trades and labor Council iheld in the Town Hal] fast night, to hear addresses from prominent Labour delegates. Mr. S. Smith presided and briefly introduced the speakers. Mr. Reardon (Wellington) was the first speaker. The one point that every worker was most concerned about now, he said, was w<hy not join the United Labor party ? This they had to answer for themselves. Thte policy of the United Labor party affected not only the men interested 1 in the Labor movement, but all the men and women of the Dominion, who depended for their living on their hands or brains. Experience had proved that it was impossible to define a line of i demarcation between political and industrial activity. The workers must make their activity both industrial and political, and so achieve results' in the political field that they were unable to achieve in the industrial field. He would not make the bald assertion that if they voted for the Labor platform, this or that would be the result; but he would say that the United Labor Party claimed that their platform was unequalled by that of any party in the Dominion, or, in fact, by that of any party in any part of the civilised world. They accordingly submitted it for consideration, and asked who were the proper people to put it into operation ? The answer was: "If you want a thing well done do it yourself. Select some one of yourselves to represent you in Wellington." He then went very fully into the platform of the Labor party, a platform that had been drawn up after very ca,reful consideration |by Unions, Federations, Federation of_ Federations and Trades and Labor Unions. It, therefore, expressed the concrete desires of the working class, population of .the Dominion. Some items, perhaps some of them might disagree witih, but ihe ventured to say that nine out of ten of its planks would be favourably received by all. He went on to outline the planks in detail'. Mr. Whiting (Cliirietchuroh) was the next speaker. He had, he said, convino ed 'himself years ago that the next step for the workers to take was United. Political Action, and now he was out to convince others. They were told that their organisation was not sufficient, so | they formed not only Unions, but federations, and federations of federations. [ Strikes proved a failure, mi they agitatI ed for legislation and got the Conciliaj tion Act. This had- actually done some good, but it did not go far enough, and, therefore, they should take further political action, which was the only step that could amend the evils under which they were now working. If they were represented by their own men, and not by those of the capitalistic class, It would bo easy for them to get the _ reforms that they needed. Taxing was graded the wrong way. A man with £l2O per annum paid 3s 0d in the £ indirect taxation to the Customs, whilst the man with £IO,OOO per annum paid Is 4d in the £. Was this night? Was it fair? Was it just? If is could be altered by a general strike, he ? would be with those who favored strikes, but it could not be altered except by political action. Employers told them that the unions had been formed for industrial and not political purposes. Directly a worker paid his grocer's, or his butchers' biH. or his land, he was meddling in politics. It was quite time men woke «p to this fact, and urged the women to take up political as well as industrial notion.' Mr. T. E. Taylor had said that with tweve men in Parliament they could dominate the position, and so they could, if they had twelve men in the House to-d#£. He was not partieular about getting into Parliament, but was anxious to see their policy on the Statute Bsok. The capitalistic party admitted that they only had to fear Professor Mills and the United Labor Rarty, and he was confident that next election' they would return sufficient men to hold the balance of power between the Con-servative-Liberal and Liberal-Conserva-tive parties, if not to secure the reins of power. Not only were the cities going to return labor men, but some of the fanners favored their policy also. There were men, he concluded, in New Ply- I mouth well able to represent them in the House, and if they would Bally round their chosen candidate they could win

this sea?, although New Plymouth <ma Baid to be very conservative. - . .. Mr. Banfield (Auckland) also spoke briefly. He referred to the jealousy thai sometimes existed between workers when a worker was seeking their suffrages. He urged them not to votefor the man but for his policy. This speakeralso spoke at some length on the establishment of a co-operative store and the need for co-operation generally. Mr. McCullagh also made some forceful remarks, and was mosit attentively listened to. At the conclusion Mr. Lancaster said that he felt the time was. ripe to start a branch of the United Labor Party in New Plymouth. The employees of the i town undoubtedly showed an apathy in labor movements that was felt more by those who took an active part in'the organisation than all the rebuffs offered by the employ»r». Mr. fteardon replied at some length, minutely describing the process necessary for the formation of a branoh. Hearty votes of thanks were aceorded the speakers, on the motion of tbe chairman and Mr. Jennings.

A vote of thanks to the chairman coseluded the meeting,