THE WAY OF WORKERS

Taranaki Daily News, 21 May 1920, Page 4

THE WAY OF WORKERS

PRESSMEN NOT WANTED. MEETINGS HELD IN CAMERA. The demnjds of the representative* of the Labor Party in New Plymouth for everything to be done in open council, and their expressed intention of insisting of such methods of conducting public business wlicn seeking tho suffrages "of the burgesses at the last municipal elections, will not have been forgotten by the electors, whb at that time, however, did not sufficiently approve of the party's platform to return any of them to the public positions which; they sought, whether on the Borough Council, the Harbor Board, or the Hospital BoardWhen it comea to the conduct of their own affairs the Pafty does not court that, same franknqpe with the publio which they demand of others, and evidently prefer what have at times been referred to aB "star' chamber" methods to any more open way of prosecuting their cause. A Daily News represent*" tive has on two occasions recently been subjected to experiences which, fortunately, come but rarely nowadays to newspaper men. About a fortnight ago the annual meeting of the Taranaki Workers' Council was advertised to take place in the Workers' Social Hall, and the reporter went in the usual course of events, expecting to report the meeting. The 6alutation from the chair wßen the reporter entered the room was as surprising as it was unusual, if not to say discourteous. "We'll see, you in the morning" was the remark with which our representative was received. This was followed with the intimation that the body had a "Press Committee" which would furnish all the report of the proceedings that was required. The reporter thanked the chairman, and^ expressed the hope that as "the morning" would be too late for the next issue of the News the "Press Committee" would carry out their part of the undertaking that night, and then retired- It may be said that no report of the proceedings on that occasion was offered to the Kewrs by the "Press Committee" of the Workers' Council, and so it may be concluded that they did not desire to divulge the business of tho meeting. A meeting was advertised for last night under the heading pf "Trade Unionists", at which Mr. J. Roberta (secretary of the N.Z. Transport Workers' Federation) was announced to give an address to trade unionists on tho subject of, "Present industrial unrest and the need for closer unity." Our reporter's sense of duty both to his napcr and the public took him again to the hall of the Workers, and .on'entering he was asked if he required a table and where he would like to have it, and on espving one lltindy to the platform lie said that position would suit all right. The "worker", however, who sought to seo- the press man satisfactorily provided for was evidently not "in the know." There was a hurried movement 011 the part of a member of the meeting present, to the door, and whispers were overheard relating in some way to "the Press", and the reporter was called on one side and told quietly that he wasn't wanted at the meeting. wasn't even asked if he was a member of a trades union and interested in the. proceedings, and so he discretely left the hull, concluding t!m,t the idea of a journalist being ft unionist epuld not yet. have dawned Upon the local "workers."