TRADES UNION CONGRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1921, Page 5

TRADES UNION CONGRESS.

NO REVOLUTION BY FORCE.

MATERNITY PENSIONS NEEDED.

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Sept. 5.

Mr. Poulton, president of the Trades Union Congress, in his opening address at Cardiff, declared against revolution by force. He said that last year the industrial maelstrom had left people apathetic. They must combat this by a vigorous attack, and abolish the present conditions by overthrowing the capitalistic system and substituting a Socialistic system by evolution, not by revolution.

The movement was suffering from the old evil of division. They were going to be audacious in their demands. By political and industrial action they would make a land fit for heroes.

The conference passed a resolution in favor of demanding from the Government maternity pensions on the principle of the American schemes. A MODERATE ATMOSPHERE. DEPUTATION CAUSES UPROAR London, Sept. 5. The atmosphere of the Trades Union Congress at Cardiff is very different from that of recent years. There are no signs of a repetition of the wild attempts to stampede British traces unions into a revolutionary policy. The 800 delegates, representing 6,500,000 trades unionists, seem to wish to put the seal upon a constructive programme./* There was a lively episode late irrthe afternoon, when a deputation of unemployed addressed the congress and occasioned considerable uproar. The deputation demanded tliat the Cabinet be invited immediately to settle the unemployed problem. If work could not b: given the unemployed they demanded full maintenance, which meant,the same amount as they would have earned if working, even if it was 40s .ibove the existing allowances. The discussion ended by the Congress deciding to take a collection on behalf of the unemployed. The congress will debate unemployment on Inursday.