UNITY CONGRESS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 2 July 1913, Page 5

UNITY CONGRESS.

OPENED IN WELLINGTON* STATUS OF DELEGATES;; • ' J (By Telegraph—Pr&aAswriatfa;)* ■'"■. WELLINGTON,. Last^Nigbi?^ The Labour Oonf&ens© opened this morning,., , '■'-.''■',^W Mr S, H. Hiokey was retary, and the Hon. John |Rigg chairman. Some four hundred delegates were present. . / The Hon. Mr Rigg congratulated the .assembly, which"; he said was the largest conference ever ,hpld in Australasia. They represented over fifty thousand workersvya fact which should make them k'eenly sensible of the responsibility that rested on them. He could not believe such a conference could disperse without doing some good. They could agree on one thing, and that was that the time had arrived when the workers shall govern themselves. Too long had the .workers sat -at the feet of other parties and begged for benefits, as favours, which they should take as their right. v The report was taken as read.

A oable was read from .the .Slel--bourho Trades Hall, wishing the Con gross sudoeksV ' -■' Some discussion took place on th<question of the acceptance of Mr J. A. Hanan, M.P., as a delegate'from the Invercargill .B;»tm-aIters' Union, on the ground that he -was not a member 0f,... any Labour body. Finally the acceptance of his credentials was carried by 206 votes to 126. The Congress also decided to allow the secretary of the Wellington Tinsmiths' Union to represent the Auckland Tinsmiths, the hatter's'delegate being ill. ■•'.,. . Considerable debate took place on. the question of; the first business to be considered. Finally it wag decided that first consideration be given to the. industrial platform, as contained in the constitution of the Fed eration of Labour. The Congress then adjourned.