First annual meeting of the Eastern (N.S.W.) Provincial Council of the A.L.F.

*THE WORKER*

Brisbane March 23, 1895.

Australasian Labour Federation.

EASTERN PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

First Annual Meeting.

The first annual meeting of the Eastern (N.S.W.) Provincial Council of the A.L.F. Was opened at the Maritime Hall, Sydney, on Thursday, the 14^th instant. The following delegates presented credentials: Messrs. S. Smith (Sydney district Council) J. C. Watson, M.P. (Young), Hugh M'Donald, M.P. (Coonamble), J. Medway Day (Bourke), R. Sleath, M.P. (Barrier), Arthur Rae (Riverina) J.P. Cochrane (provisional secretary) was also in attendance.

It was estimated from returns handed in by the representatives that the council was representative of upwards of 16,000 members in N.S.W., which judging from correspondence subsequently read is likely to be considerably augmented during the current year.

The provisional president (Mr. Sam Smith) announced that Mr. Albert Hinchcliffe, general secretary of the A.L.F., Queensland, was in attendance and desirous of being permitted to be present during the council's deliberation.

Mr. Hinchcliffe was thereupon accorded a hearty welcome and invited to take part in the deliberations. He stated that he was on his way to Brisbane from the Albury convention of the A.W.U. when he received a wire from his executive requesting him to remain for the meeting of the Eastern Provincial Council for the purpose of urging the advisability of pushing on the inter-colonial extension of the Labour Federation and thus securing much greater unity of action in both industrial and political matters. When passing through Melbourne he and Mr. Mat Reid, M.L.A., had attended a meeting of the Trades Hall Council, where they were pleased to notice that there was a growing feeling in favour of Labour Federation. In fact, were it not for the presence of of circumstances over which they had no control that council would, he believed, have adopted the Federation scheme as finally agreed upon at the Ballarat Congress. Mr. Hinchcliffe hoped the council would do something

to consolidate the political Labour movement, which he in common with many others of their friends was sorry to see so divided at present. If the benefit of the experience of the Queensland movement from his official standpoint was of any service to them the council were quite at liberty to make use of him.

The council then proceeded with the transaction of some unimportant formal business, after which it took the first opportunity to instruct Secretary Cochrane to invite the Central Committee of the labour Electoral Leagues to appoint representatives to confer with them with the object of devising a scheme for united political action.

Recognising the importance of proceeding energetically with the work of organisation in the country districts, particularly in the Illawarra and Newcastle districts, a sub-committee was appointed to devise means and report thereon at a later stage of the proceedings.

ELECTION OF PRESIDENT.

For the office of provincial president there were nominated some months ago in accordance with federation rules the following J. Medway Day (editor N.S.W. Worker), gentlemen; Messrs. Sam Smith (Secretary Seamen's Union), J.C. Watson, M.P. For Young, and Arthur Rae. A ballot of the federated unions was taken during the interim, and J.P. Cochrane scrutineer, when it was found that Mr. J. Chris. Watson has attained a majority of the votes cast, and was therefore declared elected provincial president for the ensuing year.

FIRST INTERCOLONIAL GENERAL COUNCIL.

Mr. Hinchcliffe introduced the subject of convening the first meeting of the General Council of the Federation, which was most heartily taken up by the other delegates present. Everyone seemed convinced of the importance of getting the council together at the very earliest opportunity, but the question of expense was a matter for serious consideration in these times. However, it was eventually decided that correspondence should be opened up with the Queensland General Executive, A.L.F. With the object of arranging for the assembling of the first General Council at Sydney in the month of June. In the mean time it was understood that the officers and members of the Eastern Provincial Council would do all within their power to secure South Australia and Victoria.

POLITICAL ACTION.

There was a quantity of other industrial business transacted, which affected the colony of New South Wales, and is largely of an internal character. Political action was the next item of general interest. Political action was the next item of general interest. The president (Mr. J. C. Watson, M.P.), who attended the annual conference of the L.E.L. held last January as a representative of the Provincial Council for the purpose of submitting certain proposals for political organisation, gave a very lengthy report on the result of his mission. The effect of the proposal which he had been instructed to recommend was that the federated, should be a basis, or, at any rate, a backbone, in times of political stagnation for the political organisation of the workers. Always after a general election political organisations fall flat, and it was thought that by having the union there would be a basis or backbone for a political organisation. He regretted to say that the recommendations of the council had been rejected, and it was now left to them to say what other course should be pursued to secure the desired object.

The report was was received, and discussion ensued, it being eventually decided, in the event of no satisfactory arrangement being come to at the proposed meeting with League representatives, to proceed immediately with the work of political organisation on the following lines, which are similar to those recommended to the recent league annual meeting for acceptance, namely:

1. The establishment of a political organisation to be known as the Political Labour Federation, and to consist of members of the Australian Federation of Labour and others who subscribe to the platform and the rules of the political organisation.
2. A political labour federation shall be organised (a) by the formation of branches in each electorate; (b) by the grouping of such branches and of existing political labour organisations into district assemblies.
3. Where there are district councils of the Australasian Federation of Labour, the boundaries of the district assemblies shall be, where practicable, coterminous.
4. District assemblies shall consist of delegates from each electorate branch or sub-branch in such manner as districts may arrange, together with three members of the Local district council of the A.L.F.
5. Where no district council of the A.L.F. Exists, electorate branches of the P.L.F. May be established and such branches shall have power to group themselves into district assemblies.
6. District assemblies shall have local control of all matters other than the platform and any pledge that may be required from candidates; but electorate branches shall have the right of selecting their own candidate, who must previously have signed the pledge adopted by the federation.
7. Candidates for selection must be nominated by not less than ten financial members in the electorate. In the event of there being more than one candidate nominated a ballot of the whole of the members in the electorate shall be taken, and the candidate finally selected must have received an absolute majority of the votes polled.
8. A conference of delegates from from District Assemblies shall be held once a year, and at such conference each District Assembly shall be entitled to send one delegate for every four electorates, or any fraction thereof, within its boundaries.
9. At such conference all questions affecting the platform or pledge must be carried by a majority of two-thirds of those vote.

Provision for the appointment of an Executive Committee with limited powers were agreed to, and the following pledge unanimously adopted:

I hereby pledge myself not to oppose the selected candidate of this or any branch of the Political Labour Federation. I also promise if returned to Parliament on all occasions to do my utmost to ensure the carrying out of the principles embodied in the Labour platform and on all such questions, and especially on questions affecting the fate of a Government, to vote as a majority of the Labour party may decide at a duly constituted caucus meeting.

In response to the council's invitation, Messrs. Hendry, Holman, Flowers, Skelton, and Routly, members of the Central Committee of the L.E.L., met the A.L.F. delegates on Saturday, and discussed at very great length the existing differences between the industrial and non-industrial sections of the Political Labour Party. The only result of the discussion was the suggestion by one of the league's delegates that a conference between the L.E.L. And A.L.F. be held for the purpose of arranging a common basis of organising for political purposes.

Regarding the accepting of office by labour members, it was decided that no member should accept office without the consent of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

The council was still sitting (Monday afternoon) when this communication was despatched.