Conference were endorsed with but few amendments, and these being of only a minor nature.
This Conference appointed Mr. P. J. O’Regan, Federation attorney, and in the years that followed this counsel and guidance was of immeasurable benefit to the Federation and its membership. His representations on the Federation’s behalf before Parliamentary Committees resulted in many amendments and additions to the Workers’ Compensation Act, the Mining Act, etc.
The officers elected were as follows:—President, R. Semple; vice-president, H. T. Armstrong; secretary, R. Manning; treasurer, J. J. Scanlon; executive, Messrs. Dowgray, Foster and Fry.
An attempt was made to register the Federation under the I.C. and A. Act, but again we were successful in defeating the proposal, and were finally able to carry a resolution that registration be effected under the Trades Union Act.
The Conference appointed P. H. Hickey to visit Otago for the purpose of enrolling the Miners’ Unions there into the Federation. I visited Green Island, Alexandra, Kaitangata, Waioruni, Nightcaps, and Glentunnel (Canterbury), and in each place received an encouraging hearing. Later, the Otago miners joined up, but so far as Kaitangata was concerned it was never a source of strength to the Federation.
THE FEDERATION’S BAPTISM
The Federation’s baptism of fire followed closely on the October Conference. Owing to an amendment to the Workers’ Compensation Act, which made provision for compensation for “Industrial Diseases,”
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