REPORT OF THE NINETEENTH Irish Trades Union Congress, HELD IS THE TOWN HALL, CLONMEL, 27th, 28th and 29th MAY, 1912 THE Irish Trades ion Congre; 1Q1 . 'LABOR OMNIA VINCIT." REPORT OF THE NINETEENTH % Irish Trades Union Congress, h HELD IS THE TOWN HALL, CLONMEL, 27th, 28th and 29th MAY, 1912 1 KEPOKT OF THE NINETEENTH Irish Trades Union Congress, HELD IN TDK TOWN HALL, CLONMEL, ox MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, May 27th, 28th and 29th, 1912. Edited by P. T. DALY, y Irish Labour Pery & Trade Unit Published by authority of the Congress and the Parliamentary Committee. DUBLIN: PRINTED BY SEALY, BRYERS AND WALKER. Irish Paper.] [Trades Union La b our I PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE, 1912-13. CHAIRMAN : JAMES LARKIN, DUBLIN. • VIC&CHAIRMAN : ... WILLIAM O'BRIEN, DUBLIN. TREASURER: D. R. CAMPBELL, 11 KIMBERLEY STREET, BELFAST. Miss MARY GALWAY, Belfast. THOS. MCCONNELL, Belfast. M. J. O'LEHANE, Dublin. THOS. MCPARTLIN, Dublin. R. P. O'CARROLL, T.C P.L.G., Dublin. SECRETARY: •P. T. DALY, LIBERTY HALL, BERESFORD PLACE, DUBLIN. REPORT 19th Annual Irish Trades Union Congress, CLONMEL, 1912. FIRST DAY-MONDAY, 27th MAY, 1912. The Nineteenth Annual Trades Congress was held in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall, Clonmel, on Monday, May 27th, 1912. The Mayor (Mr. James Meehan), who was accompanied by the Town Clerk and Sword and Mace Bearers, was present as President of the Reception Committee, with Alderman T. J. Condon, M.P.; Alderman Fitzgibbon, and Messrs. Michael Tobin, T.C., Treasurer, and W. P. O'Keeffe and E. Noonan, Hon. Sees. ; J. Prendergas;, T.C.; M. O'Connell, T.C.; P. J. Condon, T.C., W. Daly, T.C. ; M. Farrell. T.C.; R. Stapleton T.C.; J. Magner, T.C.; D. F. O'Connor, T.C.; J. J. Hickey, T.C.; P. F. Sally, .T.C.; Wm. Cassidy, J. O'Neill, M. O'Keeffe, P. Quirke, P. Cunningham, J. Boylan, J. O'Donnell, James O'Donnell, E. Pope, J. Perridge, J. J. O'Shee, M.P.; J. O'Callaghan, J. Fitzgerald, Wm. Quirke, J. Power, N. McCormack, D. Pyke, R. Byrne, D. Lonergan, T. Lonergan, F. O'Meara, Jas. M-ulcahy Lyons, T. Roche, and B. J. Long. Mr. Joseph Clarke, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Com- mittee, who was received with applause, said that in the name of the Parliamentary Committee he bade the members of the Congress welcome to Clonmel. He would now ask the Mayor to address them (applause). The Mayor, who was cordially recived, said it was a very pleas- ing duty to him on behalf of the citizens of Clonmel to bid the delegates a very hearty cead mile failte to their midst. He sin- cerely trusted that their deliberations would be fruitful, and that the delegates would carry away with them happy recollections of their visit. He again, in the name of the citizens of Clonmel, bade the delegates welcome (loud applause). 4 Nineteenth Annual Irish Trades Congress. Mr. D. R. Campbell (Belfast) said it afforded him very great pleasure to move a hearty vote of thanks to the Mayor for the very cordial reception he had extended to them on behalf of the people of Clonmel. He (Mr. Campbell), on behalf of the delegates, also begged to thank the members of the Reception Committee for the warm welcome they had given them to the sunny South. Speaking on behalf of the Northern delegates, he might say that they didn't exactly march to the South (laughter), as it had been suggested they might (laughter). They came in various ways, some of them by midnight express, and others like the French motor bandits, along the road by " road hogs" (laughter) ; but all of them came to the sunny South expecting they would get a genial welcome, and they had not been disappointed. He had himself been in Clonmel a short time ago, when he was treated exceedingly well, and he had no doubt that on this occasion when they put on their hats to go away they would all have the happiest recollections of their stay (hear, hear). They came there as representing the organised workers of Ireland. That was, as it had been well described, a Parliament of Labour, held for the purpose of assist- ing the workers all over the country in the attainment of a decent living, in order that they might get the opportunity of bringing up their children respectably, and if now and again they had to cross swords with them, they did it believing that the cause they were engaged in was an honest and a just one (hear, hear). If they had to fight as such, they did it in the open. They trusted that their deliberations in the town would have the effect of strengthening the workers in their organisation, and making them feel that at any rate in the near future they were going to be real citizens, and real inhibitants of a real country (hear, hear). Mr. Richard P. O'Carroll. T.C., P.L.G. (Dublin), seconded the motion, which was carried with acclamation. The Mayor said, on behalf of the Corporation and himself, he desired to tender his thanks to those who had spoken for the very kind things they had said of him. He again expressed the hope that this Parliament of labour assembled for the first time in the capital of Tipperary, would be conducive to the prosperity and the welfare of the workers (hear, hear). As a worker himself he was proud to be in the position of Mayor to welcome that great body of workers (applause). On the motion of Mr. M. J. O'Lehane (Dublin), seconded by Mr. George Greig (Belfast), Mr. R. Byrne, of the Clonmel Trades Union, was appointed Assistant Secretary to the Congress ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Messrs. Whitley (Belfast) and Thos. Lawlor. T.C.. PLG (Dublin), were elected Tellers. Town Hall, Clonmel, 27th-29th May, 1912. 5 The following were appointed on the Standing Orders Com- mittee:—Messrs. McPartlin (Dublin), McConnell (Belfast), Lynch ("Cork), Mitchel (Belfast), and Walsh (Limerick). Messrs. Clarke (Belfast) and Breslan (Dublin) were appointed Auditors. On the motion of Mr. Quirke (Clonmel), seconded by Mr. Camp- bell (Belfast), Mr. M. J. O'Lehane (Dublin), Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, was appointed Chairman of the Con- gress. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. Mr. O'Lehane, who took the chair amidst loud applause, con- gratulated Mr. Clarke on the expeditious and very admirable manner in which he had got through the preliminaries, and pro- ceeded to deliver his opening address. He said: — FELLOW-DELEGATES—My first duty is to thank you most sincerely for having elected me to preside at this, the Nineteenth Annual Congress of Irish Trade Unionists. At any period the holding of such a position would be a very great honour, but I venture to say that since the establishment of our Congress, and indeed since the establishment of the Trades Union movement as we know it to-day, there has been no time of greater portent than the present (applause). We are met in the midst of great happenings and on the eve, probably, of far more important developments (applause). It would be impossible for me to deal to-day with the many events of importance which occurred during the past year, or to refer at any length to the multiplicity of questions which affect the well- being of the workers of Ireland. I shall confine my remarks, therefore, to those which I consider to be of immediate and of pressing interest. The first question in the category must, in my opinion, be that which deals with the proposed change of Govern- ment in this country. When such altered circumstances obtain. TRADES UNIONISM IN IRELAND WILL, FOR THE FIRST TIME, take its natural place in the community, and I, for one, am con- vinced that that will be no mean place (applause). The imme- diate result may be, at least, that large industrial centres, at present having no direct representation, will elect men to voice (heir opinions and push forward their demands. But in dealing with the question of representation I must express strong dis- appointment at the fact that, in the proposed measure, large urban centres are ignored, and instead of giving representation to towns such as Clonmel, Tralee, Wexford, Drogheda, Dundalk, Sligo, Portadown, Lurgan, and Ballymena, it is suggested that the important towns of Galway, Newry, and Kilkenny are to be deprived of direct representation (applause). This is a proposal 6 Nineteenth Annual Irish Trades Gongi-ess. to which we strongly object, and we must insist upon its amend- ment ; the urban areas must from the outset get due representation (cheers). There are other phases also of the Home Rule Bill to which we must take exception, notably, the nominated Senate. This anomaly, WHICH IS BUT A RELIC OF THE OLD ASCENDANCY CLASS LEGISLATION, and one which the people of Great Britain are about getting rid of, is now to be foisted on Ireland. Believing as we do in govern- ment by the people and for the people, we are altogether opposed to any Senate which is nominated or elected on a restricted fran- chise (applause). Two other most objectionable features in the Bill are the eternal and ever-recurring "veto" and the "safe- guards." I may say that we consider these undesirable and un- necessary, either in so far as religion or labour are concerned. The Irish workers would prefer to take their chance on these ques- tions, and they are also willing to work out their own salvation, as I have no doubt they are quite capable of doing (hear, hear).