THE "FIRST" FEDERATION (1923-1938)

Even if the 1921 Conference in Brisbane may not have formally discussed setting up a Federal body it must have been canvassed "after hours".

In any event the NSW Association set about drafting a Constitution, which was then forwarded to other States later that year.

Victorian Conference 5/9 April 1923 - The Formation of the M.P.E.A.A.

The next conference was held at Healesville on 5/9 April 1923 under the chairmanship of C B Shugg who was Victorian President at the time. (C B Shugg should not be confused with his son C P 'Carl' Shugg who was to become Federal President in 1934. Both were very active in Association matters).

For a reason, which is now difficult to determine the Conference was dubbed the 'Elasticity Conference'. (This information comes from an informal handwritten Report of the Conference prepared by C H Taylor of Victoria). Certainly the Rules governing the play in a social cricket match held during the Conference between the Victorian and "Foreign Process Engravers" were elastic. It is even rumoured that the home team played 15 men.

Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia were represented in Healesville. In view of the importance of the event it is worthwhile recording the names of those listed on the programme as being delegates.

The Victorian Association was represented by C B Shugg, L A Clements, L E Courtin, T G Coventry, A H Enticott, A J Enticott, A Hughes, E E James, Andrew Lyell, L Moncur, Oscar Owen, J Patterson, L Patterson, J Prebble, A E Saunders, C P Shugg, W Sinclair, Thurlow Smith, C H Taylor and R J Thomas.

NSW delegates were W T Baker, E J Hyde, A A Lawson Jnr, F A Randle Snr, J Winston and Geo Woods. S A Best, G Hughes and J C Smith came from Queensland while South Australia was represented by F V Bowen and F Porter.

The matter of the Constitution of the Master Process Engravers Association of Australia was dealt with on the morning of Friday 6th April and finalised that night.

It is fair to say that GASAA was born on that Friday, 6th April. An election for the Federal officers was held on the Saturday morning with the following results:

Federal President - F A Randle (NSW)
Vice Presidents - SA Best (Queensland) | J. Patterson (Victoria) | G W Illingworth (SA)
Secretary Treasurer - E J Hyde

George Illingworth, incidentally, became a member of the South Australian Parliament in 1938.

NSW Conference - 23/26 April 1925

Wentworth Falls, in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, was the chosen location for what was termed the 'Co-operation Conference'.

It is interesting to note that the total cost of the conference, including accommodation and meals, was 149.9.9 (149 pounds, 9 shillings and ninepence) including 8.18.0 spent on cigars, 6.3.0 on "music artists" and 5.5.0 on a shorthand writer and typist.

Eleven delegates from the three neighbouring States attended. Good business was done and an enjoyable time spent. There is no record of the discussions but tariff on process cameras was one of the Federal issues of the day and would have received attention.

Industrial relations matters were still handled by the State Associations in 1925 and for many years thereafter. Union problems consumed a great deal of time at State level, as did trade lists, prices, the "Union Stamp" and apprenticeship training. There was considerable liaison between the States on these issues and the 1925 Conference would have provided the opportunity to exchange information.

There is no official record of the new officers elected in 1925 but they are believed to have been:

Federal President - S R Delmont (SA)
Vice Presidents - Jno. Patterson (Victoria) | E J Hyde (NSW) | S A Best (Queensland)
Honorary Secretary - G Illingworth (SA)

South Australian Conference - 26/30 April 1927

The 1927 Interstate Conference, was held in Adelaide with the theme of 'Service'.

Western Australia was represented for the first time. "Three colour standard inks" were adopted as was a "Badge" for the Federal body. The office bearers elected were:

President: - A Lyell (Victoria)
Vice President : - S A Best (Queensland) | E J Hyde (NSW) | N Porter (SA) | T Nisbet (WA)
Honorary Secretary: - C P 'Carl' Shugg (Victoria)

Messrs E J Hyde, W T Baker & F A Randle Snr had been appointed delegates from NSW. Details of other attendees are not known. Although minutes of the conference were prepared they no longer seem to exist.

A Code of Ethics was adopted and, inevitably, the price schedule discussed. The "black list" received attention, as did co-operative buying, the conduct of an exhibition, costing, technical information, labour relations and the possible appointment of a paid Secretary.

Victorian Conference - 9 April 1929

The 1929 Conference was held at Warburton. Papers to be presented by the NSW members were:

W T Baker - Planning in advance
E J Hyde - Salesmanship
G H Edwards - Advantages of Technical Education
F A Randle - Community Advertising
A A Lawson - Co-operation with Kindred Associations

Western Australia was not represented but Tasmania was for the first time. The Tasmanian delegate was O A Purvis.

The presentation of Technical Papers was a new practice and well received. A suggestion was put forward that future conferences should be held annually.

Officers elected were:

President - Murray Fraser (Queensland)
Vice Presidents - T Nisbet (WA) | S R Delmont (SA)| A Lyell (Victoria) | E J Hyde (NSW)
Hon. Secretary-Treasurer - Mr S A Best (Queensland)

The next conference was scheduled for Brisbane in 1931. The new President, M Fraser, was located in Queensland. The 1931 Conference did not take place.

"Time off"

In the months subsequent to the 1929 Conference, economic conditions deteriorated. Attention was given to laying off staff and putting employees on to part-time work. The Great Depression had arrived.

The bad times of the early 1930's caused no drop off in the work done at State Association level but forced deferment of the Interstate Conference scheduled for Brisbane in 1931. It was put off until an unspecified "later date" but, when that date arrived, was again postponed. The situation even went to the point that no Federal subscriptions were called up in 1931.

Although no interstate conferences were held and the Federal Association was relatively inactive, the liaison between interstate associations continued.

Left: Honorary Secretary/Treasurer – 1929, Sydney Arnold
Right: President – 1929, Murray Fraser

On 1 November 1929, a number of members from other States attended a meeting of
non-members convened by the NSW Association in an impressive example of interstate
co - operation. Those from outside NSW were S A Best (Brisbane), A Lyell and E E James (Melbourne) and G Illingworth and S R Delmont (Adelaide).

That particular meeting was also memorable because G H Edwards, in opening it, said "it was the first time in the history of Photo-engraving that a lady (Mrs Steadman of Photo Engraving Art Co Pty Ltd) was present".

There was another interesting comment from B Freshwater (a non-member from NSW) who said that "the conditions at the bench had been made too hot and that was the reason for him starting for himself". Was he referring to the physical temperature or to the pressure of work?

At the meeting it was proposed that the non-member houses should call a subsequent meeting amongst themselves.

The subsequent "unassociated houses" meeting was held on 11 November 1929 and it is interesting to note that those present included Messrs Price and Robey. The name Robey, in particular, was to become a well known one in the '80's. One of its bearers, R S "Bob" Robey, was to become a Federal President, Honorary member of GASAA and a contributor to the well-being of the Graphic Arts in many fields.

The unassociated houses decided not to join the Association but instead to join a "club". What, if anything, happened to the "club" is lost in the mists of time.

In passing, it is interesting to note that 1 August 1930 saw the introduction of a new Federal tax. It was called Sales Tax and the general rate was set at 2½%. In 1993 it is 20%.

In 1933 the Victorian Association recorded its concern about the state of its NSW counterpart. In January 1933 the Victorians felt that "no good purpose would be served by holding a Federal Conference until such time as conditions had improved and the members of the trade in New South Wales had been welded into a united body".

The NSW Association was putting on a brave face and claimed in its 1933 Annual Report that "the attendance was well up to average". The President did, however, concede that "no method has been discovered which would put an end to this price-cutting, and at the moment it seems to be worse than ever... It is fortunate that a few firms realise the stupidity of this rotten method of doing business".

Possible further evidence of some dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the NSW body lies in the fact that a NSW stalwart, F A Randle Snr, was a member of the Executive Committee of the Master Printers Association in 1931/32. Whether or not his company actually joined the MPA at the time or whether he was merely representing the process engravers as a group is not known.

On 19 February 1934, Victoria proposed, "that a missionary effort be made to rehabilitate the New South Wales Association on a sound footing". The Victorian "mission" appears to have converted the infidels because in August 1934 Mr Shugg reported to the Victorian members "that the New South Wales Association was now 100% strong".

Sydney Conference - 3/6 May 1934

In the early part of 1934, the Federal Secretary (S A Best) pointed out "the advisability of holding (an interstate) conference this year". S A Best had been appointed Honorary Secretary/Treasurer in 1929. Murray Fraser had been elected Federal President at the same time but the Victorian Association minutes in 1934 report him as having gone out of business. Possibly his withdrawal can be attributed to age - he was 80 in 1932 - rather than to the Great Depression. The Federal Presidency thus became vacant and A Lyell of Victoria, as Senior Vice President, temporarily filled the gap.

A conference was duly held in Sydney on 3/6 May 1926 and titled the "Unity" Conference. Although organised at short notice it was quite well attended with eight delegates coming from Melbourne, two from Adelaide, one from Brisbane and one from Newcastle as well as the Sydney contingent. Non-members based in NSW were invited and all but one of those who participated subsequently joined up with NSW.

C P 'Carl' Shugg was appointed President and A Lyell Honorary Secretary/Treasurer.

Victorian Conference - 5/8 May 1936

The 1936 "LOYALTY" conference was held at "Ranelagh", Frankston (Mt Eliza) on 5/8 May.

Attendances from Victoria were listed as J Allardice, E S Bolle, T W Brown, A B Clarkson, R Enticott, A Hughes, E E James, T G Johnson, Andrew Lyell, Oscar Owen, L A Patterson, Chas. P Shugg (probably 'Carl'), J White, F B Wilson and A S Rundle (Secretary).

NSW was represented by G M Beard, H W Bradbury, G H Edwards Snr, R Hyde, A A Lawson, J E F Martin, F A Randle Snr, J L Woolley and E S Wright.

S A Best and S A Goubareff travelled from Queensland, S R Delmont and G W Illingworth from South Australia and O A Purvis from Tasmania.

Topics for discussion included methods of charging, Monastral as Standard Blue, Uniform Price Schedule, Joint Industrial Council, Trade Service Association, History and Growth of Process Engraving, Tariff and Sales Tax.

The Conference elected E J Hyde (NSW) as the President and G H Edwards (NSW) as Honorary Secretary/Treasurer.

20/21 September 1937 - the Federal Executive

The organisation was by this time growing apace and items under consideration were increasing in number and being given more professional attention. The NSW Association appointed H R Irving as part-time Secretary on a paid basis in June 1937. His remuneration was 100 guineas per annum. The name "Irving" was a name, which would be associated with the "photo engravers" for many years at NSW and Federal levels.

Amongst the problems listed on the agendas were sales tax on negatives, price lists, wage increases, the prices charged by newspapers for process work, the insertion of a definition of photo lithography in State Awards, trade lists and, for the first time, "Federal Executive Meeting".

The names of all the members of the Federal Executive at that time is not shown nor whether it had met before. But meet it did on 20/21 September 1937 in Sydney. Delegates from NSW presumably included E J Hyde (Federal President) and G H Edwards (Hon. Secretary). E S Bolle represented Victoria.

The appointment by NSW of H Irving as permanent Secretary soon led to a proposal that a similar appointment be made at Federal level. The Honorary Federal Secretary (G H Edwards) spoke strongly in favour of such a move and so did the Queensland Association. The concept was supported, too, by NSW.

The Federal Executive did not restrict itself to discussing the Secretaryship issue. It also suggested that State Associations exchange minutes of their meetings, that a conference should be held in each and every year and that the Federal Constitution be substantially rewritten (apparently by E S Bolle of Victoria) to empower the Federal body to become more actively involved in industry matters.

A proposed new Constitution of the Master Process Engravers Association of Australia was later prepared for consideration at the 1938 "Annual Interstate Conference".

It was then learned that the Master Printers Association was to make an application to the Federal Arbitration Court, which would affect "process engravers throughout Australia". Previously, award regulation had been on a State-by-State basis with the process engraving industry covered by its own State awards.

Legal opinion was accordingly sought and it became evident that the "Federation of State Associations" structure of the Master Process Engravers of Australia would not meet the requirements of Federal law. It was therefore decided to revise the draft so that the organisation became, as required, an organisation of individual employers (which it now is although not everyone realises it).

The relatively peaceful days of the "first" Federation were coming to a close.

An Early Federal Meeting, Wentworth Falls – 1925

Left to Right – Back Row:
E.R. Morris, G.H. Edwards, Geo. Woods Snr, H.B. Bell, E.J. Martin, Geo. Woods Jnr, G.B. Wimble, E. Murch, Oscar Owen.
Second Row:
F.E. Winston, A.A. Lawson, Jnr, E.E. James, A.F. Jones, A.H. Enticott, G.Hughes, J.C. Murray, C.B. Shugg, E. St John, E.P. Condry, D. Taylor.
Front Row:
F. Middows, W.P. Crawford, G.W. Illingworth, Jno. Patterson, F.A. Randle, E.J. Hyde, S.A. Best, C.H. Taylor, W.G. Conley, E.A. Bradford.
Insets:
Murray Fraser and W.T. Baker