THE "NEW" FEDERATION (1938)

Differing Attitudes

The pace of commercial life was quickening in the late 1930's and to many there appeared a need for the process engravers organisation to respond. Some of the developing events were:

The increasing influence of the Federal Arbitration Court in the affairs of industry. Process engraving employees had always been covered by State Awards but there were indications that the Federal Court would one day step in.

The Master Printers Federation, based in Melbourne, was gaining strength under the powerful personality of its Industrial Officer (himself a printer) Dr George Anderson.

The NSW Master Process Engravers Association was "lifting its game" under strong leadership and had appointed an independent professional as its Secretary in the person of H R Irving.

Unfortunately the two dominant State Associations within the Master Process Engravers (NSW and Victoria) took quite a different view on how best to respond to these developments.

On the question of relations with the Master Printers Federation, the Victorian Association preferred the path of close co-operation. It was itself a Section of the Master Printers Association of Victoria whose own Secretary, A S (Stan) Rundle, doubled as Secretary of the process engravers association. Indeed the Victorian Association referred to the Master Printers Association as the "parent" body.

The NSW Association on the other hand vehemently believed that the interests of the printers and the photo-engravers were sufficiently different on key issues to render the closeness favoured by Victoria as unacceptable.

As to Award coverage, the Victorian Association was of the opinion that the process engravers (and, subsequently, litho and gravure platemakers) should be covered by the Federal Commercial Printing Award. The Master Printers Federation was the sole representative employer body recognised by that Award.

NSW, predictably, felt that the pre-press houses should have their own Federal Award quite apart from the printers and that a proposed Federal Process Engravers Award should be administered by the process engravers themselves.

A factor which at the time confused the main game was that many individuals and some State Associations strongly believed that the Federation should be devoting its energy towards keeping the regulation of the employers within the State jurisdictions.

Fifth Conference, “Ranelagh,” Victoria – 1936

Back Row:
F.A Randle (NSW), J.K. Allardice (VIC), A. Hughes (VIC), T.W. Brown (VIC)
Second Back Row:
Kelvey Pearson, J.L. Wooley (NSW), R. Enticott (VIC), E.S. Wright (NSW), A.B. Clarkson (VIC) F.B. Wilson (VIC), O.A. Purvis (TAS), G.L. Beard (NSW), R. Hyde (NSW), H.W. Bradbury (NSW), J.E.F. Martin (NSW), L. Patterson (VIC)
Sitting:
J. White (VIC), A.A. Lawson (NSW), S.A. Best (QLD), T.G. Johnson (VIC), Chas. P. Shugg (VIC) (President), E.S. Bolle (VIC), Andrew Lyell (VIC) (Hon. Secretary and Treasurer), G.H. Edwards (NSW), G.W. Illingworth (SA), Oscar Owen (VIC)
Front Row:
Geo. Manuel (NSW), S.A. Goubareff (QLD), J. Alexander Brown.

Another point of policy difference related to the matter of State autonomy versus Federal authority. Victoria held out for State autonomy (perhaps because the Federation was administered from Sydney) whilst NSW argued for Federal dominance (perhaps for the same reason!). Whether the urge to maintain State autonomy caused the Victorian Association to turn to the Melbourne-based Master Printers Federation for support or whether the Printers Federation encouraged the Victorian Association to hold out for autonomy to handicap the growth of the Process Engravers Federation is an open question. In confronting these complex and emotional issues the South Australian Association tended to favour the Victorian views (but not always) whilst Queensland often (but, again, not always) the NSW line.

Even today, 50 years on, it is not hard to initiate argument on these questions. The Master Process Engravers had to find answers to them and eventually did so but only after much heartache.

NSW Conference - 9/13 May 1938

The 1938 Conference was held at Toronto in the Central Coast area of NSW. It was appropriately termed the 'Self-Determination Conference'.

E J Hyde, who had been appointed President at the Mount Eliza (Frankston) Convention in 1936, presided over the "Meeting of Process Engravers" on 10th May 1938. Thirty two persons representing the thirty companies from the States of Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia were present together with H R Irving (Secretary of the NSW Association).

Immediately prior to the opening, a meeting of the delegates had been held at which the old organisation - the Master Process Engravers Association of Australia - had been formally dissolved.

It was then agreed on the motion of G H Edwards (Morris Pty Ltd) and H W Bradbury (British Australian Photo Process Engraving Co.):

"That this meeting of employers affirm the necessity of forming an Association to be known as the Federation of Master Process Engravers of Australia; that such Association be formed of individual employers, firms or companies; and that a Constitution be prepared in conformity with the requirements of the Federal Arbitration Act".

A committee was appointed to prepare a draft constitution. Committee members were:

South Australia - G Barnett (Porter and Barnett); S R Delmont (S R Delmont Ltd)
Victoria - E S Bolle (Royal Process Engravers Pty Ltd)
NSW - G H Edwards (Morris Pty Ltd); A A Lawson (A A Lawson Pty Ltd)
Queensland - S A Best (S A Best Pty Ltd); C P Theaker (Publicity Engraving Pty Ltd)

E J Hyde (NSW) was appointed Chairman.

The next day, 11 May 1938, saw the formal creation of the new body. The previous organisation had been an Association of several State Associations and, technically, did not have any employer members in its own right. The following firms and companies were accepted as Foundation Members of the new Association:

Apex Engraving Pty Ltd
S A Best Pty Ltd
S A Best (NSW) Pty Ltd
W T Baker & Co Pty Ltd
British Australian Photo Process Engraving Co
S R Delmont Ltd
A H Enticott & Co
Freshwater Pty Ltd
Hartland & Hyde Pty Ltd
F A Harris
Ben Jordan-Dolphin Pty Ltd
Lyell-Owen Pty Ltd
A A Lawson Pty Ltd
A W Letts & Co
Modern Reproduction Pty Ltd
Morris Pty Ltd
Omega Process Engravers
Patterson Shugg Pty Ltd
Prebble & James Pty Ltd
L Ponsford & Co Pty Ltd
Porter & Barnett
Publicity Engraving Pty
Royal Process Engravers Pty Ltd
Randle Photo Engraving Co Pty Ltd
Show Ads Art Photo Engravers
Star Engraving Co Pty Ltd
John Sands Pty Ltd
C.H. Taylor Pty Ltd
R J Thomas

Note that in true "State-less" fashion the members were listed alphabetically without mentioning their State.

On the following day, 13 May 1938, the new Constitution was formally adopted and following officers elected:

President - E Sylvester Bolle (Victoria)
Vice President - G H Edwards (NSW) | C P Theaker (Queensland) | S R Delmont (South Australia)

and, finally, the appointment of H R Irving as Secretary-Treasurer from 12 May.

The new Constitution required that a general meeting of members should be held every two years.

The NSW President (J Leonard Ponsford) subsequently reported that the Conference was an "outstanding success" and that "the decisions then reached will prove to be a means of saving the industry from the domination of other interests which have no regard for and are not concerned with the future protection of Master Process Engravers".

Very soon after the adoption of the new Constitution some disquiet was expressed in Victoria. The Victorian Association, which was a Section of the Master Printers Association of Victoria, conferred with the Master Printers' Industrial Officer (Dr George Anderson) and was told by him that "a great mistake had been made in founding a Federation of individuals instead of a Federation of State Associations". This put the cat amongst the pigeons raising, as it did, the ever simmering issue of States' rights. (The Printing Federation ironically encountered the same problem in the early 1950's when it, too, had to cease being a "Federation of State Associations" in order to retain Federal registration).

E S Bolle, as the Federal President from Victoria, understandably said he was not in a position to discuss the matter as he was in favour of the new Federal Constitution based on individual membership.

The Victorian Association proposed that a Conference of State Associations be held to discuss the question.

Dr Anderson had also advised the Victorians that by affiliating with the Master Printers Federation, the process engravers could, if they so wished, be brought under the Federal Award at a cost of approximately 50 pounds as against 500 pounds if they conducted their own case. So a financial attraction existed too.

Special General Meeting, Hotel Canberra, Canberra - 26 October 1939

A Special General Meeting of representatives of fifteen companies from four States was convened to give further attention to the Constitution.
The only bone of contention arose from a desire by some, particularly the Victorians, to revert to the earlier situation under which the Federal body would be an association of associations rather than of individual members. This desire was not realised largely because the Victorian Association decided to accept the new Constitution for the present but with the intention of submitting detailed changes to the next Conference. No other formal business was considered.

A newly constituted Executive was appointed made up of E S Bolle, G Edwards, C Theaker and S R Delmont.

Subsequently, on 22 November 1939, the Executive resolved to apply for Registration under the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The resolution was signed by E Sylvester Bolle (President), Geo H Edwards, S R Delmont and Charles P Theaker as members of the Executive. The formal application was itself signed on 24 January 1940 by E S Bolle and, on 2 February 1940, by Harold Rupert Irving as Secretary. The Certificate of Registration was signed by the Federal Industrial Registrar on 1 April 1940.

EXECUTIVE MEETINGS - 1940

The Executive became responsible for the general management of the Association.

At its meeting at 251 Latrobe Street, Melbourne, on 26/27 February 1940 it dealt with a number of matters including, significantly, "Relations with Master Printers". In summary, tension between what is now known as the Printing and Allied Trades Federation of Australia and the Federation of Master Process Engravers of Australia was being exacerbated by action by the printers to bring various litho and gravure pre-press activities under the Federal Commercial Printing Award. At that time the Commercial Printing Award was administered by the Master Printers Federation.

The Queensland, NSW and South Australian representatives were at this stage in favour of opposing the printers on these matters whereas the Victorians were inclined to discuss the question with the printers with a view to arriving at an agreement under which both organisations would work closely together but each retain its independence. The concept contemplated the Engravers being affiliated with the Printers Federation.

The Victorian representatives once more referred to the Constitutional question and again expressed the belief that the Federation, in effect, should go back to being an association of autonomous State Associations. They nevertheless agreed to fall into line with the other States for the time being.

Neither of the two contentious issues was really resolved at the October 1940 meeting nor at a subsequent meeting on 11 November 1940.

The new Federation and its President (E Sylvester Bolle of Victoria) clearly still had some problems. The President was a willing party to the application for Federal registration, which required individual membership. At the same time his home State was continuing to press the view that the Federation revert to being an Association of State bodies.

ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING, SYDNEY, 4 OCTOBER 1941

Under the new Constitution, the "conferences" of earlier times were replaced by "Ordinary General Meetings". The first was held on 4 October 1941. By this time World War II was well under way and was no doubt a contributing factor to a disappointing seventeen persons attending the 1941 meeting. They represented fourteen companies. Only NSW and Victorian members were present, with apologies coming from G W Illingworth (S R Delmont Ltd, SA) and C P Theaker (S A Best Pty Ltd).

The Constitutional question regarding membership was settled by way of compromise. In effect, the State Associations could be members of the Federation with their members being "de facto" members of the Federation. Additionally, however, employers could join direct, if they wished, without being members of a State Association.

It appears that, in Victoria at least, the Association did not join the Federation but a number of Victorian members did so on an individual basis.

The controversial question of industrial coverage remained unresolved. Some of the heat had temporarily gone out of the problem but the differences of attitude remained under the surface.

At the conclusion of the meeting G H Edwards (NSW) assumed the Presidency. E Sylvester Bolle was also nominated for re-election but declined. The nomination of G H Edwards was strongly supported by the Victorian contingent in what was clearly an expression of basic solidarity despite the controversy, which had existed.

ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING, SYDNEY, 27 SEPTEMBER 1943

Seventeen representatives were present from seventeen companies and three States - Victoria, NSW and South Australia. By this time employees' Union covering process engraving (the Federated Process Engravers, Photo Lithographic and Photogravure Employees Association of Australia) was close to gaining clear Federal registration with the ultimate object of obtaining a Federal Award. It had, in fact, served a log of claims on the Federal Secretary of the Master Process Engravers.

The Master Printers had their Federal Commercial Printing Award but the engraving and litho platemaking areas remained in the State jurisdictions. The printers were keen to embrace these pre-press trades into a "Graphic Arts Industry Award" and had, indeed, applied to the Courts to include a classification in the Commercial Printing Award covering photogravure, photo-litho, camera operators and artists when employed by members of the Printers Federation. The Master Process Engravers had decided in 1942, to oppose the printers' application but this policy continued to be hotly contested by the Victorian Association. The Master Process Engravers Federation had also proposed entering a Federal Industrial agreement covering process engraving but Victoria, consistently, opposed this as well.

At the meeting, E Sylvester Bolle was re-elected President with G H Edwards declining.

ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING, SYDNEY, 22 SEPTEMBER 1945

Much had happened in the two years since the meeting on 27 September 1943.

Tensions over whether or not the association should willingly move into the Federal industrial relations jurisdiction and, if so how, remained high.

A meeting of officers on 24 March 1945 (E Sylvester Bolle, President; E J Hyde, Vice President and C P Theaker, Vice President) was held specifically to discuss whether or not the Federation should be wound up because of the amount of dissension, which existed. It was decided not to take such a drastic step.

E S Bolle, a Victorian, was in a difficult position. Perhaps the strain was too much for him because he died suddenly three weeks after the meeting.

On the death of the President, C P Theaker (Queensland) was elected to replace him until the next General Meeting.

Only eleven member companies were present at the September 1945 Ordinary General Meeting and all were from NSW. One was the Newcastle branch of Queensland's S A Best Pty Ltd. Messrs E R Scott and F Watkins of Melbourne, who were now ex-members, were present at the President Theaker's invitation.

Members of the Victorian Association had by this time joined the Master Printers Association and all but one had resigned from the Process Engravers Association of Australia. They took this action, they said, because "of the action of the Executive in regard to the proposed Consent Award". All the South Australia members had also resigned.

The Chairman, C P Theaker, is recorded as saying, "that Process Engravers in Queensland prefer to retain their own State Award, but they felt that a Federal Award was inevitable and that they would have to adhere to it. It seemed very regrettable, that an Association should be broken up because of the fact that Mr Bolle, the late President, did not carry out the decision of the Victorian Association."

The meeting accepted a proposal that the Federation Executive should seek to meet with the Victoria members in Melbourne. If such a meeting ever took place it achieved nothing. C P Theaker's election as President was re-confirmed.

GENERAL MEETING, SYDNEY, 22 SEPTEMBER 1947

Only seven member companies were present. All were from NSW, one of which was, again, the Newcastle branch of S A Best Pty Ltd of Queensland.

The entire membership at this stage was 16. Fifteen of these were in NSW and one in Queensland. The Federation was clearly in a sorry state.

The Secretary, H R Irving, reported on discussions he had with A M (Bert) Gange (Victorian President) and Victorian members, T (Tom) Johnson and C (Clarrie) Owen Jnr. These three had subsequently suggested that the Federal secretary, H Irving, be invited to address a full meeting of Victorian members but this proposal "was not favourably received" by the Victorian Association.

It was agreed by the Federation that A T Day and G W Edwards of NSW and the Secretary should visit Melbourne to confer with members of the Victorian Association. It was also agreed that "representatives of the Federation should confer with representatives of the NSW Master Printers Association with a view to bringing about a closer relationship". This latter decision gave a hint that some form of compromise may have been under way.

Other than re-elect C P Theaker as President the meeting did little else.

ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING, SYDNEY, 27 SEPTEMBER 1948

It is significant indeed that the meeting was held at the rooms of the Master Printers Association in Sydney.

In the period since the 1947 Meeting, the Federation rules had been changed in relation to voting powers and the procedures to make a specific appointment of an Industrial Officer. G A Bennett, the newly appointed Federal Secretary of PATEFA, had been appointed by the Federal Process Engravers Executive as Industrial Officer of the Process Engravers Federation also. (The Master Printers Federation had been renamed the Printing and Allied Trades Employers Federation of Australia. The short name "PATEFA" came to be used).

It was reported that the "Victorian Association", as such, had joined the Process Engravers Federation as from the commencement of the current year.

The general atmosphere of renewed harmony was continued by the General Meeting, which acquiesced to process engravers being covered by the new Federal Commercial Printing Award - which was to be known as the Graphic Arts Award. Significantly, this decision was reached "subject to an undertaking being given by the Printing and Allied Trades Employers Federation" that it would not interfere with the independence of this Federation or disturb its registration in the Commonwealth Arbitration".

The attainment of this compromise had only come about as a result of much give and take in which both PATEFA and the Process Engravers had displayed a conciliatory attitude.

PATEFA, following the retirement some years earlier of Dr George Anderson, had mellowed in its attitudes and was willing to recognise the Process Engravers Federation as an independent body with which it would co-operate and not seek to absorb or destroy. The NSW process engravers, having gained acceptance of the independence of the Process Engravers Federation, were prepared to have their industrial affairs conducted by the same individual (Geoff A Bennett) who was the Secretary/Industrial Officer of PATEFA. When acting for the engravers, he was answerable to the engravers alone. A Steering Committee of elected members from both organisations was set up to resolve any policy conflicts. NSW, on this basis, was also prepared not to pursue its goal of having a separate Federal Award solely for pre-press houses.

The Victorian Association, having achieved a high degree of co-operation between the two bodies, felt satisfied. The question of State autonomy became irrelevant. G W Edwards (NSW) was elected President. He was the son of an earlier President (George H Edwards).

FROM 1948 ONWARDS

Federal Award coverage had now been arrived at in a manner acceptable to the Federation. Also, a practical working relationship with the Printing Federation had been achieved. With these two major problems out of the way at long last the "Process Engravers" were able to go about their work in a constructive way in the coming decades.

Quite apart from the many policy issues dealt with by the Executive and Secretary on a day to day basis, emphasis was placed on developing the concept of Annual Conventions with emphasis not only on industry affairs but also on "technical sessions".

It is not intended to trace the development of the organisation beyond this point in any depth. It had matured into an effective, nationally operating body playing an important role in the affairs of the industry.

It is necessary, however, to touch on a short period during which the spectre of earlier tensions within the Federation was raised again.

G A Bennett, the Industrial officer of both bodies, left the post in 1959 and was replaced by M J Farley who also held both positions. Matters proceeded smoothly until the latter and PATEFA severed connection in 1970. He was succeeded by PATEFA'S Industrial Relations Manager, T R (Tom) Chambers, who also provided industrial representation for what was then known as GAPEFA. More or less concurrently, elements within what had come to be known as the Platemaking Federation felt that changing technology called for a change to the structure of that Federation. It was proposed:

• that the name be changed to the Graphic Arts Services Association of Australia in order to embrace all pre-press activities.
  that membership be offered to all companies (including printing houses) which employed pre-press staff.

Not surprisingly PATEFA objected to these moves. It had always had coverage of typesetters and did not view the Platemakers move into that field very happily. Beyond that, it certainly did not appreciate the Platemaking Federation trying to enrol the pre-press sections of printing houses. Appropriate legal actions were taken. TR Chambers represented PATEFA and ceased to act for GASAA. The Platemakers, through the then current Secretary/Treasurer I W (Ian) Saunders, pursued the legal arguments by using professional lawyers.

The past differences of opinion between NSW and Victoria over the questions of industrial coverage and relations with the Printing Federation were again on the table with predictable results.

While the battle with the printers was at its height the Platemaking Federation, in 1973, again appointed M J Farley as its Industrial Officer. In the time since his departure from PATEFA he had been operating his own consulting company in the field of Association Management.

In 1975, following the resignation of I W Saunders, M Farley was also appointed Secretary/Treasurer. One of the early priorities was to help restore the co-operative relationship with PATEFA. This was achieved on the basis that the PATEFA objections to the new name "Graphic Arts Services Association of Australia" would be withdrawn. GASAA, it was further agreed, would be entitled to enrol members in all pre-press fields, including typesetting. GASAA undertook to restrict its membership to "trade houses" and not seek to enrol printers who did pre-press work solely for their own use.

Peace between the two Federations was restored and has remained, notwithstanding occasional and natural policy differences.

Amended prices for Process Blocks – February, 1915