(Available from The Office of the Department of Industrial Relations, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, W.A. 6009: $10)
One of the best things ASSLH branches have been doing lately is sponsoring branch publications which fall between branch journals such as The Hummer and our society’s academic standard bearer, Labour History. With plenty of space and a large typeface (veterans’ eyesight thus being given consideration), Papers in Labour History No.2 is full of the personal reminiscences, anecdotal style of labour history which the ASSLH should never discard. This issue includes articles on ‘Why I am a Communist and a Poet’ by Vie Bird and ‘My Experience of the W.A. Branch Federated Branch of the Miscellaneous of the Workers Union’. Tony Beech, a former president of the W.A Trades and Labour Council presents a splendid argument for ‘The relevance of labour history’. One particularly pleasing aspect of this publication is the support accorded by various Western Australian unions. Well done Dr Michael Hess!