TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2069, 19 October 1893, Page 17

TRADES AND LABOUR.

(Per Press Association.)

London, October 11.

The Midland mine owners are willing to allow the men to resume work at a reduction of 15 per cent, of wages. Many miners are agreeing to tbe compromise proposed by the Mediating Committee of Mayor?. The Lancashire and Cheshire miners, acting under the prcssuie of their leaders, refuse to resume wcrk at any reduction in wages. The Nottingham miners have resumed at the old rates.

October 12.

The coal owners are giving way and allowing the men to return to work at the old rate of wages. Sixty thousand men have resumed work.

October 13

The Miners' Federation have refused to accept-, the terms proposed by the may-rp, and insist on the payment oE the old mtes. Two hundred thousand men are still ouf. Oc'ober 14. Ow;ng to tbe weather, the piice of coal has fallen 8s per ton. Tbe Daily Chronicle says the remainder of the coal owners are offering to let ihe meu resnme work at fcrmer wages, provided they pledge themselves not to ask for an advance later on.

October 16,

One hundred thousand workmen paraded Hyde Park in support of the miners who are on strike.

John Burn?, aeldressicg the meeting at Hyde Pdik, paid tho miners were winning a great battle. Forty per cent, of the men had returned at the old rate of wag^s. Brussels, O^tob^r 11. Three million (?) Belgian miners have resumed work.

Sydney, October 13

The Engineers' Sjcioty and the steamship owners hold auothtr conference on Ooto' er 19.

Melbourne, October 11

The engineers' stiike has ended by the men returning to the steamers Clor curry and EiMystone within the time specified by «he owners. If the men had not adopted this course there were sufficient engineers already engaged to take their places. It is net known whether any further action is on template}.

Adelaide, October 11.

A Conciliation Bill, which is intendeel to facilitate the settlement of industrial disputes, has been read a first lime in tbe Legislative Council.

THE CHRISTCHURCH UNEMPLOYED CHRisTciiUKcn, October 16.

A meeting of the unemployed, convened by the mayor, was held in the Tuam street Hall at 11 this morning, when about 100 attendee!. The mayor adjourned the meeting till the afternoon, as he stated the Hon W. P. Reeves was keeping a number of men waiting at the Public Works Office for a reply re work, so a3 to frustrate the mayor's meeting.

This afternopn about 300 men attended a meeting of the unemployed called by the mayor (Mr Eden George), who made a lengthy speech attacking the Minister for Labour and the Lyttelton Times. A resolution was earned demanding work before Mr Reeves left Christchurch for every man who wanted ih. Mr George spoke of his candidature for Parliament, and the meeting passed him a vote of thanks for the assistance he had rendered the unemployed. Groans were given for the Lyttelton Times and Minister for Labour, and cheers for the Pres3.

A deputation from the unemployed waited on the Hon. Mr Reeves thi3 morning. The Minister said arrangements had been made to send 20 men some time this week to Catlins, and he hoped the weather would be warm enough next week to permit of sending a few men to Mount Cook road. In making a selection preference would be given to married men and those who had not previously had Government employment.

October 17,

The Hon. Mr Reeves has arranged for 20 unemployed to be sent to Lillburn road works, Southland.

WORK AT CATLINS RIVER. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Wellington, October 17.

There appears to be some misunderstanding about the report that Christchurch unemployed will be sent to the railway works about to be recommenced at Catlins river. The intention is that the work in that district shall be given to the men who are locally unemployed, many of whom took up small areas of land and commenced to clear it upon the faith of procuring occasional wages work to help them to remain upon the land. The claims of these meu were repeatedly urged upon the Assembly last sefsion by Mr Thomas Mackenzie, member for Clutha. The Lands department has wired to all its country officers to at once advise what work can be found for the Christchurch unemployed.

A Wellington telegram says that the Rev. Mr Coffey, in a letter to the Post, refers to the adverse comments that had been made on his Sunday sermon. He said his words were : "Christianity is not a philanthropy. It is a life agreed on doctrine regulating that life. 2 ' He pointed out that people fell into the error of supposing the work of the church was purely philanthropic, and questioned the wisdom of clergymen interfering in labour disputes. Then he referred to the necessity of demanding as a religious duty six days' work from the labouring man. Demonstration Day ho considers unnecessary ; and too much is being made of the working man, who is being spoilt by [littery.

The Labour department report a great demand for bushfellers in the Wellington district.

Sixty men have written a pathetic letter to the Mayor of Greymouth asking for work. The men, wbose names are published in the Argus, say :—": — " We, the undersigned, unemployed of Greymouth, do hereby request your co-opera-tion in obtaining work for us in this district, as we really cannot hold out any longer." Our contemporary, speaking presumably with some knowledge of the men, refers to them as " deserving members of the community." Mr John Grigg, of Longbeach, recently issued the following notice:— "To all the Workmen on Longbeach,— ln consequence of the Bm-

ployers' Liability Act it has been necessary for me to effect an accident insurance coveri"g all the men that I employ. This I have done on such advantageous terms that by the payment by each man of 5d per week he will secure £500 in case of death by accident ; in case of disablement, full compensation, not to exceed £500 ; in case of partial injuries, full wages as loDg as he is off work. I have also included in the policy that, in case of temporary total disablement during working hours, one-hidf the weekly wages for accidents outside the said act, for a period not exceeding 16 weeks, will be paid. For each man singly to have secured all these advantages it would have cost him Is lid per week, whereas I shall retain from yeur WBges only 5d per week for every man earning 25s per week, and a like proportion for those earning more or less." The work-nen expressed themselves as satisfied with the arrangement as being favourable to them.

An Invercargill drapery firm was fined 2s 6d, and costs, for employing two young women after 6 o'clock on Saturday.

The names of 420 men have been entered on the books of the local Labour Bureau since the Ist June, and it is estimated that at the present time about 150 of these persons are out of employment. Mr Faruie has eelected 25 men, resident in the Oatlins district, for road works which have been authorised by the Survey depirfm^nf-, and will bu commenced immediately at Catlinsl

AC tne request of a number of the unemployed, who complain of the action of the Government in sending men from Christchuich to the Citlius railway works when there are so many men in Dunedin seeking work, Mr Fish, M H.R , yesterday telegraphed to the Premier :—" Reported that 20 married men from Caristchurch are to be sent here for work at Catlins. As there are a lo.rge number of married men here out of work, hope you will not permit this, but employ our own men on Otago works."