TRADE AND LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 308, 30 December 1891, Page 8

TRADE AND LABOUR.

Mr W. Rhodes, late of the Kauri Timber Company, is about to build a new mill about a quarter of a mile below Aratapu. This may give a fresh impetus to the timber trade there, which, in spite of the addition of new aiid improved machinery) has been very dull of late.

The Factory Act passed last session comes into operation on the Ist January. The only salaried officers under the Act will bo in the large centres,who will have a general supervision of' its operation, In other places the administration of the Act, which will be iuforced gradually will be in charge of a Civil servant or police officer as at present.

It> is gratifying to learn that a star' s has been made with the construction of the Hikuranci railway. Mr Vic'terman, the Public Works Engineer, went to W-hangarei *or the purpose of making the necessary arrangements. No tenders were called, but the work will be let in ,«mall sections on the co-operative principle. Nearly 150 men are employed. The balance-sheet of the Auckland Operative Boot Trade Union has just been circulated amongst the membeis. It is an interesting document, both as showing fche COSb of a strike and also the manner i?i which Trades Unions support one another. The tota) receipts were £5,585 17s Sd, of which sum the Chrisfcchurch Bootmakers' Union contributed £1,590 ; Dunedin ditto, £1,466 18s 6d; Wellington ditto, £1,151 12a 6d: Auckland ditto, £981 Ss 8d ; Adelaide ditto, £100 ; Auckland boob machinists and fitters, £68 14s Sβ. ; Trades and Labour Council, from affiliated Unions, £118 lb's 10d ; Newcastle miners, £50 ; Sydney bootmakers, £50 ; Dunedin boot machinists and fitters, £15 ; Opera House benefit, £12 16s 6d ; Kawakawa miners, £5 ; refund of passage money from members seeking work, £2 5s ; refund of loan from members, £1 ; refund of strike pay, 18s ; private donations, 7s ; total, £5,585 17a Bd. The strike lasted from the 26th of March until the 19th of September, but as some of the men were out of work longer pay was continued until the 17th of November. The whole of the amount received was expended, £4,423 6s Sd being paid to bootmaker operatives on strike ; £755 5s 6d as pay to boob machinists and fitters ; £242 4s 6d as passage money to members leaving Auckland in search of work.