TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 87, 11 April 1906, Page 8

TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

(By Industrial Tramp.)

The ionmoulding and engineering trades are very slack, and a large number of men are unemployed, especially in the former. Coach builders are busy, there being very few good men unemployed. . The house painting and decorating trade is fairly good, although there are a number of men unemployed. The boot and shoe making trade is fairly good throughout the colony just now, and good machinists are in demand. - The saddle and harness making trade is fairly brisk, and nearly all men connected with, this trade axe fully employed. It is expected thai the Arbitration Court will sit for a week in Wellington before returning to Auckland. Therefore, in all likelihood the Court will not be here again for three or four weeks. . The building trade is brisk, there being very few capable tradesmen unemployed. The plumbing and gasfitting still remains sood, and most of the men are enjoying full time employment. The shipbuilding trade is slightly better this week, there being very few good tradesmen unemployed. The unskilled labour market is very brisk inst now, and good men are in demand. The furniture trade is much busier this week than it has been for some months past. The building trade in the South is good, and contractors find much difficulty in obtaining good men. The timber milling industry remains active, a number of country mills working double shifts in order to cope with the export trade. Messrs. A. Rosser and W. Wallace left on Tuesday for the South as representatives from the Auckland Trades and Labour Council, to attend the annual conference of the New Zealand Trades and Labour Councils. Before a Royal Commission in Melbourne evidence was given that the coal industry in Victoria was decaying. Building trade workers are warned' against going to South Africa in search of work. Labour is plentiful over there, snd trade in the principal towns is likely to decrease. So says the National Federation of South African Master Builders. American Federation of Labour recognises the value of women as organisers, and have appointed Miss Gertrude Barnum. of the Woman's National Trade Union League, as a general organiser. She is the first salaried woman employed by the Federation, and will organise women workers in all branches of industry. Two claims for hearing by the Arbitration Court under the Workers Compensation for Accidents Act have been lodged with the Clerk of Awards at Wellington. In one ease the legal personal representatives of the late Nils Olsen (Dannevirke) claimed £390 compensation from . the Tiratu Sawmilling Company, of Dannevirke, for a bushfelling accident which, it is alleged, caused the death of Mr Olsen early in January Is si. The deceased left a widow and seven children. A widow is also the claimant in the second case filed, the claim (£ 300, for . the support of Mrs Robinson and child) being made against the Union Steam Ship Company. It is alleged that the company was responsible for the death of Edward Robinson, who was injured by an explosion of gas when firing the Rotoiti's boilers on the 21st August last. Robinson died on the 17th -January last.

In an article headed "Sydney's Song cf the Shirt," the "Australian Star" gays:—"Among the worst cases brought under our notice are those in which girls, typists, and clerks, draw pittances in the vicinity of 10/ a week, and manage to live without turning to means the contemplation of which is pathetic to augment their income. Yet there are hundreds of such cases, where girls pay from 3/ to 5/ a week for a room, and nourish their bodies and keep a decent dress upon their backs with the balance. Several people have attributed the cause of this state of affairs to the incompetency of these girls, their failure to be really good at anything, and only having attained to a very moderate state of -efficiency. But even this argument- can be absolutely shredded. In many offices and business houses girls who are more than moderately competent receive much under 15/ a week, and yet if they dared .to show up to business wit-bout looking decent and , presentable they would quickly receive ■(heir walking ticket. In one case a girl employed by a reputed respectable firm has for the past two and a half years received 9/6 a week, and has during •that time kept up appearances, paid her board, and maintained life in her body. Even in the face of this her employer has had tbe cold-blooded audacity to bring her back night after night, and make her work until 9.30 and 10 o'clock nnd never offer her a penny overtime, or the price of a tram ticket. If she dared to ask for any financial assistance Fhe would be told that if she did not like it, she knew what to do."

Towards the end of last year a scheme ■was placed before the Auckland House Painters' Union by one of its members for the federation of the whole of the Painters' Unions in New Zealand. After being carefully considered by the Union, it was decided to circularise the other Unions, and get their views thereon. This was done, and favourable replies were received from all Painters' Unions except Dunediu. After consideration of ■these replies, it was decided to call a conference of delegates to be held in Wellington on Tuesday, April 17th, 1906. At a meeting of the local union held in St. George's Hall on Monday, March 20, the acting-president, Mr Philip T. Birch, was chosen to represent the Union at •the conference, and he will leave for Wellington on Friday next by the Rotoiti. It is to be hoped that the Federation will soon become an accomplished fact, as no doubt it will be of great advantage to all members connected with the trade throughout the colonies.

The proposition of the Melbourne Trades Hall Council that the Australasian workers should agitate in favour of introducing a six-hours' day was discussed by the Auckland Trades and labour Council. One member asked if the introduction of this Utopian idea would mean six hours' work for eight hours' pay, while another queried whether a big concern like, say, the Kauri Timber Company, would be content to allow its machinery to lie idle for- IS hours out of the 24. He rather thought St would work two shifts. It was finally decided that a3 the present wage was only a living one, the Council could not ppt present support the movement in fav*nr p£ a sis, hours' jtoj,, " j