TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 218, 12 September 1906, Page 8

TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

i (By Industrial Trajnp. Labour Day Committee meets to-mor-tow evening. Arbitration Court sittin- in Dtmedin. the weekly trade report shows an improvement all round. Carpenter*, busy. v»ry few good men wanting einplovment. Ironinoulders. husv. Furniture trades slack, iiands working half-time in the principal far-tor;,-. Timber trade. >.i,sy, plenty ~f coming in to mill-. I nskilied labourers fairly busy, a fail-; demand exiting. iriitii sorti'ti;- very! slack indeed. Tailors: tiie prosper:-- are •i little brighter ior both main' nnd feni.ih worker-. i '1 he Trades and Labour ( ongre-s at; Liveipool 1.i.-t week jias-cd a resolution I in favour nf public administrative bodic-. being cuipowcivd tn i=sue their own credit notes. I he AiKkl.ini! Klectric Tramways i Union, at a special meeting held last j week, i-onsideied a proposal from the Wellington I'rnmways Cr.ion to bold a , t,niter,-ni-" cf tin* tramway unions of the j ■four chief cities in Wellington during! the niotr.i m October, to consider audi draw up : i buri- for a Federation nf the ! tramway iininn- of tbe colony, ii was j resolved tn send the Secretary. Mr. A. I'nsser. to ail a- d-'leirate for the Auckland I'ninr,. Australian files In hand give a full t account of th.- proceedings the special Inquiry Board appointed by ihe N.S.W. Covernn:'*nt to investigate the complaints of Sydney tramway employees. Amongst other witno-*s"s. Messrs. Henry Lawton anl A. I. Wart on—President] and F*ccrctsry rc-peetively of the Sydney Tramways Union —gave evidence, and i declared Thai the men w.'.nted an independent Appeal Hon rd. of which a Di=- : trict Court judge jhoukl be chairman. I and two other members, of which a rep- i resentative nf tlie Department should be i one. end :: representative m the men j tho other. Another request from lhe men ! is if -pci.il intcre.-t in our Auckland: rantormcn. \i:'.. a reqne-t tliat the car- i shell have gin-- fioni- to protect ihe, niolonnen from ihe weather. .V medical j man. Dr. 11. 11. Craiy. said he had sev-] era] tram drivers as patients, suffering | from catarrh and ehor-t complaints, one tn ctpo-urc. Mr. I.nwtou. th" Pre.-i----■ri-ii:. cited New Zi'Mi-n-l as an in-tan.-c ii !:i'rc in - had g'l-s fronts. also i AinerlcJ. So far a- New Zealand is con- ; crrned. he um-t have meant Christ- ( church, as unfortunately for the Auckl.md motornicii. our cits are innocent as j yet o' any protection in the --hnpc of] rjla'-s from-. The inquiry is likely lo do a large i ti mount nt good, dne fact standi nut in . permanent relief. \ i/.. that according to i .sworn evidence, tyranny.and oppression • fo rank an 1 tile c-;i-t- under State * ownership ct|U:il!y :; - much a*- inuler private ownership. F<u- instance, one wit- : lie-- stated tha; "he joined ihe tram- | v,ny service in '00:2. lb- w;i-; dismissed j 1 -vi.-c and reinstated, but a third time ] \\p.- refused an appeal. Tn one interview | ivith Mr. Kn"esb-.iw. he sa- down in bis; prpsentc. and th" superinteiident said, j *"Ccl up. yen in-übordinate end. that j sr.it i- not I'm tiie likes ~f you." Mr. j AY. A. Holauin. M.1..A., i- conducting :1k- i c:t-e on behalf of the Tra'.nTnv? Km- | •floy-.es' Union. , The Arbitration Court i-omtueneeil r.~; Jliinedin .■:'. septemlu'i- :'.. uiitl ! i Tioth-e tiinl i \Nn i:i-i tito- have iiec n with- . drawn withoui iicing ln-nnl: they arc I ihe l-'lourniillcr* and Conhninrrs' (lis- j pules. No iv.!-..". i< given for tin- with- j draw.il. i:ii! there .we imlieations from :ill p.ni- ~f li:,- colony, that—-following . ihe 'xample of lite Aiuklnnd (.'e**tili..atel j yincrine Drivers' Unini—ninny union» arc' ■c'lting for a new judge to be appointed h. fm-e they i-i.-k their apnlicutiou f'-r ; b. tti",- condition-:. The Au.k-lnnd l-'i -iicuier-' t/iiion held ■ i* - i* r. li.i.i i i.e. •!!:.•! la-,' Saumlay. ami I'-.- eie, tii.-'i ci ot'.icers icsttltcd in ihe rrtirir.g nlli'i-is being re-elect ml. This ' t:-:i',n is i': a -ecr.i iiindition a-- regards '■ riiT.'hcr-hiii and liniiuce. During th" . year -i ,ii-; utc li.is been conducti ii before 1i c i '.nil. ami an award obtamed. i resi Ited in ■' ib-cieasi' of working bourfrom ."i" t" ."id In'".'.■-• per weik for the' i-iitrre,!. r.M'iy lm-nibei' of ;];■ tradr* worbing a.~ .i jniiinet man i- iit- th-' Union, whi-h i- a nc-iiion io !*" envicil 1;. -nany unions in Atn-Ul.ind. 'The irinut - nf the In-: loufcreuc* ci Chri-tcli'ircii have in-.*. !"■■ .. is-ned ' ir a printed form, and cut he obtained by r.iiin-y.-:- :i! ilic ne\t Tra Ie- Council meeting. ibiving f.-r i!- St.-ti-. Premier a real ■ li\c LabniK* t:]e:ii K er it i- a natural corollary thai tlie po'i!i.-:t| ( -ospect*- lor the Lab.i-ir Parly in -■,:;.'] Australia at the <-'-,nir.g Federal elections should be nf a | rn-y ijiaracter. Siu'-c Premier Prii-o bas been speaking in different narts cf the i •-Hit", branehe- nf the Labour IVrh hi vc been fnrmi"i where im nrgani.-;f. h-ns ; ci any hind ] :*evii,;i -I-. existed, ami leagues already c-;a1.1i.-'ied ha'e been , greatly reinforeej in uunt'.'.ev'. Tiie can-i dilates -elected tn I'.'n fur th:are we'll known in th.' Labour ranks, and are three in number. My. \V. Hussell is [ a. farmer, who v.-.i- for sonic years a member of the State llou-e. Mr. R. : Blundell a tobneco twjsfrr. hns been a very i-uoce?-!';:] Lnion organiser. Mr. ' U. A. Cro-bic is a. councillor of Port Pirie. and should pull a heavy vote tit •ibis democratic centre. For th" Lower ', House i; is intended that the Labour party will hclji Mr. C. O. Kingston. .-■innld tin* ex-Premier decide in iiis health i- shattered though, and; Kjng-'tnn is only a shadow of hi- former ; if: but if hi- h'.l'ii permit.-, he will go I,i the poll. If l,e dots r-oi • or.li :-l the Hcition. Labour will -.'nil a caudid.uc into the lii-id which ljii Ih* won by 'ihe party. At the iicxi inieting nf th,' Tr.nl"- and Labour Council, lo be held this day week. Al:. Andrew Bell ha- consented to give a short acklres-. mi "Tti* Industrial A--; peet as seen from a l.iibottr stand- ! point." Mr. Fell, over twenty years ago. worked hard to secure a due rrvog- ■ uition of the claims «.t local industries '■ by onr own people, and though nn longer , a young man. he i.-- a.-- onnte-1 as ever iti hi.- contention ttint the people of the oiinnv should patronise their own local industries. How mauy vi our citizen a-k for American or French, or perhaps Liiglish boot.-', when perhaps the article, • in ue produced in the colony, equal in lii. tinish and quality to the imported i .ini.-lc. Indeed ir sometimes happens . ■ihat a customer is actually wearing the: despised loml article, under tlie harm- j less delusion that he has paid for and is wearing an imported bot. Local boot t nuinufacturcrs tell us that they frequently receive samples from retailers, accompanied by requests for so many | pairs in imitation of same, and this is | done to retain custom. In the 1904 . conference in Christ church a southern I delegate drew attention to this fact by j producing an Auckland made boot, that I jras being sold as a Frcrch article. On the sole wn? disnlaved a French legend- I f"Mode dc TariO •'• Qualite Superieure." '

Not only in boots, but also in other [articles docs the same state of affairs j exist, and Mr. Bell's mission to the dele- | gates of the Trades and Labour Council i will be in the direction of urging: them :to take a more patriotic view of the j question by insisting on the encouragci ment of local industries. 1 In congratulating parties upon having I arrived nt an agreement out of Court, j Mr. .Tustice Chapman, «t the Christj church Arbitration Court, saidi 'T am J happy to say that we have found the ] best spirit observed iv Christchurch be- | tween employers and employees. I hope 'this will he in all parts of the colony. 1 think the spirit is growing. | bit: we have found it most marked in j Christchurch. - ' With a view to the encouragement of I onr local industries. Mr Andrew Hell ! ! has consented to give an address to the | members of the Trades anil Labour I Council on Wednesday. September Ifltb, upon ""The Industrial Aspect as seen ! from a Labour Standpoint." coupled A'.i'h "some points on (he land question." j Winn you lind 20.000 men spending a j 'hilling out of their wage? of 30/ to I watch a football match—not to play. ! mind you—-but to watch a mere spectacular display, and then go homo, and buy an evening newspaper and spend another j hour in reading the self-same match over j again: then on Sunday morning to see young folks di«cussing the match they; have -cen nn a Saturday afternoon. 1 J think it i- lime to say to young men, ("Halt!" Such i- the conviction of Mr. j |A. Richardson. Labour M.P. for Nottiii"I I ' " \ hum. The Sydney Labour Council was asked by the Wharf Labourers' Lnion *o co-operate in a movement To ''bring j about a wholesale withdrawal from the. I jurisdiction of the Arbitral ion Court j until the President's (.Judge Hoyden) ! | term of office expir-d by effluxion of ' ! time or the extinction of the present ; I Government and its policy of errshiug ; | trade? unions and labour organisations.' ! I The rcque>f met with a, very short hear- , .ing. two delegates speaking in favour | lof the application and upward- of half; 'a. dozen opposing ii. The meeting re-] ! fused to refer the matter tn ihe eveou- I | t ive for report, and declined tn accede I |to the request. S.-v-.ral delegates I ; argued that they would be foolish to | throw away the snbsmnce for the , shadow, and classed the propos.il as uu- j timed and unnecessary. Another ."elc-| gate added that his union was satisfied] "with the operation- nf 1 lie award con-! trolling the trade, c-oi.uitions generally .having been bettered under arbitration. | imperfect as it was. i The unfortunate A-»>itration Act has | . received -o ninny bhu.*gooninrrs (says the j '•Sydney Daily TV-legniph") that even its j ] strongest champions admit that the time I ]i- overdue when it should be mended if it j ji- to continue it- work in the State. .lust I ftitiw -i"k it really is. however, has been ! .mule public by .ludge lleydon. who may' 1." .-aid to he its chief attendant. Ycsi teniae, during the hearing of proof of I : jurisdiction in iho matter of a. dispute j I between the United Labourers' Protec-| i five Society r ,f New South Wales and the i i t "iiiiponwcaltli Portland Cement Com- i j pauv. Limited, the legal representative I iof the respondent company raised several poiuis under tin- Act tn a--ist his claim 'that jurisdiction to test the issues was | not with the Court. Mr. Iliiey. the em-; • ployee-' representative on tbe Bench.; I interrupted him to say that the employ;cr< hail better make an application Tn ; hum* the Act ' killed outright. .lunge j ; ll'.ydon implied that itiere wa- no neces-i ;-i*.v for that in tie done. "I am afraid." i | h.c -aid. "th.lv the Act i< on its deathbed I