TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 151, 26 June 1907, Page 8

TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

(By Industrial Tramp.} trtJ**, varions ™*»» *** * forward copies of their Union ""Sf'^S* 5 *° "Industrial Tramp." _n« ™nP? Ce i. and **• list of Vnion Meetings will be furnished at the head of this column for each week.) "UNION MEETINGS FOB THE WEEK. .Wednesday, June 26 — Trades and Labour Council (Lecture) Thursday, June 27 — Stonemasons; Labour Day Committee (First Meeting) Ironmoulders' Audit Friday June 28 — Carpenters (Social Committee) Saturday, June 29 — Certificated Engine Drivers Monday, July 1 -_ Bookbinders -iruesday, _ _ ironmouldersr Plumbers and Gasfitters

The -exceptionally fine weather continued till to-day, and outside workers have been able to make good time, in tie building trades work is still plentiful,- ana, although between jobs, a ■few carpenters -are for ashort time out of "work, artisans generally are fully employed. There are> no carpenters signing the employment book at the Union office, and there are inquiries for good tradesmen. Plasterers and plumbers are still in demand. With contracts nearjng completion, and July and August approaching—our winter months—there is no call for extra Bainting is beginning to slow down.

The engineering trade is normal. The all-round activity exhibited in other trades for some time past has been curiously a.bsent in this industry, and were it not "for the large amount of marine wotk in repa_rs,-the trader-would be really dull

The resiszal in the boot trade, which first -Dianifested itself about this time last year, has been maintained, and at the time of writing trade is exceptionally busy. There is the usual cry from the employers of the scarcity of female employees, and, in fact, for workers of all classes in the rnaitufectiirrng line.

Clothing factories are working full time, and in most cases are, owing to the scarcity of hands, compelled to work overtime. The-want of hands is proving a very serious handicap to this trade. A leading manufacturer, in conversation this -week, stated that by removing his factory to Grey Lynn some years ago, he had managed to secure a big supply of female labour, by reason of being in the centre-of a large -working population, but even that supply had now worked out, and he could only get enough fresh labour to fill the places of those who were leaving the trade owing- to entering the marriage state.

The tailoring trade is quiet Dressmakers are very busy, owing to winter orders pouring in.

The furniture trade shows a marked improvement, and all hands . are fully employed.

The timber industry was never better. Owing to the copious rains a few weeks since, a good stock of logs have come to hand, which will keep the mills busy for some time to come.

The saddlery trade is very busy, as is usually the case at this time of the year, and there have been no workers on the unemployed book for some time.

Nawying -work is still offering, and, although notices have been inserted to this effect in the_loeal newspapers, the demand has remained unsupplied. Very few suitable applicants are calling. The demand for farm hands has-naturally declined with tlie fall of the milking season; there are a few inquiries for hands for ploughing.

The Auckland Cabmen's Union, at a special meeting on Monday evening last, decided to accept the terms of their employers, and file a case before the Court in terms of the conditio__s. agreed to by a conference between the Union and the two principal cab-owning firms. There is no increase of wages, and no decrease of working hours, and the only new feature will be that all proprietors will in future keep a wages and overtime book, in which will be kept a record of time worked and wages paid to each employee. These terms should be eminently satisfactory to the employers, who have been on the tenterhooks of anxiety, for fear the Union might go in for the Wellington award, in which a month's work consists of 280 hours as compared with 340 hours agreed to by the Auckland workers.

The Auckland Hairdressers Assistants' Union, though but a small organisation, is full of life and activity. The members have been threatened for some time past by an insidious movement on the part of one or two employers to evade the closing of the saloons at S o'clock p.m.; the award provides that no assistant can work after closing times, which are mentioned; there is no provision even made for overtime. There is nothing in the award to prevent a master hairdresser ■working any hours he chooses, and up till lately this privilege has been availed of by a few employers. But their desire to keep their saloons open and their customers catered for at the- expense of their own evenings, has only been short-lived, and several have taken an assistant into "partnership" with them; by the payment of the lordly sum of five shillings the assistant has bought himself into tbe business, and being a "master hairdresser" can work in the saloon all hours of the night, thereby allowing his "chief partner" to obtain the necessary recreation, and at the same time snapping their fingers at the hairdressers' award.

The Hairdressers' Union, by a deputation, approached the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Labour, during his last visit to Auckland, and laid the facts of the evasion of the award before Mm. Mr Millar pointed out that under the Shops and Offices Act a majority of shopkeepers in any business can request the Minister for Labour to close all shops in that line of business at a certain hour. The union has adopted tbat suggestion, and last week one of the officers of the union took round a requisition to the occupiers of the various hairdressing saloons in and around the city, -with the -result that he obtained a majority of over 30 signatures in favour of closing at S o'clock sharp every evening-, except the late night, which will be 10 o'clock sharp. A strenuous opposition was experienced from the employers who had lately goneinto partnership with their employees, but they are in the. minority, and will have to close their saloons along with the rest as soon as-the notice is gazetted. It is expected that a few dissolutions of partnership will follow this energetic action of the workers' union.

The Auckland District Boilermakers, Iron Ship Workers, and Bridge-builders' Union has been registered as an industrial union of workers.

The Auckland Hairdressers' Assistants Union at its last meeting decided to apply for affiliation to the Auckland Trades and Labour Council. "The true test of civilisation is not _£« 8 * aor -. tlle size* °f cities, nor

"No one can get rich unless somebody works for him. s "—Ben Tfllefct.

The first meeting of delegates elected' by the Auckland unions to act as Labour Day Committee for 1907 will he held on Thursday evening next, June 27th. It is expected that there will be a big attendance -of delegates, and a start will at once be made in getting the programme for the Labour Day celebration well under way.

Bernard Shaw, the eminent Sociologist, says that the money actually in England belonging to people who do not work for it, and who really have only to spend it intelligently to justify their existence, amounts to £500,000,000. Driver James Guest, of Peterborough, who has just retired from the service of the Great Northern Railway Company, has travelled 2,132,700 miles on the footplate. This is exclusive of the distance he covered during sis years' service as a fireman. The gas undertaking of the Manchester Corporation is a model of its kind. With an expenditure amounting to £567,212 its net profits during the past year were £118,215. A sum of £60,000 was paid into the city fund towards the relief of rates.