LABOUR EXCHANGES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 38, 14 February 1910, Page 8

LABOUR EXCHANGES.

FACTI.I___S AND COMFORTS FOR iSTOP-b-LESS MEN. GREAT INSURANCE SCHEME. (From Our Special Correspondent.) I.ONDON, January 7. The i.i!>eral <»n\vrrrmt_it in England i- ._,—-ii-t.-.i iiy it.- enemies of ignoring the claim- "f i.i unemployed, and yet it is doiuL' more for -his class than any pn-viou.- Government ha. attempted. 1..- P-'lk-v for r..;_igating the evils of unemt'lnvn --nt has been interrupted by the rejection ■ f the Lindget, but if the Liber-..! H.jvtnink'nt i- returned to power at :'■. .-■ -r.-r_i election, the scheme will c: ■:?-•• taken up. Meanwhile the Labour Exchanges Act pron-..-.t ->d by the I_i-b_2_ls comes into | Operation this week, and this is the I groundwork upon which the Govern- I merit . policy :.- based. It represents the hrst r_-lry scientific a_d organised •ttempt to link up the labour centres or t.->e country, and bring workle—3 men in _*_e_ with employers, not merely in I thorr own drs-rict, but all over" the __TYC"do_i. T::-r,. are to be arrocpther 240 Labour | _---<---i— art-. 1-50 of the—i -will be es- ; ta^ lill - in -e_:por_ry p.-emises br j SMt mon__ rue Labonr __c_a_g_= ; w-rll. c: i-jurse. be offices, where _____- j pioyol workmen can register their! names as appiaca-i-s for work, and ! ■6_ere employers can obtain men. THE C______X MODEL. The- will form a. complete national . tE-_r.i_-_-._- They win cover the — ..o>- ro—nrry. -.v ; ii be o___ee_ed witli each other by teiegTap-i and telephone, and w:_l be gro_p_i i_ _ea cavi__ons- j e_eh - iih a rfe_-r_ng-_____e- and a cen- ""'- over all London. This win enable every Labour Excnanae to g?c (_a.lv and honrfy _ifor___,dion fro—. every p_— of the country of ■*__t-rv-r work 's av_i___.e anywhere. I In the Ge-man Labour Exchanges ; "*■ have a_eu !_rgv}y the m-.-idei" of *ne ' r--» Vr?mTnez__'s sche_ae- v_____-v iis-s are regnlarty excha_g?d betweea the T3rk-3s centres, and the lists of addi- I ea_y are rea.d out in the waiting __0 The _:empioyed instead of. j 8 - now. tr_«igr_ff rhe streets from morn t—i ruga, in his -sveary hunt for work, or __-2;_i__T about some warehouse or f-Ctory door or the dock gates on the _i_j__,_- 0 f hei-Br w___;ed. will be able *■"' take hi. stand, as it were, at the cioor of factory. wure_-o__e, and. _.■_-.-ky__-.i in the country at once. COMPORTS FOR WOF_K_-__SS. Instead of trampLajr from town to Irrwn. and from c_s_a.l ward to c_st_.l ] ■ward, he will be told where a job is to ' be got. and will be lent his railway fare to go to it. He will not wait in " ! th" streets, bu- in comicrt-ible rooms with the certainty thai he is missing nothing that the district or the country ha- to offer. -V: iii-- E_chan_re his comfort will be provided for in various ways. He can buy his food at cost price at the can- ! teen. e_.a bathe and wash, and have his | clothing mended. In this the Govern-I ment is following German irrodels. in Berlin there is a large assembly) hail, to which work-seeker.- are able to I resort during the day. with galleries which uior." *eat 1.4T.0 persons, a reacl-ing-nxnn supplied with books and news papers, -a canteen. worl-rooms for tailors aid fhoe.m.ikers. in which repairs are made at the .ill-round charge of j:i-t over a penny, a miniature hospital. with a series of bathrooms below, in which hot. cold and =hower baths can be had at all hours of the day for a halfpenny. This is the model that is being copied this year in England. WAST INSURANCE SCHEME. Tn connection with the Labour Exchanfres. a system of insurance against unemployment and sickness has been worked out by the Government, and will l.c at once put into operation if the Liberals arc returned to power. This vast insurance scheme has been hung up by the action of the House of in throwing out the Budget. Tt is copied from German models, like the Labour Exchanges, but it is an improvement and enlargement of the German system. As in Germany, in-siirar.i-e premiums are to be extracted ns eontributior to the expense from employers and workmen alike,' but there will also he a Government subvention, which, under this scheme, will be twice as large a- that given by the German Government. Altogether the three contributions mot necessarily equal) of employers, workmen and the Government will have to amount to something like Cd. c. week. This will enable a substantial benefit to lie paid to every .unemployed' man in the trades to which ".the scheme is applied. The idea is to begin., with certain trades in which unemployment is high, and gradually extend tlie ■-(•!].'ine. .Ml the unemployed workman will lave to do will be to take his insurance card i to which stamps as receipts of his .laynient will be attached every I week) to the- nearest l_abour Exchange, j where he Mill he either found a job at the -tand.'rd rate of wages, or paid uncmploye ! benefit. THE TORY ALTERNATITE. ""The Manchester Guardian." from which these details an- drawn, adds the following comment:—'-All that Mr. Balfour can offer the unemployed is dearer food anLa prediction, contradicted by all serious economic scientists, as Mr. I Balfour well knows, towards increased | employment. 'Work for all.' say the 1 •bosses' of the Tariff 'Reform' League, I fctit no one takes them seriously, and; Mr. Balfour's efforts to water down this reckless promise or.ly reveal his own emba rru--n:eiu."

The monthly meeting of the Assist--tnt Musters' Association was held in the Foresters' Hall. Newton, on Satur_iv evening, the President (Mr. DunJopj in the chair. There was a record attendance of members. The following resolutions were passed:— "That in making all appointments, the Board "f Education be respectfully urged to appoint the applicant highest on ihe promotion list, provided he has in his positrcrji two years." "That the examination for certificates of proficiency should be left nearer to the end of school year." "That certifi•ated assistant-masters entering the Training College are still eligible for membership of the Association." At the conclusion of business an enjoyable jour was spent in social entertainment, oi which chorus songs were made a prominent feature. The following gentle_en contributed to the programme:---Jlessrs. Brown, Warren, Hare, C. Wilson,, M-rdock, Knstead, and Dtmlop.