TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 170, 20 July 1910, Page 9

TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

(By Industrial Tramp.) ' rSecretaries of the various Unions are wnnested to forward copies of their Union Krcments- to '•Industrial- Tramp,". "Star" fiffice ana a list of Uuion Meetings will be furnished .at the head of this column for each week.] UXION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. (This Evening. July 20 — Trades Conference Social; Dairy Thursday, July 21 — Lithographers. Monday. July 25 — Hairdressers; CoachwoVkers. "Tuesday. July 26 — Plumbers' (half-yearly); Moulders. Jfednesday, July 27 — Waterside Workers.

. Tfie Auckland hairdTessers' dispute jeomes up for consideration next Monjjav before the Conciliation Council.

The Auckland Waterside Workers' JJnion has decided to withdraw its delegates from this year's celebration of labour Day, and will not take part in that function. The union has always hitherto been a prominent factor in the success of past demonstrations, not only jn the industrial display, but also in ihe number of its members marching in the procession, and the, decision of the onion is much to be regretted. If is advanced as a reason for this step that ihe union is still sore of the opposition to its attitude in running alone in the jecent Auckland East by-election.

A deputation from the Auckland Tailors' Union has been visiting the other unions in the city to endeavour to get their members to patronise the [Tailors' Union laibel on clothing: Thie js a good idea, and is taken from the [American unions, who all have a union label on their products; it thereby becomes a hall-'niark of industrial excellence pn the article, and is an indication that the articles are made under tfair -working conditions, and not produced: by sweated labour. It has been (tried: in Australia, but so far hag not 3)een too successful; but it may be mentioned that the large Shop Assistants' iUnion of N.S.W.. some time ago adopted a union button for its members to isrcar, so that unionists in other callings may elect to be served by a unionist gearing the union badge. The tailors, jpho, it is understood, have the support of their employers in their venture, are to he commended for their enterprise in introducing^the matter into this part of sthe Dominion. ' .An interesting position has been created between the Arbitration Court on jfhe one hand and the N.Z. Snoaters' {Federation on the other. The ruling irate for sheading cheep in : most parts fcf the Dominion, as well as the Com-

monwealth, has been fl per 100, but while the Sheep-owners' Association kept the workers' union parleying, the employers' union got in before the men, and filed a dispute, in which the price was brought down, to 17/ C per 100. This sras lower by 2/6 than was paid in the North Island, and at least 6d per 100 less than paid in the most cut-throat parts of the South Island. All attempts at an amicable settlement failed, and Ijthe employers went on to the Court— Recording to the account of tHe nien— jwith the opinion that the Court would grant the lower scale. We have seen ihow the Court received the men, and ihafc ithe dispute hoe been adjourned vJI next week to see what action the vaaons intend to take. Mr. Laracy has bow announced by cable to Australia, from where many of the.shearers hail, that the union has determined not to iake less than the $1, and that '"We Ehall not be shearers this year." Meanwhile the fleeces ar« on the sheep's tacks, and if not shorn soon, will drop off, and it remains to be seen whether ihe sheep-owners will pay the moderate late ask&i for by the- mei\, and so be eble to ship their wool away as in other years.

The' Labour Day Celebration Committee p-ce making good headway wi th their preparartkras for their great gala on October 12th. At the fortnightly meeting on Thursday last, the various sub-commit-tees were adopted, and in this year's committee there is a general determination io get aH preparations for the day lixed up as earfy as possible. Given a fine day, this year's function promises to exceed all previous celebrations in completeness and originality of the displays.

' After a lapse of eight years, the annual conference of Trades and Labour Councils is again meeting at the City Council Chamber in our city. • Gisborne anrT Westland are not represented this year, tut as part compensation, South Canterbury Council has sent a delegate in the person of' Mr. J. Reader. The Hon. J. T. jPaul figures as one of the two delegates (sent by the Otago Council; but a most Regrettable feature is the absence of Mr. jp. McLaren, M.P., who was defeated as a delegate for the Wellington Council to fcome North, lir. McLaren for many past has represented his Council at conferences, and has always done yeoman service in that capacity; and this year, after the strenuous months that he put tn as honorary organiser in Westland Bud the South Island generally, one not Wly acquainted with the inner workings Df some of our councils would have concluded that he had earned his place as a to the highest Court of Labour |n the Dominion. Seeing that the organising of Labour into a distinct party is to occupy a great portion of the attention of the 1910 Conference, Mr. McLaren's experience and counsel would have been WBgularly acceptable this week, but lor Eome cause or other he is not able to his proper position. If the Zealand Labour party are desirous of emulating the splendid successes of the Commonwealth Labour party, they must "lose their ranks to petty jealousy, envy "nfl spleen, and places the ultimate good "i the party first. There can be ho solidarity in the party whitet men who Would never rise to prominence by their "■™ merits are permitted to advance *aeir positions by dragging down any «ader who may be ahead of them. ■4- new union has been added to tie *anks of Auckland unions. It is named ™c Auckland Dairy Employees' Indus£»al Union of Workers, and its fegistrawas accomplished last week. It is tended to legislate for all workers in "M milk factories, and will include tie tumble but necessary worker who drags ■""s dandy around our city night and horning to put us in possession of our sartion of the lacteal fluid. There are ° Ter f °rty members for a start, and the **« meeting as a union takes place this «yew the 20th.

, ** the course of an address to the «elbonrae Grocers' Employees' Union, M.L.A., said that "there *?s a time when workers could not tell «£o was Premier of the State, but knew •jtom would be the premier football ™b, or the weight carried by everr horse ■ l ■ Unlfield and Flcmington. Then they «the working of the political machine "the other fellow. Now ttiey had «st off the shackles of *~>rt, and had Monties in trw f"". jad South.

Australian Parliaments' to make" the laws they required. The worker should not be satisfied because he had a Wages Board, but should always be striving for something better."

An attempt is being made by Canadian employers to persuade British compositors and linotype operators to emigrate to Western Canada. Good wages and scarcity of local labour are the baits held out. The' Winnipeg Typographical Union has, therefore, issued a circular, giving the employers' circular in full, .together with their reply. They point out that since the present wage scale was adopted eight years ago the cost of living has increased enormously. The average rent of the ordinary artisan' 3 dwelling is 30/- per week; coal costs £2 5/- per ton, and other necessaries are proportionately dear. Again6t this the employers' offer of £3 14/----weekly is not fascinating. Moreover, the relations between masters and men are strained at present, and the Union eees in the employers' circular an attempt to guard against a strike by getting English compositors on their books, ready to fill the breach. It will be remembered that 100- British workers were imported to smash the strike for an eight hours' day in Winnipeg not very long ago-

Prince Ludwig, of Bavaria, son of the Prince Regent, has issued an order that on all buildings on his estate, only locked-out labourers are to be employed, and that, if necessary, new buildings are to be begun to give them work.

Replying to a deputation of workers, Mr. Vaughan, South Australian Commissioner for Crown Lands, eaid the general policy of the Labour Government was to secure a minimum- wage of 8/- a day for all Government employees.

The Executive of the Federated Bootmakers' Union of New Zealand have received legal opinion on the question of the legality of the action of the boot manufacturers in .that city dispensing with the services of some of their female employees on the eve of a public holiday, though, at the same time, indicating that they would be taken on again at the beginning of the following week. The legal opinion -will be considered at a meeting of the Executive.