TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 207, 29 August 1912, Page 8

TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

(By 'TIOTUSTRIAIi TRAMP?') •UNION TTINGS FOR THE WEEK. This (Thnrsd7iy) Evening, A__m_-t 29—-, ' Tramway (special), Engine Drivers, Coopers, Electrical Wo_kers, Book- . binders, Stage Employees. Prlday, August 30—Trades Hall Social, ' Furniture Trades (snectarj. Monday, -September 2.— Grocers' Assistants, Timber Workers, Carters, Tailors, Plasterers. . Tn-sd-v, September 3—Prambers, Pon- | - sonby Carpenters, Sheet-metal Workers, ; Thursday, September s.Hotel and 'Restaurant Employees, Curriers, Farriers, Nurserymen, Stonemasons, The Arbitration Court is working its way northward again, and the week after next will sit at Gisborne, after which it will sit at Wellington to hear applications for Dominion awards. The following dates have been fixed for these: September 17th, Drivers; 18th, Typographical; 19th, Letterpress Machinists. Mr B. S. Bullen, secretary of the Auckland Tailors' Union, left for Gisborne on Tuesday last to prepare a case for the local branch to be heard before the Court when it arrives. For the Drivers' case on the ISth at Wellington, the Auckland union will be represented by MessTS G. Davis, C. Weaver and J. Purtell. For tbe Letterpress Machinists' application on the 18th Mr A. Rosser will conduct the case, while representatives will attend from all parts of the Dominion. Mr H. Banfield will conduct the New Plymouth Carpenters' dispute before the Court at the latter place, on a date to be arranged. The official opening of the Auckland Trades Hall will be continued to-morrow evening by a social and dance, which has been arranged to give an opportunity for the ladies to participate in the recognition of successful efforts made by the unions to secure a home for organised unionism in Auckland. It will be remembered that the formal opening took place at a smoke social on July 20th by Sir Joseph Ward. Having broupht their labours to a successful conclusion, two of the trustees. Messrs J. Fav.cus and 11. L. Horning, have resigned, and their places have been filled by Messrs E. Pholan and A. Rosser. By a short, sharp and effective strike at Karangahake, it has been amply demonstrated by the miners of that township that the mere fact of being registered under the Arbitration Act will not deter men from ceasing work. The strike only lasted 24 hours, but that is quite long enough to render the men liable to a fine of £100 for striking while under the Act, and also while under an award. The last monthly meetng of the Auckland Coachworkers' Union was marked by a splendid attendance of members, who had put in appearance to hear a report from the assessors in the recent dispute. The secretary reported that there had only been a settlement in a few of the. minor points, while such important items as wages, overtime, holidays and preference had been referred to the Court, notwithstanding the fact that a complete settlement on these matters had been arrived at on the 12th of August by the Canterbury Coachworkers. Thirteen members joined the union on Monday evening, and the union is now in a fair -way to having on its roll of membership the whole of the coachworkere in the trade. Mr T. Long and the other delegates to the third annual conference of the N.Z. Federated Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Association, at Dunedin, have returned, and give good accounts of the business done at the conference. There were 11 delegates in attendance, including two ladies. Amongst other items passed was the following: "That conference urge Parliament to legislate giving secretaries full power to inspect wages books, time sheets and holiday books the same as the powers now vested in factory inspectors." Another very necessary provision passed by the conference was: "That the conference ask for Government inspection of all kitchens in hotels and restaurants by a competent inspector who has a knowledge of kitchen requirements." A motion in favour of the Federation joining the United Labour party as a body was lost, in favour of an amendment: "That the consideration of joining the United Labour party as a federation be held over, and in the meantime the unions and branch unions affiliated be recommended to join the party." The members of the Federation for some time past have been very sore at the refusal of the Arbitration Court to declare an award for private hotels, on the ground that these are not run for the general public or for profit, and a resolution was carried unanimously, "That a deputation urge the Prime Minister to amend the Conciliation and Arbitration Act so that it shall be mandatory for the Court to. make an award covering private hotels."! Tho principle of a six-days' week was also reaffirmed, and after sitting for three days the conference adjourned til] next year. On the arrival of the northern delegates at Wellington, a delegation interviewed the Prime Minister, Mr Mas--sey, on the business done at the conference, and received a sympathetic reply, albeit somewhat non-committal On the question of the employment of barmaids, Mr Masey said he had dealt with the matter on a previous occasion. He fully understood what was the intention of Parliament when the bill was before tbe House, and I can say that the intention of Parliament as expressed last session will be given effect to, and legislation will be introduced for the purpose. Fifty Maltese labourers arrived in Sydney last week with but £1 between them, and only one of them able to speak English, They have become a charge on the State until work can be found for them. There is no room for'doubt that the Maltese are undesirable. A batch which arrived in Australia a few months ago were sent to work at Portland, and the Australians refused to work with them. It appears that the closing of the British naval yards at Malta has caused a great amount of unemployment on that island. Letters have been Bent to the Prime Minister,. Mr. Fisher, stating that Australia could get immigrants from there. Mr. Fisher sent the comm_nica. tion to Mr. McGowen, Premier of New South Wales, and Mr. McGowen has replied that the Maltese are undesirable immigrants. Meanwhile the State has fifty on its hands, and it is said more are coming. An interesting maternity scheme is in | force in a town in Saxony—Sebnitz— . where infant mortality has been alarm- : ingly "'S- Any women whose income (family) is under £95 a year who have, for a year, co_i__bated 1/ a week to a municipal fund will, on cJ_fi_ement, dra-w 14/ a week for a stated period; while if they have contributed their shilling for three years they will get 22/ a week. For twins H>/ extra * week is I give—,

The Amalgamated Society of Engineers in Wellington, a branch of one of the most powerful trade organisations in the world, has- during the past fortnight completed arrangements to initiate a big general store, to be run on co-operative principles, and for that purpose (says the "Dominion") has taken over a grocery and general provision business, with a seven years' lease of the premises, with the right of renewal for another seven years at a fixed rental. A company has | already been formed among the members of the society and a few friends, with a capital of £500, which amount was oversubscribed to the extent of £200. A nightwatchman in Melbourne has refused absolutely and unequivocally to accept the increase of 12/ a week in his' pay which has been awarded by the | Watchmen's Wages Board, because he considers that his work is not worth more I than his old wage of £2 5/ per week. When his employer insisted that the full legal payment, as fixed, must be taken, he wrote a note in which be said: "I am qnite satisfied with the 45/ per week, and on principle must refuse the increase, as I dont think I earn it; and if you insist on mc accepting the increase I will have to resign my position." The employers say that they have done their. utmost, but that they cannot pay the man if he will not be paid- The case stands there at present, as neither the Factories Department nor the watchman will give way, and the firm is apparently disinclined to pet rid of a man simply because he wants a lower. wage than they . can give him. I The trouble of the "West Autralian" ' newspaper lias been settled by an agree- | ment between the parties concerned. An employee named Coy was dismissed from the staff through representations made by other employees. Coy secured a verdict for £500 damages against three of the.=e. and caused their wages to be gar- I nisheed. All the employees in the printing department thereupon gave notice of . the termination of their engagement, but. j pending negotiations, did not ler/ve. Coy ! has now been re-appointed on the staff of i the paper, and his financial claims have j been settled by a private arrangement. I Somebody has questioned the holding of political meetings on Sundays. Let us remember the words of William Perm, the Quaker founder of Pennsylvania: "It is partly every man's religion to see his own country well governed." At least £50,000 saved by the Bolton (Kng.) workpeople through weekly instalments to holiday savings clubs was disbursed recently prior to the Bolton holiday season, the amount distributed being larger than last year. Tlie largest distribution from one mill was £4,000. Others disposed of well over £3.000; many exceeded £1,000. Two members drew between them £137. Dining the second \vce__ of the Commonwealth Bank, 56 new agenci.'-. were opined. The new accounts lotallcl 577, amount of deposits _32,0!»5, .m.l -tmoiint of withdrawals .€784. Since the o_'.ring the agenc:es open mI numbered 490: number of accounts opened, 2157; aTitount of de_>>sits, £ 01, 113; amount o- withdrawals, £038. The sum of £140,828 has Dcen spent on ten fcta'e undertakings oy i»e .\'ew South Wales Government. The master tanners *ay i,h.»t certain g-iodj are being dumped into Austi-.-.'j.i. to the detriment of local industries. Th* w eker- workers have the *■ le .•>raplaint. The Minister has promised to investigate.