TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 7, 8 January 1920, Page 10

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.! fol sei UXION MEETINGS FOE THE TTEEK. This Evening January S—Ferry Employees, MouMers, Printers' Machinists , Executive s yo Saturday. January 10—Bakers, Clayworkers. * Jannarr 13 —Guuiworkers. as Tuesday, January 13—Carpenters, Saddlers, ga Plumbers. sti Wednesday. January 14—Gas Employees. Thursday, January 13—Farriers, Plasterers. V^ ANSWERS XO COBRESPOOTDEJTTS. ex'm I A (Xcaruawahia).— Tour letter reached vrc ■been unable to Investigate the complaint-11"J. T 'ipn^nbT) 11 — present ""term of B^c( e P o D f thf'nWbers 6 of the Court of OM Vrbirrarion expires on February 21 next, da It Is not probable that the newly con-\t-q>l fl next ana it is gran Leu, •T^- , " , v not be the loser by the d-etar. tut " Tio-S er be paid in a lump sum toy your employer m icon as the order _tamde- * THE YEAR 1920. of the liberal party, Sir Joseph Ward tl ei-bt memhers, allocated as follow*.— Auckland, three; Christchurcb two; Wellington., one; Buller, one; and Lyxtet ton one. Even in Dunedin, the onl} primal city where official Labour canoleT 15,600 votes-less than 400 short of 4,000 votes for each official candidate But even in Dunedin Labour » represented by an Independent Labour member Mr. E. Kellett, who had a straightout fight with the official Labour candidate, Mr. A. Walker, the sitting member. Writing about this contest on December 13-fouV days before polling day'•"Veteran," in his Labour column in the Dmiedin "Star," takes on himself the mantle of prophesy,, and his .<»«*»»»■ ■arc-rather interesting in view of the Tesults. He writes:— " =Comin" to the Otago -and Southland districts, the outlook is not very bright, for Labour. In Dunedin North we have the same, position as in the Builer electorate—two candidates, and both Labour. Air E.'Kellett, whb is standing m we interests of Moderate Labour, and who has been connected with the Labour movement in Dunedin for a good many years, is receiving sirpport on account of 'mc Datriotic work during the war. Mr. A. W&Bcer, the Official Labour candidate, las had a much longer connection -with, the' labour -movement, dating .back to ■ the early eighties. Mr. Walker has *he advantage of being the sitting member, but hi 3 chances of Te-election are discounted by the fact that lie put his name to the notorious manifesto. Mr. Walker's explanation that the Conscription manifesto to Australia could have no effect on the vote, because it did not reach Australia, trill not help him much. The fact remains -that he signed it, "and the intention of it was to help the antlCon«cript:onists. What can be said about the second manifesto, sent fco England, and professinsr to be the opinion of organised Labour in New Zealand—that the Peace terms*dealt too severely -with •foe Germane? It seems ridiculous that the executive of the Federation of Labour should send such a document in the name of organised Labour without; consulting the organisations. --Tie opinions of some of the returned •would no doubt be that the German workers had forfeited all claim to generous treatment by their cruelty to civilians, old -people, children, and noncombatants jrenerallv. Mr. Walkcr'e explanations will not help him much, and I shall cot be surprised to see Mr. Kellett at the top of the polL But the great fight i 3 over; Christmas, ■with its recurring message of peace on earth, has come and gone, and the New •Year is opening out before ua with all Its prospects. The year 1920 is oura to make or mar by our actions. It ie .likely to be a memorable year in more •ways than one. During the fwar "We -were being constantly told, by our world leaders that a new era was before U3 after the great straggle wa3 over and the world would never be the same, again. "The way in which the working class rallied to the defence of the Empire deserved some recognition," we ■were told; "and more of the profits of ' industry should go to those who created them." In America during the war the great private railways were taken over by the State and -worked for the good of the nation; now, we learn, they are to go back into the possession of the private companies again. The forces of conservatism and of private gain are already being marshalled against any of the promised concessions to the -patriotic action of tie masses being given effect to, and what action will the disappointed masses take to secure the fulfilment of war promises? The Soviet system is already the continent of Europe, and it rests with our Governments whether that system will gain or loee ground- In our own Dominion £he outlook is interesting; During this month the leaderless Liberal party meet in Wellington to elect a successor to Sir Joseph Ward and decide on a course of action against the strong party of 48 Government members. The Labour MJVs also meet in. Wellington this month, to decide on a course of action for the approaching session, which is likely to be an early one. The baro- . meter industrially may ie stated as "threatening," and with rumours of strikes and further "go-slow" attitudes, one locfe toward the future with considerable forebodings. As a counterblast to this there are not wanting indications that the Government, secure in its return to power with an increased ma- . jority, will take steps to end this deplorable condition of affaire, and restore the output of coal to normal conditions by legislative enactments, or by "Order in Council" where such enactments already exist. With the war over and its inevitable aftermath of high, prices all our energies should be devoted to' increasing our output, so as to brin<r prices down, as well as to pay our waj ATTRACTING DOMESTIC SERVANTS, ■f,? Australian - Labour exchange deals SSL f % leCent TPopoaaia to attract domestic servants in semi- | satirical vein, thus:— I ■ "A little circle of. Sydney yofflen. folk

met at the Town Hall last -week to de:ide what sort of improved treatment should be extended to their women employees, or ac those are commonly called, their domestic servants. "For perhaps the greater part the former 'mistresses' of Sydney are at "present without dojnestic help, and their meeting gave evidence that they don't like the position. "They discussed, iby and large, the young woman who 'goes out to work/ ac they hafe eternally done in private gatherings, and at last they drew ■α-p a statement of the conditions they are prepared to extend to these. "First come, 'Houra oi work: Not to exceed 56 per week.' Then followed 'minimum wages for adult general workers, £1 per week.' One pound today, iby the way, is worth about 12/ of 1913-1914. "Finally, the ladies were ready to concede 'comfortable and hygienic accommodation. , "All this, with a lot of talk, trae for the information of a British delegation of women visiting Australia to search out prospects for female working immigrants. *"On appearance -here should he no great- rush after the attractions held forth. "Again, the Contract Labour law, if enforcetl, prevents the engagement of workers abroad, and even if British girls and women regard the 'improved status,' as it was called, as sufficient to draw them here, they will soon find freer and better paying work in factories and elsewhere."