TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 37, 12 February 1920, Page 10

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES

(By INDUSTRIAL TKAMP.) UNION MEETINGS KOR THE WEEK. This .'• :v «^ n -- ( _ Keb ; i , 1 -^ ( I ;' [ a e 7 K ClayworkersCommittee. ■Mnndav IV!.. 14-L.ibmirers , Committee, Furniture Trades, Hairdressers, Cutters and I'resßerii. Tuesday. Feb. IT—Engineers. Feb. Li—Bootmakers' ComDilttci-, Labourers, Plasterers.

THK FISHERIES COMMISSION*. It "ill be remembered that last year, at the request o{ the Auckland Fishermen's Union, the (JoviTnment appointed a Koyal C'ommicsion to sit and take evidewr- at tlic fishing centres of Auckland, with the view of an alteration to the trawling limits for the Hauraki Gulf. This wae done, and the onus lay with the union to produce evidence in favour of an increased trawling limit tv (rive more scope for line fishermen. Tli« union also engaged counsel to represent its members before the commission. The hearing took a considerable time, and I lie expense to the union was consideralile. An appeal to the local tmdes unions was made by the secretary (Mr. H. E. Barnsley) for financial assistance, but it did not meet •with the response that suoh an object warranted. -Mr. Barnsley has now received intimation that Cabinet has decided to make a ?rant of £200 to assist -the unions.' expenses at the commission, thereby recojrnirim: tie fact that the action taken by the union was in the interests nf. the' general public.

A TRADR> HALL FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. ■Some months ago the Auckland Trades Hall Trust received a letter from the labour unions oi Xew Plymouth, asking for any information that would as-Fi.-t them in securing a Trades Hall for New Plymouth. They wanted information a* to how the money was secured for the building of the Auckland Trades Hall in 1912, and details as to the management of the property since. This was given, and this week word has 'been received here the New Plymouth unions have pnrcha-ed a property in that town known as tie Templars' Hall, and have re-named it "The Workers' Social Hall," in which the unions will hold their meetings, and will be the future home for labour in the butter province. I wi>h the Taranaki unions every success in their new venture.

A QUESTION" OF LEATHER. The proposal for the N.Z. Government 1u remove the embargo on hidea produced in the Dominion has aroused an intense interest in the unions affected throughout the industry. They .are the beamsraen, curriers, fellmongers, saddlers and boot operatives. Furthermore, on this question, employers and employees are, for once, united. Last night a meeting of delegates Jrom the above mentioned unions had a meeting in the Trades Hall and passed a strongly "worded resolution protesting to the Government against any attempt to remove the present embargo on hidee. The Dominion tanners at present have the Hght to buy fifty per cent of the hides produced in the Dominion for local consumption, the other fifty per cent goes abroad. If the embargo is lifted, it is feared that buyers from, other countries will absorb the whole of the output, for they can afford to pay a higher price than the local manufacturers, and our oivn ■ product will be imported in the chape of finished leather, at a considerably increased price, for which the public will have to pay. One manufacturer expressed the opjnion that in the event of the embargo being lifted, and leather beinp; imported from abroad, the increase on the price of a low grade boot would easily reach 5/ a pair, with other grades in proportion. Over 1,000 workers in thr> leather trade in Auckland alone are affected by the proposal, to say nothing of the effect on the general public. The farmers are a'skins; for the removal of the embargo, while the workers in the industries are opposed to it. and the C.ovcrnment stands between the two parties. If necessary, the unions are prepared to send a depn+ition to Wellington to secure 'recognition of their claims.

THE ANNUAL RETURNS. A couple of weeks ago, in these notes, I mentioned the large amount of extra work entailed on union secretaries by the requiring of a return from each union, of a list of members, their addresses and occupations, during the month of January. I notice in nis Labour column in the "Otago Daily Times," J. T. Paul refers to the same question, under the heading, "A Waste of Effort." He writes: —Every union registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act must submit a return to the containing the names and addresses of the members enrolled before February 1 of each year. This has been done for some 25 years, and during that time union secretaries have written names and addresses totalling a million or more. No person has ever known of any uee being made of the list. Year after year the Department of Labour sends out blank sheets to the union secretaries. Year after year they are laborious!v filled up. Presumably somebody in Wellington takes charge of them and diligently searches for errors or omissions on the part of any secretary, duly reporting to the chief, who in turn draws the delinquent's attention to the law. It is surely time such unnecessary red tape was cut out of the Labour Department met.'.ods. If the returns represented any value in comparison with the effort I would not question their utility. But no use whatever is made bf them.

LABOUR SIGNS FOR THE KING. The opponents of the Queensland Labour Government were much incensed at thu appointment of a Labour member of Parliament as Lieutenant-Governor. it had never happened before, and the Conservative forces opposed the innovation. Mr. Lennon'e record does net bear out the idea that he is unsuitable for the poet. He was born in Dublin, and was brought to Australia in 1855 as a child. His early years were spent on the Ballarat mining fields, and at the age of 20 he entered the service of the Victorian iMines Department. Four years later he became employed by the 'Bank of Auetralftsia in Melbourne. In 1881 he opened ithe Townsville 'branch of the bank as •manager. In 1885 he was transferred to the head office in Melbourne, and later appointed sub-inspector in Sydney. In ISB6 Mr. Lennon gave up banking to 'become manager of the Townsville 'branch of Burns, Philp and Co. Ten years later he went into business on his own accountas a merchant and auctioneer. In )!)08 he was elected Labour member for Herbert in the State Parliament, being

returned at every subsequent election since. He 'became deputy leader of the | Labour party, and during the late David j 80-wman's long illness, led the Opposition j for 18 months. On Labour emerging | victorious from the general election Mr. Lennon became Minister of Agriculture, which position he 'held until the opening of the last session, when he was elected Speaker. I