TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 215, 9 September 1921, Page 7

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.)

UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. This Evening Sept. 9-Curriere. Monday. Sept. 12-PaintorS, Ourawnrkers. Tuesday, Sept. IB—Amalgamated bngim-er-ing Trades, Storemcn, Saddlers. Wednesday, Sept. H - Gas Employees, Carpenters, Bootmakers' I- ederution Executive. ARBITRATION COURT. Next Thursday the Court opens at Auckland and, like last quarter, there is not a very long list awaiting its consideration. Apart from the usua-I batch of compensation cases, at the time of writing the following industrial business is set'down for hearing:—Applications for new awards: Hiuitly miners and otlnors, Thames minors, retail sihop assistants, city cleaners, caretakers and liftmen, hairdressers' assistants, Riverhead paper workers, and Nihotupu dam workers. Applications to add parties: Ironworkers' labourers, contractors' labourers, motor and horse drivers, and dairy employees. Application to strike out* party:" Furniture trades award. Applications to amend awards: Printers' machinists, bookbinders and lithographers; electrical workers; sugar refinery employees' award (two by employers), brick .".pottery and. dlu.yiworkcrs. There are several other industrial disputes filed with flhe Clerk of Awards, but they will not be 'heard by the Conciliation Comimissioner un-til Oeto<b?r, and they will therefore miss the September sitting of the Court.

NOMINATION OF WORKERS' REPRESENTATIVE.

Owing to the resignation of Mr. .T. A. McOulloiigh, «c workers' -representative on the Court of Arbitration, the local unions received ofTickvl n'o-tificaJtiion yesterday from the Registrar of I mdiis.tr ia.l Unions, Wellington, fthat it would be nerossaxy to fill the vacancy. The circular states:—"The recommendation must be fomviarded tio the Rejjifttra/r of Industrial Undone. Wellington, for traaisanissioTi to his Excellency the GovemorCiencrail, wibhin one month from the dtite hereof (September 7). The perelon appointed to fill tihe vacancy will, in accordance witlh section 72 of the Act, (hold oflice only for the residue of the term of oflice of Mr. McCuTlough, namely, till the 20bh February, 1023."

It may 'be m«nts)oiru!d that tilie unions nreTely nominate a fit and proper person; the actual appointment lies with the Governor-in-CouncLl, whioh is really the Oajbinct. and the Cabinet is usually "oveirned dn its appointments by mim'bor of nominations received from tlhe •undone for a certain nominee. When Mr. McCullousfll was appoinfed hundreds of unions combined to liis n'ominatLon ac lie was a well'-knmvn figure in the Laibouir movenwiit, and, as in other matters, the election practically is •neeided by mimbers. Until the "appointment is made next month. MV. M. J. Reardon. of Wellington, who, Inst year, was a.ppoin-tod actinp nominated member of Uie Court, will be the workers' iTepirescntative on the Court, and Will act ™ that position at the Auckland sittings, whioh open next week. Mr. Reardon is no sfcranjjer to that position, as on one occasion, when Mr. MoOullough was aiw&y on holiday, or illness, I ■am not sure -which. Mir. Reard-on sat on tlie Court at AmckJamd. He, for many years pset, Jias been a prominent union secretary at Wellington, hie union being the Wellington Sla«s»itermen's Union, but he has also «mdueted disputes before the Court on behalf of many irnione ibeside. I>UT-:njr the war period, wlien the Military Service Appeal Bootrds w-ere 'beju-ing appeals apainst oonecrlption, Mr. Reardon was a great portion of his time in his capacity as HecretaTy of the Freezing Trade and Slaughtermen's Federation, in conducting appeals on 'behalf of his membeire Wore the various boards in the Dominion, on the frroiwid that t/hcy were members of an essential industry.

MR. MeCULOUGH'S RESIGNATION. Tho news that Air. McCullough had

resigned his position on this Arbitration Court, as workers' nominated member, has created a dominant topic of conversation amongst the unions this week. To many it has come as a surprise, as it was so unexpected; but to those who came into close contact with Mr. JlcCullough, on his periodical visits to Auckland H was not quite so startling, as, after last November, when the Court altered its decision to award a bonus of 9/ per week, as recommended by the Government Statistician, based on the increase in the cost of living for the previous year, by granting 3/ per week instead, it was felt, after hearing Mr. ■McCullough's opinion oil the matter, that his position on the Court was not a comfortable one. Some Labour officials did not hesitate to express the opinion that the resignation .should have then gone in; but Mr. McCullough explained that it would eventually pan out to the 'benefit of the workers as a whole, and then followed the announcement of the Court, that as a quid pro quo, wages were to be stabilised until April, 102 E. When it was sugegsted to Mr. McCullough months ago that the Court might see fit to depart from the policy so laid down, before the period named, he had no misgiving's on the matter, but if the unexpected happened, he would know what to do. The unexpected has happened, and Mr. McCullough has shown his opinion of the decision by promptly sending in his resignation. To quote his letter giving his reasons published yesterday: "To put it another way, I had gambled with the workers' means of life, because I had unbounded confidence in the integrity and honour of my two colleagues on the Court. Indeed, I have stated to representative trade* unionists and at several meetings that if such a breach of covenant should occur as has now occurred, I would refuse any longer to be associated with a tribunal so reckless of a promise made." In carrying out his intention, definitely expressed to many of us months ago, we must bear in mind that the position relinquished carries with it a salary of £750 a year and travelling expenses, to say nothing of the honour of such an office. Up till 1920 the salary was £500, tout last year it was increased 'by £250 to meet the increased cost of living. Mr. McCullough is a man of fixed principles, and it is not the first ( occasion in which he has sacrificed his ■ position to his opinions. In fact his election in 190S to the Arbitration Court was the result of just such another instance. Previous to that year Mr. McCullough had been for many years a worker in the Addington railway workshops, but refusing to give up his right as a citizen to express his opinions in public on political questions he had to leave the service. It created quite a stir amongst the unions at the time, and as a recognition of his sturdy independence, a majority of the unions nominated him as workers' representative on the Court (the triennial election fell due that year), and he has occupied i that position until the present hiatus.