TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 281, 25 November 1921, Page 7

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.) UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. This Evening, Not. 25— Bricklayers. Monday, Not. — Farriers , Executive. Painters. Tuesday, Nov. 29—Hotel Employees Thursday. Dec. I—Liftmen and Caretakers Ferry Employees, Moulders.

PREMATURE. Last week a deputation from the Auckland Trades Hall Trustees went to Wellington to interview the Msn.'ieter for Internal Affairs (Hon. J. G. Coatee) on certain matters connected with the financial position of the Trades Hall. When they returned to Auckland they found themselves the centre of interest, owinii to a Press Aissooiation telegram published during then- absence to" the effect that their visit related to "the raising of a loan in connection with the ■proposed new Trades Hall." It is just a* well to mention that there w no proposal for a new Trades Hall entertained as yet. as tin , present building was only opened an entirely new structure in 1912, and, with additions, can ibe of great service to LaJxnrr for the next 30 yoaiTs. To come to plain facts, it may be stated that to fruild the present hall fche trustees secured a loan of £6000 from the Public Trustee in 1011, and to enable this to be done Parliament in 1010 passed a special clause in the "Washing-up" Act of l!) 10 authorising the loan to the trustees at a rate of interest of 4J per cent. A couple of months ago the trustees were informed by the Public Trustee that he -proposed to increase the rate o.f interest to 6} per cent, owing to the rate o>f interest having advanced. Believing that such a proposal would amount to a breach of contract, the trustees decided to interview the Minister on the matter, and, on their way to the Minister's room in Wellington they met the übiquitous reporter, who wanted to know "what they were down about." He vras informed it wae private business in connection with the Trades Hall loan. A pressman is nothing if he ie not resourceful; give him a toriok, and he will buiW a mansion. From a "TTadea Hall loan" to "a new Trades Hall" is a very short steip, and hence the news sent over the Dominion that a new Trades Hall was in progress for Auckland. The deputation returned to Auckland, satisfied they had done good work with the Minister, and are now awaiting further developments. In aJiy case, a new Trades Ha-11 for Auckland is premature. WELLINGTON TRADES HALL. While in Wellington last week, I had an opportunity of paying my first vieit to the Wellington Trades Hall in Vivian Street, which was secured by fche Wellington Trades Unions a couple of years ago. It ie a fine property, right in the heart of a large population, and one has to look twice before he can be certain that it is a Trades Hall, and not a wealthy man's residence;. It was secured from the executors of the estate of a well known local medico. Even the carpets are still on the floors i that were laid by the original owner, and tidy, floor coverings that would be beyond the reach of a Labour organisation to buy in these exipensive days. So impressive are the surroundings that, on entering one of the large rooms—which can be maide double the size by the opening of folding doors — one almoet expects to be told "Put out your tongue" and aaked "How is your apipetite?" The building is surrounded by shrubs and plants, and the back ipaTt of an extensive allotment, upon which a very Urge Wll can eventually be built for public meetings, is now leased to a gardener for raising plants and blooms for the flower-loving people of the Empire City. The Wellington unions are to 'be congratulated on having euch a fine ijiome for Labour, and although they have not yet a large hall for public meetings and socials, they have very comfortable rooms for union offices and meeting-rooms, and no douibt the larger ■hall will follow when crroumstancee permit!

A STRIXGBNT MONEY .MARKET. Many workers and others are suffering from the effect of a etringent money market at the present time, and I am afraid that the full effect has not reached us yet. During {he houaehunger that has existed from the middle of the. war period down to the present time, borrowed money at high rates of interest as the only meana available to secure a home for themselves. Unemployment followed, and tjie instalments have still to ibe kept up. Many families will hare to deny themselves many necessaries of life—to say nothing of comforts—to keep secure in strenuous times what they_have gained in a more prosperous period. That thie state of things ie not confined to Auckland is shown by a cynical parsgraph I have taken from the New York "Life":—

HOW THEY DID IT! How did we do it? Simply by going without everything we needed. When I was first married" my salary was thirty dollars a month. ■My mother-in-law, who lived with ue, decided to save enough out of my salary to build us a home. When the cellar was finished I became ill ami lost my position, and had to mortgage fche ccllair to make my first payment. Although we -went -without food for thirty days the first year, we never massed a monthly ipayment. The taxes, interest on mortgage and monthly payment on house wrfre now three times the amount of my earnings. However, by dispensing with the service of a doctor, -we lost our father and mother-in-law, which so reduced our expenses that we were able to pay for the parlour floor and windows. In ten years seven of our nine children died, possibly owing to our diet of excelsior and prunes. I only mention these little things to show how we were helped in saving for a home. I wore the same overcoat for fifteen years, and was then able to build the front porch, which you see at the right of the front door. • Now at the age .of eighty-eeven, my wife and I {eel sure we can own our comfortable little home in about ten I years and Hve a few -weeks to enjoy it.