TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 9 April 1925, Page 10

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL. TRAMP.) U&ION MEETINGS FOR TUB WEEK. This Evening, April o.—Furriers' Quarterly. Tuesday, April 3 4.— StoroniMi. Drivers. WeUnesday, April 15. —Plasterers. Thursday, April I(s.—Trades and Labour i'ouncil. Moulders. Stonemasons. J) . LABOUR CANDIDATES. This week tiie ballot for the positions of candidates to run in the interests of Labour for Waitemata and Koskill jifr the general election closed, and the? candidates -who received the majority ot votes in eiich ballot were Mr. K. •)• Osborne for Waitemata, and Mr. W. ii. Bftrnard for Eoskill. In the Waitemata ballot, there were throe candidates tor selection by a postal ballot on the preferential system, and over 400 votes were scut in. On .the second count, Mr. Osborne secured an absolute majority. It might be stated that Mr. Osborne is J a boot manufacturer, living at Birkenhead (in the electorate), and for years past has taken an active part on school committees and other local organisations. In Koskill. there was a much smaller ballot with two candidates for selection. Mr. Barnard, who has secured the selection, is a solicitor practising at Helensville. These two candidates have not been officially declared yet, as the result of the selective ballots has to be approved by the National ■ Executive at Wellington. THE LOST HOLIDAY. , To-morrow (Good Friday), for the filst time in the history of the Auckland tram service, tramcars will run as on Hundnys for the conveyance of the travelling public. Hitherto, in Auckland the tramway men have enjoyed a close j holiday on Good Friday, as it was the day on which they had their tramway picnic I call to mind some.of the picnic days in the early days of the tramway system, when all branches of the service spent the day at the lovely island of Motutapu, and, so far as transportation was concerned, "the wheels of industry" stood still. Any of the travelling public on that day had perforce to stay at home or walk to and from their destination. Then, some enterprising coach or bus proprietor pressed his pl&nt into service for that day only, and reaped a rich harvest therefrom. Then came the days of motor traction, and the service on Good Friday was carried on by many and various styles of motor cars and motor lorries, the latter fitted up ■with wooden seats for the occasion. But since last Good Friday a new element has sprung into existence, the passenger motor charabanc service, in competition ■wjth the tram service, and, in some cases, running , side by side with the tramcar, and the Tramway Department no longer looks witli a patronising and tolerant air on the motor service as a means to a day off for the tramway Men, and, in view of a strenuous competition extending over six months, has decided not to take tbe annual back seat on Good Friday. The inclusion of Good Friday as a working day has been received with very mixed feelings by the tramway employees themselves. The senior men in the service regard the loss of the holiday with regret; it has very many pleasant memories to them as the day in which they all, heads of departments as well as employees of the lower grades, foregathered at Motutapii, free from the harassing requirements of passenger transportation. But as a. newer element entered the service it lias'beetf' noticed that gradually the picnic included more of the general public, while the service men went elsewhere for their day's outing. Some of the later additions to the service have for years expressed their opinions that the'stoppage of work was a loss to them, as they coiild have been earning double time for working. Well, the day has- gone for ever. Last week, at a special meeting the union, while feeling sore that the organisation had not been consulted on the change, decided to fall in with the proposal, and that the bookings-up for the day should be carried out on the lines of Christmas Day—a minimum of four hours at double time rates. PAINTERS' CONFERENCE. On Easter Monday the bi-annual conference of unions affiliated to the Dominion Painters' Federation opens at Xapier. The last conference was at Auckland two years ago. The conference agenda paper is a most comprehensive bill of fare, and includes such questions as:—Prohibition of the use of white lead, the establishment of a trade journal, protection of painters from electrical dangers caused by working around switchboards, etc., abolition of the use of scrim, a five-day week of 44 hours, and .building trades awards. -I he representation is as follows:— Federation, Mr. J. L. O'Brien (president), Mr. l<, Cornwall (secretary); Auckland, ..Mr. A. A. Danks (president) and Mr. H tampOell (secretary); Wellington Mr D. McDowell; Christehurch. Mr. G. Owen (secretary); Xapier. Mr. J. p. GreenNelson, Mr. F. Cullen; Gisborne, one delegate; Pahnerston Xorth, one delegate: Duncdin, one delegate. The Auckland delegates proceed south to-morrow evening bj r the Limited express, and the conference will sit till late in the week. NEW LABOUR REGULATIONS IN RUSSIA. In order to get better economic results, increased output and strict time-keeping in industrial concerns, it has been decided 'by the competent authorities of the Soviet Government to revise and tighten up the ' general .body of regulations and working, rules now in force. In the first place there will be a reduction in the number of paid holidays; overtime will-be paid' , for at time and a-half, instead of double rates; time •cribbing, by arriving late or leaving off earlier, is to foe , rigorotiEly suppressed; the mid-day dinner pause will be taken out of the working day, i.e., will no longer be paid for where the pay was reckoned per day. As regards wage agreements between employers and trade unions there will lie greater latitude, so as to allow of closer adaptation to the conditions prevailing in particular industries or localities. The rights of managements aa regards discharge of "unsuitable , ' elements are' to be enlarged. It is also proposed to revise the con : ditions under which the functions of /control comu.iitt.eos, appointed by the ■Communist party organisations were exercised hitherto, so as to enlarge the powers of tlie managements. It is <|iiite clear that a. revision of working rules in the direction indicated above will place the general body of Workmen even more completely than now under the control of the managements, whether the works and factories are State or private'concerns. This is a system of State Capitalism, so far as Government establishments are concerned, and power to employers" in the inW trial undertaking* owned l>y pr ' ate individuals ■or companies. ■ FVW- c