TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 78, 2 April 1927, Page 18

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.)

UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK.

Monday, April 4.—Shipwrights, Drivers. Tuesday, April s.—Engineering Trades. Wednesday, April 6.—Auckland Carpenters, General Labourers, Carpenters, Onehunga Thursday, April 7.—Caretakers. Friday, April B.—Curriers.

EASTER CONFERENCES.

This Easter will see quite, a number of anuual conferences of unions and federations, not because of any particular recognition of the true significance of Eastertide, but from the financial reason that holiday excursion rates rule on the railways, and economy rules. So far, I know of four such functions, but there may be others. An open conference of bona fide unions has been called by the Alliance of Labour, to open at Wellington on April 11, to consider industrial matters common to the whole of the Dominion unions. No union can send Jiore than four delegates, the representation being according to membership up to that number, but small unions can send one delegate for the first 200 members, or fraction thereof.

Four days later, a conference of affiliations *to the Jfew Zealand Trades and Labour Councils' Federation will open at Wellington to consider a fairly large agenda paper. At a meeting of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council held last evening, Mr. J. Purtell was appointed to represent the Council at this conference. On the political side, the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour party will be held this year at Napier, a . will open on Easter Monday (April IS), when a very large bill of fare will be laid before a large number of delegates. The annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Painters opens at Dunedin, also on Easter Monday. The Auckland Union will be represented by Messrs. A. A. Da. s, president, and H. Campbell, secretary. Matters pertaining to the painting trade will be considered, to include: Amendments to the model Dominion Award; amendments to the Scaffolding Act; the bringing of Government Departments under the provisions of the Painters' Award; proposal for a Painters' Registration Bill to put before Parliament; the abolition of scrim for ceilings, the abolition of the twelve months' limit for injuries from lead-poisoning under the Workers' Compensation Act, and several other matters.

NOT GENERALLY KNOWN. From "The Federated Ironmoulder" (Melbourne) I take the following paragraph, which is interesting, if true: — "Recently an English provincial paper published the following astounding information:—'ln the House of Commons the disclosure was made to the . effect that Great Britain is paving France £122,000,000 for dock dues, rent of houses and buildings, rent of trendies, and compensation for damages and disturbances caused in France by British troops. This is the first time In history that an ally has been charged rent for trenches wherein it shed blood. We further understand that rent is charged j for the grave sites in which thousands of the soldiers who helped France are buried. Federal Labour members should ascertain precisely what rent Australia pays for cemeteries in France, and what proportion of rent is debited to the Commonwealth.'" PROFESSIONS VERSUS TRADES. In some circles there exists an opinion that a man who pursues a profession for a living is of a higher social order than a-man \vho is a tradesman. This feeling, which, in my opinion, is an erroneous one, must have received a severe shock after the perusing of an advertisement in our pages this week, in which the Mangonui Hospital Board is calling for applications for the position of house surgeon to the Mangonui Hospital; salary, £120 per annum with board. Nothing is mentioned as to whether private practice is to be allowed, and in the absence of ihat it is hard to understand how a professional man can be expected to live at a wage of less than half of what a tradesman is paid for his work of eight hours a day. And this after an expensive training to qualify for such an important position! STATE EMPLOYEES AND ARBITRATION. In Denmark an Arbitration Court has been set up to settle all disputes between the State and its employees, which are not referred to the ordinary courts, in accordance with the Civil Service Act. This new arbirtation institution mar be regarded as an extension of the system of negotiation established by the 1919 Civil Service Act. According to the, weekly publication of the International Labour Office this Arbitration Court is to be common to all State administrative services and will be competent to deal with any disputes that may arise, provided that such disputes be submitted to the court by one of the central State employees' organisations.

QUEENSLAND'S BASIC WAGE. The unions affiliated with the Brisbane Trades and Labour Council applied to the Queensland Board of Trade and Arbitration for an increase of 10/ in the basic wage from £4 5/ to £4 15/. The Board of Trade decided that the present wage should stand. It was considered by the board that, in view of all the circumstances, there was no justification for the increase claimed, as the workers of Queensland were more favourably placed than those in the : other States. Regarding child endowment, the principle had the unqualified approval of the board, but that any such scheme should apply to the whole of the Commonwealth and not to any one State. PARLIAMENTARIAN EXCLUDED. In orler, it is stated, to curtail undue political influence on the deliberations of the United States Trades and Labour Council of South Australia, a motion was introduced at a recent meeting which had for its object the discontinuation of the rule of the council granting parliamentarians the same rights as delegates, with the exception of the power to vote. Labour legislators have hitherto been allowed to introduce a motion, or speak of a motion, but have had no right to vote on it. A long controversy arose 0%-er the proposed alteration, which was strongly opposed by Mr. G. E. Yates, M.H.R., who was the only member of Parliament present. The motion was. carried •if u eto one majority. Its effect will be to put Parliamentarians on a ™™ r lUx visitoTs or spectators at the council's meetings. ref* SoM '* Ma * neß ' a * Pood for child(Ad.) W ever y w h«e, 1/3 per bottle.