TRADE AMD LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 18

TRADE AMD LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TISAMP.) UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. This Evening, May 14;— Typographical. Monday, Mny 10.—furniture Trades, Hairdressers. Tuesday, May 17.—Tramway Employees (morning and evening). Wednesdav, May IS. —Plasterers, Auckland Carpenters, Unehunga Carpenters. Thursday, May lU.—Tramway Employees (morning r.nd evening). Saturday, May 21. —Fcllmongcrs. POST ELECTIONISMS.

Willi the municipal elections gone : fortnight into the realm of past histon there is room for thought on result: unci causes. It is generally accepted ii local labour circles, that it was ncglec of organising, and its consequent apathy that contributed to comparative_ I'ailuri to obtain increased representation ii the Auckland City Council. A comprc hcusive return issued by the city return ill" ollicer's department is very interest ing reading indeed. At a glance, cacl of°tlie 01 candidates can satisfy himsel x herself us to how he or she stood in tin estimation of the voters at each of tin 14 polling places on the list. It is onl} ;o be expected that at the Trades Hal lolling booth Labour would be at tin op of the poll, while at Point Chevalier >ey Lynn, Harbour Hoard shed, th( jabour twelve also received very gener ms support. On the contrary, it ii mly natural that at Kcmuera, Epson m<i Chamber of Commerce booths, tin jabour candidates would come down will thud in popular estimation, but tin oke of the election at the Trades Hal 'dices is the return of votes cast al he Ornkoi Road polling booth, and tin oke is against the Labour candidates hving to the number of men Cllgage.l n the construction of the railway devia ion to West Held, via Orakci (which ii ust within the city boundary), who hv< n the job in the huts provided by tin 'üblie Works Department, it was decidec o place a polling booth at Orakci Itoac o that the tired voter should not havi oo far to go to record his vote at till lose of his day's toil. dust before tin oils closed Labour canvassers placed ;i----ames of workers on the roll as ejigibh o vote. On election day, Laboui andidates saw to it that cars were oi and at the works at "knock-off" time n the pouring rain and through claj oads. but the total load for live car: rus 11 electors who were taken to tin )rakei Koad booth. The official return: how that the total number of vote: ecorded at this booth for the day wa: (l. Out of this, the most popula ,abour candidate received 1 votes, whih tilers received l. I and (I. The highes ote was received by one of the sittin; ouneillors, who is not on the Laboui ickct, and he only got .1 out of the otal of 10 votes cast. The question hat is agitating the minds of the stalwart five who took their cars to Orakci

nn that muddy journey through the rnin on polling "day i*, was it worth the trouble? By the way, it is recorded that at this particular booth there were four informal votes for the day, but whether these arc to be deducted, or added to the leu above mentioned, I am not sine. NEW INDUSTRIAL COURTS.

The German Reichstag has passed a law placing industrial courts on a new and much improved basis. The higher industrial courts are now empowered to co-operate for the services of any persons who are qualified to act as judge, and thus the monopoly of the ordinary judge is at an end. The same applied to the chairmanship of tin- industrial courts of the Federal States, and ill these courts the trade unions arc now entitled to defend their suits themselves, instead of being, as in the past, forced to employ lawyers. Technical workers, | engineers' and' industrial chemists owe it to social democracy that they too are now in a position to present their claims to industrial courts. But the new lawwas opposed by the German National "'arty and also by (he Communists.

LABOUR REVERSES AND WHY THEY OCCUR.

The "Australian Worker'' discusses this very interesting point in the latest issue to hand, some extracts from the editorial following: — "The defeat of the South Australian Labour Government at the general election makes one wonder what is the root cause of the reverses which our movement so frequently sustains. "Why should victory he the prelude. | to defeat? When Labour wins to] political power, why is it not able to consolidate its position and hold it against all attacks? . . . . "The Labour movement in Australia has lost much of its initial tire. It started ofr with a splendid recklessness. No fight was too hopeless in which to engage. No sacrifice was too great, for tlio cause was greater still. "It could not be expected to keep at, that high pitch of fervour. Nor was it desirable that it, should. The wildness of that early exaltation had to be modified. Tlio necessities of everyday contact with the multitude demanded, a more sober earnestness. "But Labour has exceeded the, requirements of the case. Success has weakened its fibre. Its ardour has declined to caution and even timidity. It descends to the level of the voter, instead of lifting up the voter to its level. Too often the spirit of compromise takes , precedence of principle. "And among its leaders there is sometimes a deplorable laek of that mutual confidence which alone can ensure unity in the rank and file. "The defeat in South Australia sets us searching our minds and consciences. Such a setback should have been impossible. The Labour Ministry did a lot of good work. It carried many beneficial measures. Its administration was marked by skill and prudence. Within the limits of its opportunities its record was one of which it might well be proud. Yet after three years of faithful service, during which the State made steady progress, it is ungratefully sent packing! "Many reasons may be assigned for this, each with some force and point, but'there, is one that embraces all the rest. The Hill Government had not a majority of dependable adherents in the constituencies. Klectors who voted for Labour on the previous occasion turned round and voted the opposite way. "The same thing has occurred in other States and in the Commonwealth. Labour has pressed victoriously forward, only to be driven back on a later day. ...

'"'The remedy declares itself—a propaganda of enthusiasm, a gospel of social reconstruction, the inculcation of class feeling. The workers must lie politically and industrially educated, in order that they may realise the foundational causes of the struggle for existence. "Once. they become iiitollijseiitly aware of their status as an exploited class, solidarity of action will follow as a logical consequence, and Labour's conquests will no longer be precarious and temporary."