TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1930, Page 18

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

|j§ (By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.) {Igjji , , Muni on meetings for the week. May s—Shipwrights, Drivers. *S?jiursclay, May 8. —Plumbers' Educational, jsS'Biscuit Workers. Miay 9.—Currier's. "■ " - 18® * A CRUMB OF COMFORT. IWsWI , Lave so often in these notes, from to week, commented on the hard .ij-pw that has been hoed for some time ijjyist by the members of the performing unions of the Dominion that have begun to wonder whether, sari the face of mechanical music extend#|s& by means of the talkies and mechani--0 player pianos, there is to be any (feature at all to the culture of music. Sll my recent trip south, I found that StJjnes for the paid musician were even than they were in Auckland. In j|?|inedin, one orchestra of ten play ens Srvvas in operation at one theatre, but all t other shows were given over to chanical music. In Cliristchurch and "Wellington theatres not a musician was and the only engagement ppailable to local players was at dances. Sit there is now a crumb of comfort in a Sydney motion picture Kinagazine, where-1 notice under such bigdeadlines as. "New demand for orchesgs§is. Reviving in city shows" that "signs a ■ revival of orchestras in city are growing. Albert Cazabon's f&nusical combination at the Sydney prince Edward, augmented to 40 for the King,' earned great applause. Sffow Stuart F. Doyle announces the slfoj'inatibn of a national orchestra at the flfdney Capitol with .40 players perafternoon and evening under Sheldon's baton. The players are being, |jfsAs i! have stated, Auckland is not SMjjite so bad for players as the southern *fesies, for at the Civic Theatre there is Bfaj|i orchestra of 40 players, and it is more than a coincidence that ggjth th<? Auckland and Dunedin orches!%r"&s are performing under the O'Brien yiiianagement. Still, there are numerous Sltiickland musicians who have had some |jggry lean times lately, and this has <®j&ised the local union much concern. To smeet the exigency thus caused, the iunion has formed a strong benevolent to organise some relief for ftflte'edy members, and the union has ar•tanged its first concert for to-morrow tjewming in the Civic Theatre, with a Unbilled picture theatre orchestra of players under the efficient baton of ':s§•. Ted Henkcl, assisted by Mr. Fred ?§oholl upon the Civic grand organ. The i.pXpceeds f rom this concert will form the gjffjcleus of a benevolent fund for dis-fttf-ssed players, and be augmented by Spoliations already promised by syrnpaaiG'sers. „ Wf.lclieving the distress is all very well, the biggest ray of hope lies in the ffsLt that music with a soul in it is Honing into its own again. In Sydney jwjjH London also, musicians who liave |Jcn left temporarily "high and dry have banned themselves into bainds of street musicians, and it is interesting to note the big crowds of listeners gathered

around these 'bands of street musicians listening to a welcome change from the machine-made music so . prevalent. In a Manly street, one group travels as a concert party in a motor truck bannered: —"Talked out — professional musicians unemployed through canned music and talkies." / PRAISE FROM OUTSIDE. For many years, the Labour party, as a party, has been so consistently denounced for its aspirations and actions by those outside the party that it comes as a welcome change to note a word of commendation from critics outside tlie ranks for an endeavour from any Labour party to bring ahout a betterment in existing affairs. In a Press Association wire I notice the following: —"The president of fthe Canterbury Manufacturers' Association, Mr. I. Woo If, at a meeting of the executive on "Wednesday evening, urged the prohibition of the importation of motor cars and suggested that the New Zealand Parliament should take the same steps to develop manufactures here as the Scullin Labour Government has taken in Australia." When the Scullin Government a month or two ago announced its intention to prohibit the importation of all luxuries and goods that can be manufactured in the Commonwealth, until they were able to pay their way in .the world's markets, it caused consternation and a storm of protest amongst a section of the community; but it was principally from the importing or indenting section, certainly not from the manufacturing side. _ It appears certain that the same medicine that is expected to cure Australia would also act as a tonic or curative for the ills of the Dominion. THE COURT AT DUNEDIN. In mentioning the factvthat the Court of Arbitration! was to open at Dunedin this week, "J.S.S." in his Labour column in the "Dunedin Star" last week treats of a question that is exciting more than ordinary interest in Auckland union circlcn. He writes: —"The m,o,st outstanding dispute to be conducted .before the court is that affecting the working hours of the brick and pottery workers' unions. For some years the brick and pottery workers' unions throughout the Dominion have been in a state of discontent, because, although pottery works are classed as factories, the hours of | labour fixed by the Factories Act have been set aside .by Arbitration Court awards, which compel kiln-burners to -tf'ork twelve hours a day. The clause making legal a twelve-hour clay was not altered until Mr. Justice Blair annulled it during the absence of Mr. Justice Frazer in Australia some months ago. Mr. Justice Blair's decision, in favour of an eight-hour day, .with overtime rates accruing for any work done thereafter, was not, however, upheld when the question was sent on to the Full Court for a final pronouncement. 'A peculiar position now exists which is of vital importance to many hundreds of workers throughout New Zealand. Mr. J'. Robinson, several' weeks ago, trenchantly criticised thte anomaly of having in the Factories Act a section which provided for a limitation of hours, but j which could be upset by an Arbitration

Court award, which authorised, employers to employ men for twelve hours daily without giving overtime pay. In the present application for a new award the hours of work is the major question. Mr. Robinson stated that the union would have to make a momentous decision when the case was heard before the court. It would seemingly have to ask the court to refrain from fixing the hours of work for any section of workers in the industry. "If the court agrees to this, the Factories Act will prevail, and the obnoxious twelve-hours' shift will be a thing of the past," he said. "But if the court,will not refrain, the union will probably decide to withdraw the dispute from the court, and take immediate steps to r cancel its registration under the I.C. and A. Act, in which case the workers concerned will again be •placed under the more humane jurisdiction of the Factories Act. AWARD COPIES PRINTED. Copies of the, new Dominion carpenters' award have now been printed and issued. The reserved decision of, the court was delivered on March 31. - There is disappointment on all sides that, in view of the strong evidence to support the employees' demands, 'better results were not achieved. The wages clause is altered to give an increase of fd hourly to joiners. The clause now reads that the minimum wages for carpenters and joiners and joiners' machinists shall be 2/3J per hour. There is also an. alteration in the country allowance, the rate being increased from 4/2 to 5/ per day.