TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1930, Page 11

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Taßftysress na » .tsaw? .^

JVNIOJf MEETINGS PDE TEE 'WEEK. ITMs Evening, September 13—FeUmongers* I I Committee. I Monday, September 15 — Furniture Trades, I Hairdressers, Saddlers. Tuesday, September 16—Engineering Trades, Plumbers* Quarterly, ■Wednesday, September 17—Anekhtad Carpenters, OneSnQga Carpenters, Plumbers' Edneational, JLaJbour Party (combined i braueles). Timsday, September IS—Trades tuadl Labour CoundL I

ASSWESS TO CORRESPOIirDEKTS.

. "Onions," -wrftEst la 'Qieta earj role. te. : •anion, of casual workers proMMiang them from using" any part of their funds for tie purpose of relieving , distress nm-orig their members 'caused through, sickness \ "or distress I—All1 —All industrial unions registered under the X C. and A. Act have a set of rules which aTe passed and registered fry the. registrar of industrial unions; and these rules contain a clause leaded ''Objects which definitely state the objects for which the union is formed, and to wiien its funds can "be i legally applied." If the relief of sick oi distressed menibeTs is provided fcr ia tnat eiause, or in ancrtlier clause "wiidi is usually headed "Funds," there is no legal bar to using - tie funds for that purpose. Very few unions have such a provision in their rules, "but relief of ■members is very often done from the funds, on a majority vote of-a general or special meeting, and no exception Tia.s ever ■been taken, so far as I am aware, to sTtch procedure. Exception, however,' has been taken to the funds of a Ti-mV™ being used to help the members of any other union, or for political purposes, and there are decisions recorded of such transactions. A union is not allowed bj law to establish any benefit fund from its ordinary revenue, but there is ; nothing to prevent a voluntary levy or: contribution for that purpose. "Indus-; trial Tramp n is always pleased to answer any questions from inquirers, "bat "Gni-ons" omitted to place a stamp on his envelope, and the "Tramp" had to borrow from his tobacco money to pay double deficiency to the postman. It is only a trifling matter, .perhaps, but "perfection is made up of trifles."

THE NEW SOCIETY. In this column a few weeks ago I made reference to what was then a proposed society to be farmed-for the purpose of assisting in the relief of unemployment by encouraging people to modernise, repair or improve their houses or other premises. I treated the proposal then in a light and airy manner, probably because I did not thoroughly understand the objects of the organisa-' tion. Since then the society has hesn formed, and several of the building trades unions have actively supported, the objects of the society as a means of furnishing employment to stfUed workers who have not been catered for by any of the unemployment works hitherto put in operation fyy the Government and local bodies, as these schemes have only provided reading and pick-and-shovel work. The society having! been launched, art architect lias been engaged, and it is ready for business. Offices have been secured in a central position in Queen Street. It is estimated that there are 40,000 houses in Auckland and its suburbs, and a 2aige proportion of these, though soiad'asfar as materials go, are out pf date in many, respects. Some of them are depreciating in value for need of a few pounds spent I in repairs and painting. The object of the new society is to persuade owners to get these little jobs done now, as £160 spent in this necessary work, oh a louse would provide work for two or three tradesmen for a month on the job, and also for other men and merchants in providing materials. By undertaking work of this character now, owners will bring comfort to their own homes, and _ will provide a few necessaries of life in the homes of some of the building trades workers who are at pre'sent unemployed. The society does not actually do the work advised on, but it does undertake the worry of arranging for lots of small jobs in the way of alterations or repairs, which the houseowner probably has had in mind for a long time, but has deferred until "a more convenient season." Some small jobs are already under way as the result of this project, and. there is an undoubted scope for an organisation of I this kind which has been set goin°- from I a purely altruistic motive.

TRIUMPH FOR STATE ENTERPRISE. The following interesting article, taken from the Wellington "Evening Post," gives support to Labour ideas on the value of certain aspects of State enterprise:— Semi-final figures of the great Government subdivision in the Lower HuttPetone eastern area are now available and they are eloquent. ' Four years ago the land was open paddock It was bought for £174,472. The State (through the Lands Department) determined to carry out a real public welfare subdivision, with the ; result that £199.,061-considerahly more] than the first cost of the land—was expended m subdividing on a scale of efficient service. And the result has well SSS V or tLe saks to date total Thus a gross profit of £171,148 is disclosed on the trading account. The scheme originated with the then Mayor of Lower Hutt, wno secured the land-purchase options. A committee took m hand the workers , homes part of the scheme and the Wellington District Office of the Lands Department (the Commissioner of Crown Lands and the Chief Surveyor) undertook Hie suboivxsion and section-selling o f the auction area. It was the Lands officials* job to pull the mcney, and thev pulled it. But first of all they had to" expend more than the purchase, price in order to make the subdivision a model one. To do this., in the face of pessimism, needed pluck. The question is thus raised whether, in town-planning interests, the standards of private subdivision should be more strictly defined, especially in nonborough lands destined to become suburban or urban. Alongside Lower Hutt and Petone this new residential area — railwayed, streeted, sewered, handsomely built— has grown up almost in a night. Do not its authors and architects and staff deserve well of the State? The net profit merging from this gross profit is £148,795. and this will go to the Department of Railways, which may thus be slightly appeased for carrying workers at below cost. At any rate, the Railways Department has not many such windfalls. For what he still owes (on capital account) to the Lands for Settlement aeeotmt, the Commissioner of Crown Lands will be paying this year in. interest about £6235. But the interest due to him on the unpaid purchase money of sections is. not less than £12,760 for the year!