TRADES AND LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 161, 9 July 1932, Page 18

TRADES AND LABOUR.

AUCKLAND UNION ACTIVITIES. (By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.) UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. This Evening, July o.—Fellmongers' Committee. Tuesday, July 12.—Storcmcn. Wodnosclny, July 10.— Traniwaymen, A.M. uud I'.M. ORGANISING WORK. In the reports that come to hand from time to time, o£ organising tours undertaken by Labour M.P.'e in different parts of the country, there ie usually reference made to copies of a petition being largely signed at the close of each meeting, and this line been proceeding in all parts of the Dominion for months pant. Briefly put, the petition expresses dissatisfaction with the administration of the Coalition Government in relation to the unemployment question and the Arbitration Act, and calls for the resignation of the Government. The Auckland branch of the New Zealand Labour party this week decided to call upon all Labour officials in the district to hold a drive to get signatures to fill up the petitions, which are to bo returnable within a fortnight. Another matter that occupied the attention of the party wtua the holding of open-air meetings. After the disturbances took place in Auckland in April, his Worship the Mayor prohibited all meetings or gatheringe in the open air until further notice, and this ban still holds {rood in Auckland city. The Labour party lias always relied on propaganda in the open air for getting the ear of the people, and, seeing that no blame can lie laid on the party for causing the April disturbances, it has resolved to ask the City Council to raiflo the embargo on open-air meetings, and give permission for the holding of one on July 17.

FEARS FOR OTTAWA. Last week I drew attention to the largo number of unofh'oial roprericntatives who we. \ journeying to Canada from Australia and New Zealand to represent nearly all the largo industries, both primary and secondary, in Australasia. And this week we have indications that the same thing is proceeding in other parts of tho Empire, no that during the next month or two tho city of Ottawa will be the scene of great activities in industrial matters. This wae not the original purpose of the conference, but matters have altered somewhat, and the scope of tho conference is likely to be considerably enlarged. The one prevailing question in the minds of delegates, official and unofficial, appears to be: "What can we get out of it?" not "What is best for the Empire?" One candid critic bluntly states that "everybody appears to be going to Ottawa preparing to sell his commodities, but none is considering what he will buy." Tho Dominions are each trying to get tho best deal against each other, while in Great Britain the feeling in rife in some quarters that the Dominions "across the seae" will be leagued together against the Mother Country.

Lust Wednesday, at a luncheon by the Liberal Frco Trade Committee at London, Mr. R. D. Holt, the well-known shipowner, said lie felt alarm and anxiety at what was likely to happen at Ottawa through the uuiuber of imoflieial delegates going there "with a shameless conspiracy against the people of England. If their scheniee were adopted, Ottawa would be the most shameless 'thieves' kitchen' the world had ever known." According to wireless information, the two delegations on board the Aorangi, now crossing to Vancouver, are holding daily meetings to arrange their respective plane of campaign when they reach tho Canadian capital; and I assume the other delegations will be doing likewise, so it would be idle to speculate on the amount of lobbying anil logrolling that will take place at the scene of the conference. UNEMPLOYMENT IN FRANCE. France, which was comparatively late in being Lit by tho world crisis, now leads the whole world in increase of unemployment. Tho number of French jobless increased 52.3 per cent during the winter of 1031-32 over the previous winter, according to the International Labour Ollice. Big unemployment demont rat ions have recently been reported from France, with police firing on the jobless and using similar violent tactics to those employed in other countries. TRAINING FOR INDUSTRY. Referring to "the large place which C'zecho-Slovakia is already playing in the industrial life of the world," Sir Donald Maclean, Minister of Education, who died last week, said, in a recent debate in the House of Commons:— "My information goes to show that in that country, from the mountains down to the foothills, and in the larger urban centres in the plains, the most elaborate and successful training is being accomplished. I will give one instance. In Czceho-Slovakia 170,000 young people who have left school are released by their employers for further training in their working time-—not outside working time, but in their working time. HIGHER PRICES. Mr. Ramsay MaeDonald, in a remarkable article on "The Cost of Cheapness" in the "News-Letter," tho National Labour publication, shows that a rise in prices is a necessary prelude to the return of prosperity. "What," ho asks, "is the meaning of tho outcry made by some Labour leaders that they are guarding the interests of the working class housewife when they object to anything which may increase lior housekeeping expenses? When they are thinking of unemployment they say that prices must be raised. When the Government docs something to increase employment they eay prices must not bo raised. "When 601110 years ago we were all determined to raise the disgracefully low level of the wages of railway employees wo admitted that railway fares would be increased. When tho Miners' Federation decided to improve the condition of the. miner they told us quite plainly that the cost of coal would rise. The fact of the matter is that every one. who speaks quite plainly to the mass of our people and explains to them why industry is so bad, Hot only here, but all over the world, and at the same time suggests remedies must not shilly-shally about low prices. Prices paid to great .sections of producers to-day are sweated prices, and there will bo no recovery in world! trade until they show a tendency to rise. I Do not lot us mislead tho working class : housekeeper that trade prosperity win' return without -some &light rise in prices. The Labour Opposition does not I believe it, Nor does tie Government.'* J