LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 98, 27 April 1935, Page 16

LABOUR NOTES.

UNION ACTIVITIES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.)

UNION MEETING'S FOR THE TVEEK. Monday, April £o—Tramway-men, 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday, April DO—Freezing Workers. NOMINATION DAY. Last Wednesday, being nomination clay for the local body elections, settled all doubts as to the personnel of the candidates for election on May 8, and the electors all over the Dominion can now settle down in earnest to the picking out of the likely winners in their respective districts. It is an occupation calculated to provide all the uncertainties that pertain to making up a "book" on race day. The Auckland City Council list closed with 58 entrants for 21 places, or under three for each seat. The Hospital Board, with five seats for the city area, has 34 aspirants, or slightly under seven for each position, while the Harbour Board city area, with nine nominations, has a more modest quota of two for each seat. The Transport Board for the city area, with 28 candidates for six seats, and the suburban combined districts—spven candidates for two seats— also provides plenty of room for a final selection. It is a paiu position, and no dearth of entrants has been experienced.

In Hospital Board matters the entrance of a "new administration" ticket has quickened public feeling considerably, and this is to be velcomed in the public .interest, for there has too long been a passive participation in these matters.

In other centres a much increased interest in the elections by numerous nominations has been shown, which is a healthy sign, and if this is only followed on May 8 by much larger polls the prospect is healthier still. In public affairs there is no more destructive element than that of public apathy. On this occasion everybody is quite prepared to see a big infusion of new blood on the local bodies.

GENEVA CONFERENCE. Mr. Fred Cornwell, the official delegate appointed by Cabinet to represent Labour at the June conference at Geneva, is now well on his wny to Europe, but some of the Southern writers are criticising the method of his selection. Mr. James Roberts, who was the first direct Labour delegate sent to Geneva by the Government in terras of the Treaty of Versailles some three or four years ago, wa3 appointed on the recommendation of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour, which organisation was at that time recognised by the Cabinet as the one representative" body for Labour in the Dominion. This method was criticised by another large body of unionists comprising the New Zealand I Trades and Labour Councils, embodying scores of large and small trades unions as members. In membership and unions, the Trades and Labour Federation greatly outnumbers the Alliance membership, and the Government, profiting by experience gained in the first appointment, decided to give an enlarged system of voting on this occasion, with the result that Mr. Cornwell received the -highest number of votes from all over the Dominion.

The Government adopted the system used in the election of assessors to the Court of Arbitration as prescribed by the Arbitration Act, which is as follows:—''Each union with more than 50 members, one vote for every complete '50. of its members, with a maximum of five Vot6s."

There are quite a number of small unions registered under the Arbitration Act, with, less than 50 members each, and there' arc also a considerable number of unions with a large several of them with over 1000 menTbers each. It is claimed by the objectors that under this system 186 union members in 14 unions were allowed 14 votes, while tho Wellington waterside workers, with a membership of 1595, were only allowed live votes. Under the earlier voting system for the Arbitration Court, the specified quota was allowed one vote right through the membership, with the result {hat ono organisation, the railway servants of the Dominion, was able to cast over 180 votes for its candidate, thus making sure of having its own man on the Court. The present system obviates what has been sometimes termed "voting by the big stick." It must be apparent to all thinking minds that the greater number of industries and unions that are given representation, the more democratic the selection is likely to be. However, it is quite time that the smaller unions had a say in the representation, and there is no more well-informed man on industrial matters as a whoje than the successful candidate.

MORE MACHINES. The tendency to dispense with labour goes on unabated. The latest example is a machine which will mix bitumen and screenings for roadmaking. It is claimed that this contrivance will mix all the materials oji the job. At present. when roadmaking is being carried out by our city councils, Public Works Department, or rond contractors, a depot is established, with a mixing plant, generally near a quarry. The materials are mixed, and then carted post haste to the road before the mixture gets too cold for spreading. If the new .machine is adopted about six men less will be needed in repair gangs, with perhaps a few in construction gangs. The machine is said to be capable of mixing six tons of material in 15 minutes.

WELLINGTON ELECTIONS. The Lnbour Representation Committee in Wellington is working wholeheartedly in the campaign in the local bodies' elections. Full tickets of candidates have been selected for the mayoralty. City council, harbour board and hospital board. Open-air speaking by all parties seems, to be a feature of the contest, and there is no scarcity of speakers. The Wellington Labour Campaign Committee is issuing a series of 24-pa?e publications to householders. The tirst contains a large-sized photograph of Mr. I!. Scruple. M.P., who is the Labour candidate for the mayoral chair. Tt also eontn'ns a. full-page election address by Mr. Scmple. with a large amount of election matter relevant to the various bodies that the Labour party is contesting.