LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 24, 29 January 1938, Page 17

LABOUR NOTES.

UNION ACTIVITIES. (By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.) • UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. Monday, January 31.—Metalworkers' Assistants, Furniture Trades. Tuesday, February I.—Drivers (annual), Seamen. Rubberworkors. Wednesday, February 2. —Tramways (A.M. and P.M.), Local Bodies" Labourers. A SHORTER WEEK. The Second Arbitration Court opened its sessions for the year o:i Monday in Auckland by announcing its decision to make fixtures for hearing cases on four days of the week only, and to reserve Monday for consultation in chambers, as it was firmly of opinion that such an action was necessary in order to expedite the progress of business. The employers' advocate approved of the decision, but the labour representative raised some objections on the ground that they had not been consulted on the matter and it would take 52 days in the year away from the work of the Court. Mr. Oroskery, unions' representative on the Court, asked the pertinent question: "You don't want us to work 60 hours while you people are working 40, do you?" and adding, "I did not come up here to work 60 hours." It was pointed out to the Court that the awards were wanted quickly, and his Honor rejoined: "You cannot have the awards quickly if the Court sits five days in the week." It was finally decided that the Court would make no Monday fixtures. But that does not mean that the Court will have Monday off. It means that on that day the Court will sit in committee to consider its decision on cases already heard while the points in dispute are fresh in the minds of the members. In my experience of 40 years of the Arbitration Court, during which I have been intimately acquainted with every workers' representative on the Cpurt from the first one appointed, the late Mr Robert Slater, down to Messrs. Monteith and Croskery, the present members, I have gained a fair insight into the inner workings of the Arbitration Court in considering its decisions. As soon as a case has been closed at the hearing in Court, it is for the two assessors, at the earliest opportunity, to discuss the case and see what clauses in the dispute they can agree upon on behalf of their respective sides. Having done that, the judge, as the third person, is called upon to consider the points in dispute after both assessors have stated their case. It might be during the evening, or when travelling, or on days on which a dispute closed somewhat earlier than expected, but the Court heard cases in open Court from Monday to Friday and often on Saturday morning, and I have known them to sit in the evening. ■ After spending , six weeks in one city in session, the Court has frequently left for another place with a list of disputes on which no complete decision has been arrived at. the unions manifesting considerable discontent at the long delay. This new rule of the Second Court not to fix any hearing for Mondays should'

meet with considerable approval, for it should result in quicker decisions being announced and so prevent an accumulation of awards being held up. As Mr. Croskery, the workers' representative on the Second Court, with many years' experience as a union advocate behind him, plaintively exclaimed: "I agree with Mr. Justice Hunter, that it is not a fair thing to make us sit here from Monday to Friday and then say. H3od. bless you. Go and do your job." " Many of the workers in their awards already enjoy the 40-hour week, and the members of the Court are not to be blamed for desiring to participate in the boon of shorter houre. i GARDEN PARTY POLITICS. Both political parties, now that the holiday season ie over, are arranging intensive campaigns on behalf of their respective principles. I have said "both parties," but a third ie mentioned, the Freedom League, which made ite appearance towards the end of last year with a learned professor as its permanent organiser, but from a comparison of the names of the executive and officers, it can be safely assumed that the two anti-Labour parties are one and the same. On Saturday last at a monster suburban garden party, according to the daily papers, there were two principal speakers, Messrs. S. G. Holland M P and W. P. Endean, M.P., who enunciated some of the points of the Nationalist policy, which is gradually springing into being. It is universally conceded that the maee of the voters come from the wage-earnng claee and it is to this majority that a policy should be expounded to get results, and not to the privileged minority. It hae been declared that this organising will go on with undiminished vigour until the "eneral election at the end of this year. _ But the Labour party is ateo organising with increasing energy. As I have frequently mentioned in ' this- column. Labour does not wait until election year to organise; it is" going on all the time. No sooner is one Parliamentary election over and lost or won. than organising for the next election starts straight away. Already, several incursions into their opponent's territory have been made by the leading speakers among the Labour M.P.'s, besides strengthening up the weak points in their own electorates. According to tin* week's "Standard," 11 Labour M.P.'s are making precessional tours in the Dominion before Parliament assembles in March. The paragraph states: —The 1938 organising work of the Parliamentary Labour party is now being undertaken and it is hoped to cover every electorate in the Dominion prior to the reassembling of Parliament on March 1. Parliamentary members have been busy in their own electorates dnring the receew and in addition the national office is arranging for all electorates not yet won by the party to be visited in the next few weeks. The following members of Parliament are organising in the electorate* named:— Mr. A. F. Moncur, Buller, five days; Motueka, seven days. Mr. W. J. Lyon, Hurunui, 11 days. Rev. A. H. Nordmever, Wairarapa two days; Masterton. three days; Paluatua, four days; Rangitikei. three day*. -..:. ...

1 Mr. J. B. Cotterill, Waitomo, five daye. Mr. C. L. Hunter, Xew Plymouth, six days; Stratford, five davs. Mr. H. F. Herring, Te*muka, eix days. Mr. A. (i. Osborne, .Bay of Islands, eix day*; Kaipara, five days. Mr. W. T. Anderton. Patca, five davs. Mr. L. G. Lowry, Central Otago, eix days; Wallace, five days. Mr. D. Barnes, Franklin, six days.' Mr. C. Morgan Williams, Awariia five days.