LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 53, 4 March 1939, Page 17

LABOUR NOTES.

TRADESMEN WANTED.

government building plan.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.)

UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK.

Monday, March 6.—Shipwrights, Chemical Workers (Otahuhu). Tuesday, March 7. Engineering Trades. feeamen, Metalworkers' Assistants. W te D s eStlay ' B*—Onehunga Carpen-

Thursday, March 9. — Engiuedrivers. •Boilermakers.

ACKN OWLEDGMENTS.

On Tuesday next, the writer of these notes will have completed a continuous. term of 33 years as "Industrial I ramp." During those years New Zealand has undergone many and various changes. In 190G Richard John Seddon was in the zenith of his power, but he died suddenly in June of that year. Many great leaders in politics have since carried on the government of this country, including the late Sir Joseph Ward, the late Mr. W. F. Massey. Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates and the Rt. Hon. G. W. 1' orbes. In 1935 there came a break \\ hen, for the first time, a Labour Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, took office. It is not my intention to deal with progress made in other directions such as transport, wireless telegraphy, the radio, primary and secondary industries and other triumphs. I merely wish to tender my thanks to a large circle of readers of this column, many of whom have been critical, but all of whom have been helpful to the writer. I also thank the management of the,'' Star" for kindly help and tolerance during this long term. They do not always see eye to eye with me in the principles I have expounded, but they have given me great scope to cater for my readers. To my fellow labour, writers in the South I also acknowledge the assistance I have received through reading their weekly articles, and express the hope that they have received some return in perusing this column.

IMPORTATION OF ARTISANS. I have received a letter from a critical reader asking my opinion of the action of the Government in importing 300 skilled artisans from Australia in order to cope with the scarcity of journeymen necessary to carry on the housing scheme. This request for my opinion is made in view of the fact that in these columns and elsewhere I have always opposed the introduction of outside workers in the past. But "circumstances alter cases," and in this case I believe that the Government has done the only thing possible to meet the hold-up of the huge work. In past years large numbers of free and assisted immigrants were admitted to the Dominion, whether they had trades or not, and this when trade was struggling to gain a footing and when we could not even absorb our own boys as they left school. It was reckoned that 20,000 youths left school at the end of every year, and yet the Government of the day had entered into a compact with the British authorities to take at least 10,000 immigrants each year for a definite period. It was stated that preference was to be given to agricultural labourers, but the officials in the Trades Hall found their books overloaded with men of all trades, who had been classed as agricultural labourers because they had taken an hour's journey from London into Kent and served a few weeks in hop-picking or harvesting. Our present position is widely different. For five years no apprentices were taken on to learn trades, and the Apprentices' -Act became a dead letter, with the result that we have not been able to turn out our own tradesmen. Now there is work to be done' and few to do it, and the Government to meet the shortage has sent Mr. Hodgens, M.P., an experienced and successful builder and tradesman, to Australia to engage competent and skilled journeymen under specific terms. These men will help local tradesmen in getting ahead with the work. We should have no need to fear that such an influx will bring down working condition's here. Three hundred men are on their way, but they are all members of their respective trades unions. That is one of the conditions of engagement, and the

strong principles of Australian trades unionism are too well known to allow any fear of danger in that direction. My answer to the question asked me is: "Yes, in our present position."

COMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN TRADES UNIONS.

The Communist element in trades unionism is weaker in Christchurch than in the other centres of New Zealand, according to Trades Hall officials (says the "Press").

For some months members who are believed to be Communists have been openly displaying their strength in one big union in the city. Their activities have caused the officials of the union some concern, but the officials of the party deny that the influence of this particular group should be interpreted as having any effect on the Labour movement as a whole.

Classed as a political group, Communists are not admitted to membership of the New 1 Zealand Labour party.

In Auckland the Communists have been most active recently, men associated with the Labour party in Christchurch state, but they are not seriously considered in Christchurch. The element is reported to have made a determined attempt to dominate the affairs of the Canterbury General Labourers' Union in the last few months without meeting: with any success.

When the annual meeting of this union was held in December, a move was made by a group, whose action was not anticipated, to force the union into certain action. However, all officers of the union were elected by ballot, in which every financial member was entitled to participate. The result was that the committee was elected which was not in harmony with the views of a minority section of the members, who werts unsuccessful in gaining their

points by the strategy of adjourning the annual meeting from time to time.

ENGINEERING TRADES.

The Northern Industrial District Engineering • and Related Trades Union is this week holding its first bi-annual conference in the Auckland Trades Hall on matters relating to the trade in general. From "Metal," the official journal of the union. I gather that under the. provision of the new rules, every financial member of this big union was given, the' opportunity to vote by post on the question of the continued appointment of an organiser for the next three years. Only 40 per cent of members recorded a vote, but out of the total of 1106 votes recorded, Mr. W. B. Cameron, J.P., polled 709 votes and was declared elected.