LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 103, 24 January 1908, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

CHARWOMEN AT PARLIAMENT' ; BUILDINGS. Sir, —Kindly allow" us a sninll space, in your valuable paper in reference to a, state-' meat which has been circulated in: reference to the,.alleged sweating of \vom6n employed at Parliament Buildings'; ;,}Ye beg to state that there is not a '.particle of trut-Ji in the matter." Allow us to mention that each woman employed there has four hours iii which to do' her work. Of -course, this docs not allow for.her- idling, and wo think that the time allotted, is long enough- in which to do the work given her. The statement referred' to mentioned that both thp Premier.arid Mrs. Noon (the forewpman):'are Roman Cutholics, and that the Protcstlmts. have 110 chance , whatevor. ; Neither ; :Sir Joseph}' Ward nor Mi's. Noon know to religion any ono woman belongs, and if tIiQX ■ did it would not,interfere with .their work. What- is more, if religions wore--counted, (hen the Roman Catholics would liave a very, small hope, as the' majority of -the* wotnon employed are - non-Catholics.. Apart from, all such absurd and untruthful insinuations, Mrs. Noon has never bullied or bounced the womon uiidor her charge. Perhaps if .tlioso. who circulate such stories knew all tho re-, sponsibiiity the forewoman* .'has on her. shoulders they would write more charitably. Thanking you in anticipation for your valuable space, Wo are, etc., . . MARY DENNIS, And the well-wishers of Parliament Buildings, Wellington. - : ' January 22, 1908. - j ...

: ONION AND TRADES COUNCIL.-: : / Sir, —In my explanation 'of tlio-.trouble between tho trades and.Labour Council mid the Furniture' Trade Union, published; on December 2<l, 1907, I am reported assayingtho trouble arose through the- Furniture Trade Union not supporting the.; recommendation of the annual conference to -nominate Sir. J. SrCullough for- tho ' Arbitration' Court., This should have read Sir. J. ' M'Cullotiah as representative and Miv W., T.'Young as .deputy. Tho Union did nominate Sir. M'Ciillough, but not Mr. Young. I am instructed to ask you to publish thiscorrection, as tlio statement is unjust to the Union.—l am, etc., '' ' ' . . ; .W. H. WESTBROOKE.: January 21, 1908.,. ' WELLINGTON TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION.; •'•Sjr,TMy.' attention has been called to a letter appearing in your issuo of Tuesday donling with the affairs of the above Union. Although it has been tho policy of tho Typographical Society ill tho past to avoid public 'discussion as much as possible, sonie of the statements aro of such a grossly inaccurate character as to demand a reply. Tho (irat charge contained in the lettcj .of dawdling and wasto of time was liuido nfc tho meeting, and when presented in tlio form of a motion of disagreement with the ruling of the chair, did not gain ii seconder. , , Tho writer makes the suggestion that there was a design last Saturday night to 'thin out the meeting bv wasting timo on routine business in order to carry a catch vote of £18 .to the retiring president. As a matter.of fact, 1 the suggested presentation; to the president, .was printed on the annual report- and bal-ance-sheet, and circulated to every city meiiir her at least- twenty-four hours heforo the meeting took place. The writer further' states: "To-day nothing but indignation was expressed freely by members on all hands at such au inexcusable use of tho -Union's, funds." It seems an inexcusablo waste of' energy, to boil in impotent indignation when tho rules of tho Union, of which tho writer, professes a considerable, acquaintance, prof vide that- any ten financial members niayj by requisition, call a general meeting. As to it-bo services rendered to the Union by myself, I leave it to those associated with', liio to judge; suffice it to say that tho past year, on tho whole, is, admittedly .the most successful in. the forty-six years' history of tho Union. I The comparativo work of a president and Board as laid down ».y your correspondent,. l wil] paly provoke a siiiilo from tlioso who know anything about tho matter. It may bo interesting to your correspondent to learn that the 15s. 'per day which 1 received while .conducting tho ease for the Typographical Union before tho Arbit-rntion'Conrt left me considerably out- of pocket, and was the lowest remuneration paid to any one of the advocates who appeared hefdro the Court at the timo.

Another fair sample of inaccuracy is tho statement attributed to me that tlio Union had 'only £100 that;was not ear-marked. The position is that, whilo tho Union is over £900 in credit, the.ro aro moro than ono hundred members entitled to benefits of £y each. These benefits, iiro not likely to bo claimed immediately or simultaneously, hut it was explained to the meeting that, in case of stress, the financial position of tlio Union is no stronger than it ought to lie. - , • ■ As tho order.of business at the meeting seems to havo met with the disapproval of your correspondent, it may be as well to explain that the system is the fruit of fortysix years' experience, and is provided for hy rule as a standing order. I-hope that- iii future a purely personal attack is mado through the medium of your columns, you will insist, that the writer will havo tlio manlinbss to sign his name lo it. Otherwise, if those who battle for their fellows in tho labour ranks aro to he subject to the vintlictivoness of every malcontent and compulsory unionist who comes under tho protection of anonymity the movement will soon ho a reflex of this class—l am, etc., A. D. BOBBIE. Wellington, January 23, 1908.