LABOUR QUESTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 208, 27 May 1908, Page 9

LABOUR QUESTIONS.

. 9 . FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE. VIEWS OF TRADES AND LABOUR ' COUNQILS. :.;v: ; The yearly conference 1 of- tlio Now Zealand Trades and Labour Councils will "-bo opened' in Wellington . on July'-20. * Delegates-are expected from all parts;.of-itho-'.-'Dbminiori'. l Among tho remits placedi'Oii'ithe order-pipbr are tho following:— 'ir-'V.-MVi.n', • THE ARBITRATION^ ; Xc¥;"'^'*' That tho Industrial; Arbitration Act bo pro-':,! riding 'for a minimilfti' n-age,'anij gulating the hoursfoF'lalidur." "Tlio V! minimum wage shaJKlio't-'be'less than'- ' Is. IUI. per " houm .sfopnall '.male workers, and for allvfeinalo.nYorkfersij not. loss than .ninepencei.peivihour; their-' hours of labour slihll:.-nqt-: bo::mpro than forty-four hours-riper- iwceli j eight hours on five days-'iiii-the-iwceli, and four hours oil- tho.i : rec6giiisod<.;\ half-holiday. , ,{.f .■» Clause _ 17, sub-seetioniMl, Industrial.". Conciliation and /Arbitration;.' .-Act, 1905, bo amended jijpl thc.'following manner,-striko outvtkci \yhole-:and in- * < sort in lieu .thereof, .VJlii tlio month'.;, of January of ovorj-aycar there'.sball-; be _ forwarded by;.r,6very -Industrial " Union, a list , of officers.; and r;the total: ' number of members-pf tho.-:(Union- at;!., tlio close of the lasfc-prec.odihg month".'.','.. The Industrial Coiicilia'tion; and ,- Arbitralion Act bo amende.dv to provide: That whoro tho nec(is'sityi-:occurs! or discharging hands; .'ill . any industry under an award, thollemployces may demand a ballot, tobdeoide:: which • of their number shall;rbofldischarged. That in tho opinion ipf;.this,.Conference . preferenco to Unionists-shall- be compulsory and not discretion:• of!. - the . Arbitration Court,? a,i;ltho-»caprici-r •; ous withholding Iprefeiouco! . clause from such.-.-Unions ias.vrthoi : • Tramways, and Cartors'rUnions.t!auses-H': the workers to ministration of the .Arbitration! Act. That the Government^':bor..•urged;!':to > amend tho coiistitutionf.of Concilia--'; •tion Boards to provide: .(a) -the,,eloer .: . tion of one member by, thoMndustrial Unions of Workers and! one mem'-:;;' ■ her by the Industrial,: Unioni o'fiirEm- '. " ployers, with a chairn).an;,.aptioiutediby.: ' the two; (h). that >hraf a dispute is. '• filed for hearing . by "thcii-Boardir'the •: Union and the employers concerned,to; appoint two represontStiveS. leachV-,to;-:!! sit.with tho tho ' Board aiid adjudicate' dispute. vThat the words (and witli-,the : approval,. of tlio Minister ,of ;Labour) bfc-struck.;.': 1 out in_ the' second ■■ paragraph of:- r sub-'. ' section 8 of rJauso s>lof> tlWAmencl-v -.- ment-Act, ,1907. That tho following.;.' words bo added' to -subsection.rH"! of 'r VI • elauso 5. (in- tho recomtnphdatioh'Kof the Industrial Union-.of-,Wo , r.kers.; or •, .Association of Employers).^'..;That : "newi:«: sub-claus6,ls be amended'to give; tho v : . right, of, ■ . . or .Association, instead.-,of jflie Gover- J: ' - nor. , nLirv"' : That.tho Act.be amended seas to''provido"for f. statutory and unconditional preference • I . to Unionists. i:":50 , / . ,' : THE LAND QUESTION ' - . That the Government be purged to abol- • ish the. sale of-Crown lands, and mako provision for the periodical,,valuation , • of all Crown lands, held'oii'lease, ■-for a period ot 50 years_from jlie date of . the loas£. The resumption of" land for closer settlement to,J)?owners' .valuation for taxation purposes, plus. • „ ; 10 per cent;. .Tenants;4o'''liavo}'ah "ah' ; -v' > soluto right to improvements'."'-''' f" That the be "urged t"o"- ificrease tho Land and'lllcome'Tales',: the ' . I, abolition of aritV oorres- 6 ponding decrease of the"; : dutics~ on tho" ; "' : necessaries of, lifo pro-,, ~ duced in ,tho : . ! \ -'r '.' r'' . .voting ki'cfnTs: ; That, tlio Governmeni'i''shb'uid "' to. amend tho sliniicipal Fraii'chls6 ;; R.e- : - w ' . form Act, . 'to provicfe»,th'afj ,tlie" : l ? ar- ; •- liamentary franchisci';shoiild""iipply - c to . ' all elections -of; local"- bodies,"! and'lthat' "" every clector should : be'entitled to oil all questions submitted {o a- poll,'- . ;also that tho la\rvslVOU.ld""be.~.ameftded',' ! ' to. provide for the- election' by vote of all Hospital)' Charitable- 1 Aid; - Harbour and Road Btfarda'ahd'Coimtyi " Councils. on' ■■-.vir.'-v • -r That the Government''should !, be?ttrgtid''to' ; introduce legislation' l providing - for- tho"reforondum, with - the initiative in : tlio hands of tho people:"- - ,; ; '(•(■"■ 'i 1 1; ''.""if-- ' That tho Government ;be I 'urged^o' i 'r^peiiil. ! '- any laws or regulatiohV"'-w]ilch :i "niay -• .'prevent the'.' full' ererciS^'of ''golitical and civil -rights'"'of I'.StSfe- 'arid';, 1 municipal employees;.-""'^ .. NATIONALISATION 4; • That the Government i 'l)fe' l 'ui'ged'' 'tb^pal'T tionalise tho 'following'' :.i'ndustriesi ; of tho Dominion—viz.j'-ljyi'staffmg ■Sfeto-"-'- . saw* milling, : iromvorks*;.boot~factorios,* : bakories, clothing "factories," "banking facilities., t ° ' That,the Govornmont ; bo*urged* to estab-, ! lish clothing and boat, factories, flour ; and woollen mills, bakeries, ironworks, 1 and iron- shipbuiidinglyaWs;(' 7 aTiH to nationalise tho niarin.e..coastal and.in-,..' tercolonial sorvicol • - COAL From Westland:—That : (",ltho'vpowers.-iof" •. ; - Workmen's 'to -:;' provide- that .'when.;puchiirispectorstfre-i-:'-' 1 commend reasonablo;.icoiiditions';'of''im-w-~ proving , the "health; andi safdty of tho«; workmen,, such recorrimehditiohsi^HaH"'- 1 bo carried out-, otherwise";thb.'-said; iiK'-" .spector shall.stop.workmon" from I 'work-'?"; ing in any place oonsidai'ecT ddfcct'ive, ;t'pending the . decisioii «fl7the-.!6i»voni-!' inent; liiGpeitors of'Minos!,arid-,>niiho ; • owners bo compelledj-.'to pafyrnfor'-.-timo'';-: lost .through: •such ..tasesr-'i Th 6, Work- ' men's Inspectors-.be:cgaid. by-tho Stato I. for' inspecting tho cmine's:-rThat nrine owners supply worlanpn' with "the; best ' explosives at cost puce-:-'' ■ ! That .the regulation: adiderc?ithe' Coal Mines Accident Relief ' Fund - - bo amended to benefit to miners laid up through . sickness when it can bo moij.ifally jliat - the illness was incurred in the courso ' of tho worker's employment. That the fund be consfl[i(Ja]te4,rf>pd ; , converted into a Domimtm I *finid'-f(ii-* : 'tho benefit of all coal SHOPS AND OFFICES. From Otago:—That Confe'rciWff'l'lib A asked .to •'■ : the late closing nightVho\vlexi"s&;nfe-M'n-i--' shops iii order; to I pers, and. other - shop ; the samo hours of labmir proi'iils' ''- . in- trades, and - that- -the: Gfrvernmdiiti'- ■ be urged to. "*- - . provide, for. a universal"emifplso'ry " ! Saturday half-liolidav:">;'Thn't(ho Government bo urged to laraoiuTctlio Shops and. Offices ; Act, giv:i'n"g:x.tbe :polico"- r -'. • power .to see thatHlfe 1 iSfd^isitfifg^'of ?-'■ the Act.are complied--'with. PENSIONS AND ANNUITIES I '- That tlio Old Ago Pcri&ion£ : l)e increased' to 12s. 6d. per weelt; i % i hd• J^ho t • , Act. : ••& i • t ' , ' 1 amended to provide-'that l all pensioners rendered incapablo'^'of' 7 carniiig''"tlit'ir. ? living, either from : I'sl'clfliess, '' or- natural, infirmities bo'-'.'entitled'-to'';' - ' the pension regaudle'Ss-oF'ago 'lirniT."' That the ' Old Age , T T eu'sioiis""Act ; bo . amended to include'' ! that'.,all lidi'sbiis;'. ■suffering from totill -jJoymaiiont' disablemont 'through- accident Vjr'siclchess .shall 1 bo eligible tho of the pensions under ,tho Act.'- '", ' . That the conference be requested' tb'e'ii- ;'• dorse . tho principle ' 1 of thb Annuities Bill, and jii-gb'iip'on'.tlie '.Gbv-. ' : eminent to.<press t-h» Jo|}ll;;fq^pl^and. o \' * - pass it into law. -I COMPENSATION « .That the Workers' i <^y^&tioK- , 'tora''" -f Accidents Act be U that a worker shall reccive his' full - j average .wages upon meeting .with ail (

' accident while working for his employ- :: or, such payment to continue until ho resumes work. v iThat tlio Conference bo requested to . endorse and support tho Workers' • Compensation Bill. That Uniin representatives he empow-. . ered to take proceedings to sue for • tlio recovery of compensations on bo-. 1 -' - half of the workers and their depen- " • dents. ■. : ' < - -V ; . .... WORKERS'. HOMES. .That in i the opinion of this Conference . X- ,it ..is. time the Government took into 1 - 1 ; '^consideration-the housing problem and, - : 'bring down a Fair Rent Bill. . \ ■ That tlio-Government be urged to build •vi • •Workmen's Homes in industrial cen- .: ■ .tres, or-adjacent thereto, more .speed- . ■' ' .ily. than in the past. "•; iV' MISCELLANEOUS, ( ; , That tlio'Government be "urged to' issue ; legal ■ tender State notes,- for.tho pur- ' • poso iof completing .'the unfinished Alain Trunk and other important rail- . , ways llow in courso of construction, . and, for. permanent and reproductive , . works, with a. vi<\w to .provide a. pei> Immanent- currency as.a medium of ex- , chango: for tho internal trade of. tlia : .; . colon'y.l .. ... : . ; That tho Government be urged to in- : | troduce' legislation this coming session, ; 'Similar to. that existing iniho Mother ■ 'Country;- viz-To ■ make it a punish"ablo offence to oncrato against any., ; :'■ <witness' ■ after..lie llias. given evidence . " •' in any Court.- . . ■ . ~... That the Government b'6 requested to. ;' introduce; legislation to provide for, V. V. , 'tlie'-abolitioii -of the •Legislative Coun- : e 'l- ~ , WELLINGTON TRADES COUNCIL'S ■ t , -~ - ADVICE. v None ..of; the' dboye .reinit's' emanates from this city.: The Wellington Trades and ; Lab- . Our _ Council ha? decided not to send any remits to tho. Conference, to adviso it ' ,to; spend its time in devising means .whereby •the: Government may bo induced to carry into effect-the: resolutions passed at "conferences. . . . ;' 1 ■