WATERSIDE LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 216, 5 June 1908, Page 7

WATERSIDE LABOUR

AMBITIOUS SCHEME. i WAYS OF FIN/UGIAL BETTERMENT. AN ACCIDENT FUND. ' ' ~V'V.; liere.'are ovor 1600 waterside .workers h' Wellington. They havo a union, but their ■ organisation is loss comploto than somo of them: desire. Mr. G. 6.; Farland, one of thoiK nuriiher, is anxious to improve tho lo+ ■ of tho . waterside workers, which ho docs not ■ .think 1 is envied by peoplo in other pursuits. ; Addressing from the Queen's Statue a crowd ' of follow porkers yesterday, ho told a story of a man who was threatened with expulsijn ' from tho • Old Men's Momo. In. dcfence :>f ' the mail', tine of the gu'ardians had said: >.: -'' What is the use of turning this man; out?. With a cork leg ho is not likely to g.t work on tile wharf." (Laughter.) "Here, declared the speaker,' " you see the value u* ,■■ the words 'not likely.' There still remains a. possibility. It shows clearly fhat they ;iii ; ■ rscogniso our. class of work as tho last - chance before total failure—even to the ex tent of turning tho old men from the-work- ,. house.when incorrigible and' abusive." (Applause.) . THE ACT—AND AFTERWARDS.

Mr.'.Farland 1 then'."unfolded ' a scheme, which he has drawn up with careful thought .'aridy.in'great-detail, for -improving the conditions of the ; waterside workers. He /.ad-. : 'inittcd' that' thcro' had ! been a material, gain in .; the/ men's , working . conditions, as tho . * result of the Arbitration Act. . Although it bound ' them " down, .sapping . their vitality, culling 'the old fighting spirit from .the unions,!still they were wise in abiding by its decisions; But it lay .with tho workers/-I-■ take: full advantage :of its compulsory payImentsj.to lay. them, out.'to tho best interest,. . strengthen themselves oh .a good sound property and financial basis, educate their mom- . bers, tcftch them the necessity of good cont- , binatioii, and do all they could to raise l tho . goßei'al . status..of their calling.; : Then, should tho'Arbitration Act be erased from th 6 Statutes, they, would bo prepared for any con-. : tingency that, might arise. If' was 'only adhering to the Act for the present, and . conserving, their, funds, that they would I'e ablo to advantage of changes as th-y . came. ■ ; ' FOR THE INJURED. The first thing required was,to make pr>- ;■ vision for the care and sustenance .of, those injurod' bjy accidents. , To ensure funds at all times for this purpose, he considercd'thit - .they /must: increase their subscriptions from 3d.to 6d. a week for oachvman. With the ' . surpliis.; fund which; ..this would/ give " them they coiild build a-hall for social gatherinijc, .. etc.";; which '.could:' bo let; at "a - rental . when not required by the union., There wero 1630. . : . members of : tho union, but caking tho nunt- .. ; ber as 1400 their. total "subscriptions at' 63. . a 'w;isek vW'oiild: ensure £1650 a year, with . which he . considered they, could ,cover .• general, .accident,: and; gilding, oxpenses, leaving a' surplus on each fund. Tho surplus >v ..." the'general "fund, was calculated, at £133, and on tho accident .fund £2031 The surpluses: on the gonoral and accident funds should be left to accumulate till £500 was ■ reached in each casa, and any accumulations

, ' to '..tho- ' .vftinil.;'; Tho accident branchmight'ti; worked ■- } on tho same lines as the \Vr..-«ers'' Compon- : satidn should pay on some doctor's cqrtificatej and: cease paying if recovery camc before liability ceased...-. , When'the insurance company stopped payment, thus ensuring a safe standard.to work on, fair to all, tho executivo should bo the controlling party, aud the Managempnt Committee the judiciary body in regard' to dis-. ■ putes.:'; A HALL AND A RESTAURANT. ' With regard to (ho building fund, it was absolutely necessary for. them ■to make ii ' movement iii this'direction before rents gi'i so high ,as to exclude them from the waterfront, altogother. Iu a few years they' mig at ' be in possession of a building .which, managed properly, would provide tho upkeep U the accident fund, and the money being pa -J ,to accident relief , could then be directed towards establishing. a }gdod; cheap restaurant,' where a decent meal could be provided at a ininimum a co-operative emporium, and other avenues of profitable investment. (Applause.) . _Mr. .Farland is enthusiastic for his schema. He states that- wharf employees are extremely liable to accidents—there were 70 accidents in working for one company during a year. A, banner has been prepared, and will, be displayed at their room,.urging tho watorsido . workers'.to take up the schome, •which ,Mr. Farland .will explain in furthir • detail from the steps of tho Queen's Stat'ie , to-day. - '