TRADES COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 460, 19 March 1909, Page 6

TRADES COUNCIL.

ANNUAL IWEETINC. THE EXERTION WAGE. Tho annual meeting of tho Wellington Trades and Labour Council was held last evening, Mr. W. Noot (vice-president) presiding over a good attendance. Mr. J. A. M'Cullough, workers' representative on tho Arbitration Court, was welcomed by the.council. In replying, no said that tho balance-sheet appeared to bo eminently satisfactory, and the council was to be congratulated on its .year's work. He did not think, however, that they had all the unions they should have represented on tho council. They should not rest till they had remedied this defect. He had been told that it was an improper thing for a man in his position to attend Trades Council and union meetings, but when he arrived at that conclusion, it would be doubly improper for him to continue as their representative on the Arbitration Court. (Hear, hear.) Tho balance-sheet for tho half-year showed a credit balance of £144 4s. Gd. Among tho items was a loan of £24 7s. Gd. to tho Bakers' Strike Committee, which had been repaid.

, Tho balance-sheet was adopted. The chairman unveiled a portrait of a former president, Mr. W. H. Hampden, whose fighting qualities ho extolled. Mr. Hampden returned thanks for tho honour done him, and suggested that the portraits of all past presidents should bo hung in the Council Chamber.

In reply to a resolution passod by the council in reference to the exertion wage on the Otira tunnel contract, the Chief Inspector of tho Labour Department wrote that the matter had been dealt with by tho Minister for Public Works and Minister for Labour, and he was directed to state that tho Public Works Department did not propose to interfere between its contractors and their employees. So long as tho contractors paid tho rato of wages required by any award or Act that might be in force in respect to the work being carried on, nothing could be done.

Mr. W. T. Young thought that in all future contracts for public works a stipulation should bo made. That was tho suggestion which tho council had previously made, and he moved that a lotter bo written to the Minister pointing ,out that tho suggestion had not beei answered.

Mr. E. J. Carey seconded the motion, which was adopted. The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Mr. W. Noot; vice-president, Mr. E. J. Carey; secretary, Mr. F. Brownie; treasurer, Mr. F. Reyling; management committee, Messrs. A. Parlane, T. 'W. Young', W. Cooper, A. Bloch, and W. Waterworth; minute secretary, Mr. Kennedy; trustee, Mr. D. J. Reardon. Two other trustees will be elected at the next meeting of the council. A statement of amounts received from unions was referrtod to tho Management Committee, with instructions to ascertain tho amounts due from affiliated unions, and report.' The discussion on this matter was so protracted that the presentation of the annual report was deferred till next meeting.