WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 591, 20 August 1909, Page 6

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

' STILL. IN CONFERENCE. ••,■ THE "DUMPING' , ' SYSTEM'. - The annual conference of the Waterside Workers' Federation resumed, yesterday- morning, the same delegates being present. : ':■ Beams and Hatches. "' ; , Mr. J.. Bruton (Wellington) moved:— ■ ' . That the Government ,be requested to provido regulations to deter shipowners , ■ from working cargoes with beams or hatches on. ';■ ■ . ■', .'i'. .■~ ■' , ' .'..■- This was seconded by Mr. A.;L, Jones (Wellington), supported by. several .other 'delegates, and carried unanimously.. '■' ~■' ;"; . . : • ■ . Dumping CargoV ■•', ■ Mr. D. M'Laren (Wellington) moved;— • That fhis conference, protest,strongly to ■ • the harbour boards and shipping companies . I , against the system of dumping- cargo, onthe wharves, on the.ground that it leads to . ■ the employment of.very much larger bodies , ' of men for shorter puriods of timo, therehy. \ making employment aore extremely casual, • and preventing the w«h employed earning anything like a living wage.- ■ ■ ■. The' mover 'contended'.that the dumping of cargo from, tho ship upon' the' wharf and splitting it up there, meant sweating conditions for those, engog«d in the work, and extreme cisualneM of employniont, He.quoted with approval" a ' saying of the Bt., J. Burns; to the effect that one of the greatest difficulties connected with the problem of unemployment 'was the extremely■ casual nature of ordinary employment, ■' The: request, to be niadeovo'uld not injure trade iu any way. Trade had' progressed in the past without this,'cruel system. .If we were to follow all ■ tho evil methods of the Old World, we might.as !w«ll give nip all profession of more advanced social conditions. As showing that the- dumping system was not necessary, ho could state that cargo that-was dumped, on.-.-.the wharf sometimes remained there for , daye. Three different judges of the Arbitration Court bad laid down' the -principle' thatiif'tpr industry could nbt- afford.to' allow :those engaged in. it : to live fairly on it,'.then that'industry need not exist. He\ submitted # that the shipping industry was quite'strong enough to .allow the workers connected with it to get a":proper living.',, -,-. Mr. f Al L. Jones said the dumping system had only 1 been ill force in Wellington about 18 months,-. It had: brought an oicessive. number of men. to the, port,: to.. the detriment of. those- already; here; Dumping had been resorted to in consequence of. the Harbour Board's antiquated system of insisting that a particular class o£'cargo must be placed in a. particular part of a shed. > .'.■,■" '. ■ ''Mi; W. Morris (Dunpdin) supnorted the motion. ' -■. ; ■■'"■"'■■. '■':■''■■■,■■■■ '.■': '"'■','■ .."•

■.Mr, J. Bruton, (Wellington), said . iiig -system ■! meant that ..no consideration: was to be shown-towards the waterside worker... ;.- ■ The;'motion'..'was .carried unanimously.;, . • .''Against "Discrimihatioh.'V: ' , • Mr. D.'M'Laren (Wellington) moved;— - . 'That an endeavour be.made by; the; federa-.■': tio'n to;gct the employers to agree to.the; establishment.of. appeal, boards,'.to which employees who maybe unfairly discrhtiina-;.. ■ted ngaiust , shall have.-a 1 right of.appeal., ';

This was seconded.by iir..il. Jackson (Greyinouth), who.i urged that-'suoh a' scheme was necessary in order-to prevent unfair discriniinatiou against workers on account, of participation in union .or arbitration matters. .■

.Mr. M L. Jones (Wellington), in supporting the motion', quite 'a common thing on tho Wellington wharves for'a man who had taken part'in unionism,'.or''who had committed himself,in any way, to be 'left out/' despite the faot that ho. .had bsen. .working for the same "employer for, many-years.-.'The man .would suddenly, find, when lie lined ;up, one>morning, that .there was no work,ior 'him.: • The, same .thing-would occnr the-next; , ' then would, get perhaps one hour on the;third day, and no work ..on ; the : fourth, and so' on.',-. ,• 1 .' The motion wis .carried- unanimously. ! . ~ ■i, .., \' Immigration.. '■ ,', '~ ■. : ,Mr.. F. M'Cann (Wellington)' moved:— i -." .- . '■!.. That, the conference:.;urge.. the Govern- ■ ment.to effect .'a [ cessation', of,'assisted im- , ~:migration.y .:. . .--■..,;;■ i; V ; ;al'-'^''.■ In the course- of disonssion,' Mr."• Jl'Lairen. stated that immigrant ,6hipsa'weii'!'Allll,arriving though the Government'had stated that assisted • immigration^,would be■ suspended. He thought.tlie . Government /waa , ' largely responsible for:this. -'..i-i-iii'V-, •'■.-■■;'- -y.-;:a'-r<r. 'K I Several delegates spoke strongly in support of the motion, which-was :carriod 'UnanimOUSly.f'; v' f '- ■;;■:■■•'-. i'- , ". V- ■-■ -..; '■■''.'.,'■'.! '-House .Rent. '. • • •.';'•'•','' ; Mr. A. L.-Jones (Wellington) moved:— , "■", That, the conference' , urge the"Govern- ' ment to bring forward a'Fair : Hent Bill,, i v under which there shall, be a legal maximum of rent chargeable, on the occupier. ; ■ of a' dwelling-house in proportion to the ■ value, of the property rented. ..'.'■.'■ '■ The mover. eulnVged upon, the .'hardships of tho'married.man, who. could not get a, haliitable' house in Wellington for less than £1 a woek, and deolartd that. limitation 'of families was resorted to with deplorable results. Mv. J. , Bruton (Wellington), in seconding, urged that the chief factor in Rround value. The City Council ijhould get- a return of the number of vacant ;sectious/wliiclrcould be seen along all the tram-routes. 'The number would surprise many people. The trouble would have been much worse bat for the sys-. tern of rqting on unimproved values. " In the course of discussion, Mr. D; U'Laren insieted that tho socially-earned increment" was the. vital factor. ■ < " ;. ■ ■.'■■'■' " Thei motion 'was , adopted. ~,.'.. -.-.,'■ . , ' Duties on Necessaries. ■'■■' : ' Mr. ,J. Bruton (Wellington) moved:— . : That inasmuch .as the present fustoms ■ tariff presses with undue severity oh the' ■ workers, 'this '•■ conference' is emphatically of 'opinion "that tho time has arrived for' a radical readjustment of taxation,, whereby ' such indispcnsablo-biudeiis. as ■, taxes ou bread and boots shall bo permanently abol; ; ished. .-..• . •■••■■ • .~■ - ,-:, .'-..' _"; The.-mover, explained that in his view the present , tax, uu dour was .equivalent to a tux onbretd. . Ho' denounced the "Hour, , monopoly." In reference to •thVdiityon boots, lie saiu'-.tlio- Government was .a.xliiiritable' institution for' tho inanufaclurci's, of- boots. ' Mr. J. Jackson- (Greyniouth) advocated ', the establishment of State undertakings aud the prohibition, of cheap, inferior imports. -Worki ers should . purchase goods' of Now' Zealand manufacture. :' • •■ . . ••■•.'•'■" ;'i ' The discussion became largely. W Free-trade v. Protection debate, ending in tho defeat,of ihe, motion'by 10 votes' td 7. '-'■'.'••■ ' , ;.'••"'•■ ■'.'."'vjhe Land Tax.'- ' -.'.•! : Mr. J. Bruton'(Wellington).moved:—..'' ' . That this; conference- affirms itsi convio-- : tion that the rent of land is a; sooial value i which belongs to the community, and-that . hence it should be taken for the common ■•■ ■■ benefit by means of an inoreasein theiand '■;tai.. ; .• -. .- ■,- N - ,> ; ;' ; :; :- : '■■ ■■■ ■.■■'..■■■' This woe'seconded by. Mr. J. Purvi£ (Timaru). ...Mr. D. M'Laren (Wellington) said that it was largely on. the land question that he was elected to Parliament. The 1 Government-was supported'by speculators, arid had not carried on the policy,-of Ballauce, being, "Liberal" I only, to"its'.friends': ... '■/-■ , : - '■'■'•-,'.>.,."■ .-• ; Tho motion, was carried, and the conference adjourned 'at 4 p.m. until, 10 a.m. to-day:. -