WELLINGTON TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1038, 30 January 1911, Page 9

WELLINGTON TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The forty-eighth annual meeting _of members ot the Wellington Typographical Union was held at the Oddleilows' Hall nn Saturday evening, when there was a large attendance. Mr. K. Jones (president) occupied tho chair. The New Zealand Trades and Labour Councils' Executive forwarded a circular memorandum pointing out that Mr. K. Tregear, Secretary for Labour, w;is about to retire from the Labour Department, and it. was suggested that the time was opportune to recognise his great work on bcnalf of the. working elasfes. During the discussion that ensued it was urged that Mr. Tregear had given a lead to the outside world as-far as industrial legislation was concerned, and the high state of efficiency of the Department under bis control was a striking example of his capacity for organisation-. It was resolved to vote the Sum of X 3 3s. towards the presentation fund that was being raised, with a -view of securing a suitable testimonial. ' Tho report, which was adopted, stated that the number of members on' the books of the union at (he end of tho half-year was 844, as against 319 for tho preceding term—a. decrease of 5. At the end of tho half-year there were 250 members on the city list, 19 at Napier, 15.at Palmerston North, 13 at Wahganui,.l2 at Masterton, 9 at Dannevirke, 5 at Taihape, 5 at'Marj ton, 3 at FeUding, and 13 in other parts of district. During the half-year 29 new members were admitted to the union, 11 paying entrance fees and 18 lodging clearance fcards; and'tho withdrawals were 35, 21 drawing clearance cards, 8 left the district, 5 resigned or retired, and 1 died. The balance-sheet showed that subscriptions totalled .£2ll Is. Gd., and tho receipts from all sources ■ amounted to «£245 lis. Gd. (not including .£952 18s. 9d. credit balance carried forward), while the total expenditure was .£230 17s. lOd. (including .£35 3s. 7d. transferred to the mortality fund). The credit balance for the halfyear was d2ll 13s. Sd., and tho credit balance carried forward-was .£967 125. 5a.Tho assets amount to .C 1015" 7s: 5d., as against'.£loo6 lGs. 3d.' for tho , previous-half-year, being -an increase -of/ .£3B lis. 2d. for ; tho period under review.; Tho report proceeds: "Your board, acting on tho motion passed at the last halfyearly meeting that tho City and Country Master Printers' 'Associations be supplied with a copy of Mr. D. M. Findlay s opinion, in which be stated that a journeyman compositor was entitled _ to full wages for any Week notwithstanding that he may have-lost through illness during sucli week, instructed tho secretary to write to the various associations to the effect, that' the union intended to enforce the rights'of its members in accordance, with the opinion. In acknowledging receipt of the letter, Mr. "W. Pryor, secretary of the Wellington Master Printers Association, wrote stating that the custom which had nrcvailed ill the past in tho matter of deductions for absence through sickness would be continued, and that if tlio union took action against any employer, the association would, be compelled to approach the Court at the eni 1 ' liest possiblo moment, to have tho right specifically provided in. tho award to de_duct wages . for absencc from work through sickness. Tho mutter of deductions for sickness lias been mentioned at several subsesquent meetings of the board, but so far nothing definite has been reported which would justify a caso being stated for enforcement. The matter will receive further consideration in tho near future." ■ The retiring president (Mr. E. Jones) was voted an honoi'arium of .£lO for his services during the ..past year, nud a hearty vote of thanks was also accorded him. ■ It was decided to place on record the members' appreciation of the active membership of Mr. C. H. Chapman (who recently left Wellington to pay a visit to liis friends in England and to lecture in that country on the labour laws and conditions prevailing iu this Dominion), and wishes him every success in his future sphere, and that a letter to that effect bo forwarded to him.