TRADE UNIONIST SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2647, 18 December 1915, Page 8

TRADE UNIONIST SOLDIERS

9-. NEW ZEALAND'S RECORD. Following upon tho publication by the Commonwealth Statistician of figures relating to the enlistment of members ot Australian trade -unions with the Ausralian forces, Mr. Justice Stringer, Judge of the Arbitration Court, expressed tho opinion that similar information relating to the Dominion of New Zealand would provo useful, and the Department decided therefore to put the matter in hand in 'regard to the members' of industrial unions of New Zealand "In September last circular letters and forms were sent to the 418 unions of workers registered under the Industrial Conciliation and 'Arbitration Act,-' asking each to furnish the Department with information (as at September 9, 1915) as to the number of single and married members who Had left New Zealand for active service abroad, and the number in camp (and also the number who had enlisted with the forces but were npfc called upon). It was specially requested that the returns to be furnished should be made up from the names of only those members of: whose acceptance by tho Defence Department the unions had a record or were-otherwise cognisant of. It will be readily understood, therefore,' that the numbers stated as haying enlisted may in many cases be less than the actual numbers. ■ Returns have teen received from 312 (of the 418 unions) with an estimated membership of 50,697 males, and they show that as at the date specified (September 30 last), 5157 union members were known to have gone on service, and to be in camp (besides 481 who had enlisted, but had not then been called up). The number (5157) represents 10.2 per cent, of tho male members. . It is not possible to compare this result'with that disclosed in, Australia, viz.-, 4.62 -per cent., owing to the fict that the latter information covered only six months (viz.; till February, 1915), wliilo the New Zealand figures cover fourteen-months. Assuming that the male members of industrial unions mentioned-range from 20 years of age-upwards, a rough comparison with the-figures for all classes of tho male' population of Now Zealand of the same ages would be as follows Estimated total m?ilo population of New Zealand (of 20 years and upwards), as at September ' 30, 1915 —365,000. Number of men who had gone to the front and were in camp up to October 9, 1915—35,120, equal to 9:6 per'oent. Estimated total membership of industrial -unions .(males of from 20 years and upwards), as at. September. 30, 1916 — 50,697. Number of men who liad gone to the front and were in camp on September 30,1910—5157, equal to 10.2 per cent. • It should perhaps be pointed out, however, that members of unions no doubt comprise a larger percentage of the physically fit men than the. male population as a- whole. ■, . Had it been possible to ascertain the actual (instead of merely t]ie estimated) male population of military age, a more complete and valuable statement .might have been presetted. These statistics, however, are srifortunatcly not available. : . ■ . .