LINES ABOUT LABOUR.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

LINES ABOUT LABOUR.

Tho appointment in cumiection with (ho Industrial Arbitration Act, New South Wales, ure noCiliud in tho Guzetta. ot th.it colony. Mr. Justice Cohen is to be President of the Cuurt of Arbitration ; Mr. W. 1). Cruickshuuk, recommended by Uiu employee, und Mr. Sum. Smith, M.L.A., General Secretary of tlie Seamen's Union, lccommcmded by the euiployees, aio to bo members of the Court j and Mr. U. C. Addisou is to ba Regib(nir. Air. Addison is also to act as professional assistant draftsman of the Department. Mr. Smith was elected to the position whilst on his recent visit to New Zealand. Since Mr. Smith's nrrivul in Sydney m tho year 1882 he has been foremost in labour matters, and has been connected with every prominent movement in that sphere since that date, Regarding the Arbitration Couit, Mr. Smith says he has every reason to believe that if the men and the masters bring their differences within the operations of tho Court, and view the same in a brond ai.d liberal spirit, that highly satisfactory results will ensue. One factor which will contribute luigely to this will be complete organisation of the employers and the employees. During his recent tr'ji to New .ZeaJnud he found that what little dissatisfaction had arisen there respecting the arbitration machinery wsb due to improper disorganisation, which apparently existed in that colony in the ranks of both bodies. Numerically, Labour is stionger in tho new Queensland Parliament by two or three than before, but inherently the party is, according to the Brisbane Observer, very much weaker. With the defeat of such undoubtedly able* debaters as Messrs Mat. Reid, Givens, and particularly Turley, the Labour Opposition have lost strong factors on their sido of the Assembly. The defeat of Labour's At-torney-General, Mr. Fitzgerald, is no doubt very much regretted by his party, yet lie was never a strong man, and covJd be better Bpared than even Mr. Bowman, who, whatever his faults, was always undeniably in earnest. Mr. Turley was a better judge of South Brisbane than his confreres, who were badly beaten, although they had practically a straight-out tight with Government candidates. Dr. Lucas's chances from the first were exceedingly poor, and ho did not seriously affect tbo result. The demand of the wharf labourers for increased wages, etc., has, as the cable told us, been refused by the Interstate Steam Ship Owners' Association. Speaking to a Sydney pressman, one ofthe officials of the association said that it was impossible to allow the higher rates desired by the men, owing to the 1 piesent poor condition of trade. It had been very depressed for some time, and but for tho war would have been much worse, the outbreak of hostilities in South Africa having given a slight impetus to shipping trade throughout the Australian Stales. Indications all over the world were not bright, and for that reason tho owners could not see their way to accede to the men's request. The Hon. R. B. Wise, the AttorneyGeneral for New South Wales, said the oiher day of the Arbitration Act, of which lie was the author : — "A great piece of machinery such as this is must move slowly, and, although this Court has large powers, powers almost larger than any other Court in tho realm— certainly in the way in which they reach into the ordinary details of buiiness and daily lifo, linger powers— still, it may be that the Court- in- its wisdom will tlfink fit not to put ji'.l those powers into motion at onco. I would urge them to consider whf'.her it would not be a gain if they weio content at first — it may be for the first twelve months — to deal with three subjects only— the minimum wage, tltti limitation of the hours of labour, and tho limitation of child labour. These three subjects might be the only ones dealt" with at first, leaving others to be dealt with flvter on when the machinery of the Court gets more used to its work, and when commercial conditions get more adapted to the .new st,ato of things." Tho following resolution was passed at the Sydney unemployed demonstrations last week:— "That this meeting of citizeus is of opinion that some steps should be at onro taken to ameliorate the condition of those at present unemployed, and that some further efforts should be niado to deal with the problem of want of employment in a way that shall tend at least to bettie the question, and, whore private employment cannot do so, by municipal and State works." The Victorian Minister for Public Works states that the Government is quite determined to abolish Leongatha Labour Colony, but no decision has been arrived at as to what will be done with tho land. Alderman Hughes, Mayor of Sydney, stated at the recant unemployed clemonRlration in tho Town Hall that the city had endeavoured to do what it couid at present to provide extra employment, and ( at least 250 men over tho ordinary staft' had been taken on. The Premier of Victoria spends half his thno giving interviews to unemployed deputations. The other day about 150 men waited on him. Ho was not in a mood to SOB them, and said so to the spokesman and when the announcement was made amongfd the men one of them hecnuio violently iriitated. Ho roared out unpatriotic sentiments to such an extent that a constable in tlio neighbourhood arrested him and locked him up. - The Sydney Draymen's Union has suggested to tho Mayor of that city that draymen in the employ of the Corporation should receive 11s per day instead of 10s Gd as at present. As tho Cor-, poration was intend iug having its own carts the Mayor replied that Ire was tgiiinst making any change at present. He said that although tho City Council only paid 10s 6d the men worked in all weather, and received £3 3s per veek all the year round. The Federal Labour Party continues to receive complaints from West Australia as to the number of Italian labourers comirrg into that State. The members of the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works spent some time recently in considering the question of increasing the rate' of wages at present paid to bribKlayers in the service of the Board. The committee recommended that in view of 'the increase in the trade rate of wages, bricklayers in the employ of the Board should be paid lls per 'day, with 48 hours per week. The recommendation was agreed to. It was also decided to raise the pay of carpenters in iho Hoard's employ to 10s per day. > "What is the nature of the minimum wager asked tho.Jlon. R. B. Wise, the New South Wales Attorney-General, the other day, and he added, '"When a demdiid is put forward for a minimum wage, two views may bo hold —either it may bo the minimum for tho avefage workman in the trade, or it may mean the' minimuni M-hioh'- ought to be* paid to the worst workman in tkb trade who is allowed to work. Theso two are perfectly distinct objects of the minimum wage, and I want to urge on those who would be called upon to put forward the demand for a minimum wage to carefully consider what meaning they attach to that phrase. Because, if they ask for tho mininmum wage merely as the lowest one thai ought to be paid t» the poorest worker, then they get a minimum establfched bolow which there can be no sweating — one great gain. If they ask for a minimum to be applied to tho" average workman, they run the risk of de. stroying the greatest incentive to the uplifting and the welfare of the human race— the inoentive of emulation."