LABOUR NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 122, 23 May 1908, Page 12

LABOUR NOTES.

(By "Unionist.")

TRADES COUNCILS' CONFERENCE AGENDA PAPER.

Tho agenda paper for tho annual Trades and Labour Councils' Conference to bo held at Wellington at the end of June, has been forwarded to each of the chof-en delegates to tho conference. The paper is remarkablo because of the absence oi' any "sting" in the several remits sent in for discussion by the different federated councils. The platform of tho conference, drawn up by tho oxecutive, embodies the following political principles : Land nationalisation, a system of State notes for legal tender, tlie entension of the Parliamentary franchise to municipal and other elections, the initiative and referendum, statutory and unconditional preference to unionists, abolition of tha Legislative Council, equal lights for civil servants, the nationalisation of the marine, coastal, and intercolonial service, and an increase on the land and income taxes.

Of the various remits set down for discussion, the proposed amendment to the Arbitration Act, suggested by tho executive, is perhaps the most drastic. The remit reads ; — "Thafc the Industrial ■ Conciliation and Arbitration Act be amended by providing for a minimum wage, and regulating the hours of labour. The minimum wage shall not be less than Is l^d per hour for all male workers, and for all female workers not Jess than 9d per hour. The hours of labour shall not be more than 44 hours per week, eight hours on five dayß of the week, and four hours on the recognised half-holiday."

Wellington, with the consent of every union affiliated with but one exception, has refrained from forwarding any legislative remits. Ifc contents itself with the following item : — "That the conference take into consideration the question of rconsolidating labour, and the giving effect to previous conference decisions." With federation in the air, and the approaching elections, it is very piobable that the single Wellington remif will receive more attention tha_n the whole of tho others.

Otago remits proposals for a compulsory "Saturday Half-holiday Bill," and for the reduction of the hours of labour of all shop assistants. Other remits advocate improvements in the Workers' Compensation Act; an increase in tho old age pension; a fair *ent Bill; national annuities j and other minor items for the general advancement of labour.

The establishment by the Labour Department of free registry offices for female workers in each of the four chief cities is a departure that is very highly approved of by the labourites of Wellington. It is not generally known what a -tax on the 'unemployed female workers the exactions of the private registry offices are. The permanent offices of the various unions of women workers, and tho newly-created offices of the department will in a great measure tend to lessen those exactions. Already the Wellington office of the Labour Department is in full swing, and a number of women have entered their names as being in need of employment. It is the intention of, the department immediately to circularise all the probable employers of this dfstricfc, acquainting them with the fact of the establishment of the office, and its aims and objects. The feature of the scheme is that the registry offices will be in every sense free labour engagement bureaux ; there will be absolutely no fees for either employer |or employee. The inauguration is a «tcp in the righ'fc direction, and hopes are expressed in union circles that era long, through tha medium of the St^ta Labour I Bureau and tho permanent union office, tho private labour agency and its heavy toll on. the out-of-work worker will -be a thing of the past.

Ten shillings a day for skilled engin. eers is a comparatively poor rate of pay for such workers in Wellington. A similar wage was paid years ago, and workers in other callings in this city are speculating as to when tha -Society of Engineers wity make n move for increased pay. The fact that the marine engineers have lately secured an advance in wages, and that the engineers - in Auckland are ao present engaged in an endeavour to better their conditions, would seem to indicate that the time has arrived for the engineers of Wellington to take similar action.

Very little is heard in union circles as a rule of the doings of the Blacksmiths and Farriers' Union of Wellington. Though but a small union, it is of long existence, and almost every blacksmith and farriter in the city is a member. The award governing its industry has been extant' for nearly seven years. Arrangementß are ' now, however, being made by the union, to secure a fresh set of working conditions, and a committee has been set up to draft the new dbmands. A rise in the weekly wage will be thei chief feature in the new proposals to be formulated. Another matter in which the members are interesting themselves is the unorganised state of their fellow-workers in the country. An attempt is to be made shortly to organise these workers, and to .embrace them in the new award. With that object the union is at present considering the ways and means of sending an organiser into the country districts.

•The award of the Trolley, Draymen, and Carters' Union of New South Wales, delivered early this month, compares very favourably with the recent drivers' award of Wellington. Including stable and general work, the weekly number of hours for all drivers is not to exceed 57. The Wellington award prescribes a minimum of 47^ hours, exclusive of stable-time." The wages are fixed at a minimum of only five shillings per week less than those apportioned by our Arbitration Court to the drivers of this city. For the future in Sydney, drivers of one-horse will receive 42s a week, and of two horses 47s a week, while an extra 3s per week is to be paid to each driver for every additional horse under his care. Ten holidays on full pay are granted each year, and on conditions similar to those laid down in mosfc of the preference clauses of the New Zealand awards, the members of the Sydney union are to be employed by the master carters in preference to nonmembers. The award operates from 29th April next, and is to remain in force three years.

The Victorian Political Lab6ur Council has selected its six delegates to the triennial Australian Labour Conference to be held in Brisbane next month. Out of twenty-five nominees for the position, the following six representatives were elected):— Messrs. F. Anstey, M.L.A., G. Prendergast, M.L.A., F. G. Tudor, M.H.8., T. Tunnioliffe, M.L.A., P. Ileagney, and Senator Findlay

The 'Wellington Trades and Labour Council is determined that advantage shall bo taken at the time of the next municipal elections of that section of the "Amended Shops and Offices Act," which allows of local option on the question of the weekly half-holiday. A committee has been set up by the council to look after the matter, and to take the initial steps towards securing the requisite ten per cent, of signatories to a petition for a poll on the question. The council believes that if sufficient interest ca.n be aroused on the subject, the Saturday nalf-holiduy will bo ee-cur-iU uiLc*- lU* mmucipul electiqu is