LABOUR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 13, 16 January 1909, Page 12

LABOUR NOTES

{By Unionist.) TRADEj UNION MEMBERSHIP. The annual returns of the union membership will not be made public for some months. Many unions have not yet forwarded their lists to the Registrar. Judging by the completed letuins of several large city unions, however, there will be nothing like the numerical progress in the aggregate fhown tJhis year, by the Wellington unions as was lecorded for the year 1907. Three city unions alone are responsible on this year's return for a loss of 1200 members, and indications point to a falling-off in oth*er organisations, fcjeveral reasons are assigned for the diminution. Just previous to annual return time Ijist year thera was considerable activity displayed by various unions in the way of organisation, and the preference clause which had up till then been only half-heartedly enforced became of more rigid application. In iMdition, one or two unions gained preference for the first tune, aud the result was a splendid return on the part of the Wellington organisations. This year, with the exception, of the Wharf Labourers, no union obtained exceptional impetus, or has made extraordinary progi-ess numerically. Another great cause is the undoubted dearth of employment that has been prevalent in unskilled trades during the year. Members have left the district and their unions in search of work elsewhere. On that score alone, at least five hundred members j have been, lost to two of the laboured' unions in the town. Other bodies have suffered in like proportion. Other centres oc the .Dominion will i tprobably more than make up for Wellington's tardy progress. In those places several new and strong unions have been inaugurated during the year. Wellington has done little in that direction lately. The final returns are bound to lbs ahead of the figures for 1907, but the proportionate increase in the aggregate will fall far short of that shown by last year's returns. The dispute between the local Carpenters' Union and the employers will probably be the first to be heard under the new Act. The Act provides for the appointment of not more than three assessors by each party to the dispute. Six members of the union seek the honour oi representing it on the Industrial Council, and a ballot to decide the question of representation is now being taken. Union secretark-s are all complaining of the number of unemployed members now on their books. The building trades are especially dull, while prospects are very little brightei in trades generally busy at this time oi the year. There will be a contest for every official position in. the Tramway Employees' Union this year, with the exception of that of president. Chief interest centres in the election of secretary of the union, for which. Mr. W. T.> Young, retiring secretary, and Mr. W. H. Westbrooke, now in the employ of the Labour Department, have been nominated. The elections will be held at the next meeting of the union in February. The meeting may decide that the election of secretary shall be by ballot of the whole of the members, when an extension of time for that purpose wiU be granted. Mr. Young has held office as secretary of the union for over four years without opposition. During that period the membership oi the organisation has increased from 80 to 455. The funds have also risen from £24 to £171. It is believed that the membeis are now working under conditions which are second to none in any city of the Australasian colonies. The secretaryship of the Wellington union carries with it the secretaryship of the New 'Zealand Tramway Employees' Federation. The hours of work for all employees in the Government Printing Office have been reduced from 44£ to 44 per week a.s from the beginning of the year. In the past, the practice has been for work at the office to cease on Saturday at 12.6U p.m., in iuture there will be no work done after 12 noon. Much of the shearing m West Australia is done by the natives, attached to or indentured to the several stations. The State branches of the A.W.A. resent the employment of the blades, and are seeking to abolish the practice. A remit on the subject is being forwarded to the annual conference of the union in Sydney for discussion. The total West Australian membership of the union is 600; the first branch was oiganised just over a year ago. The No-license Party in Auckland has been in conference with the Trades Council and the Labour League of that city, with a view of running a combined ticket for the triennial election of the Licensing Bench. A preliminary meeting of all parties has been neld, but no definite choice of candidates was made. It has been agreed, however, that the council and the league will endeavour to secure the return of candidates pledged to give full effect to the reduction proposition whic'n was carried at, the recent general election. Ballot papers for the election of secretariea for both the Wellington and Dunedin Seamen's Unions are being prepared at the head ofneo of the Australasian Federated Seamen's Union in Dunedin. Elaborate preparations for tho elections are being made, and the ballot will be open for several weeks. In Wellington Mr. W. T. Young, who has been secretary of the union since its inception ten years ago, is being opposed by Mr. David Holmes. The union started with only ten of a membership j to-day there are seventeen hundred members on the boo^s, while the resident registered membership is nearly a thousand. Financially, the union is the second strongest in the city. There is a balance in the bank to itb credit of oye* £1000. Mr. Belcher, secretary of the Dunedin Seamen's Union, took office in 1394, in succession to the Hon. J. A. Millar. This is the first occasion on which his position has been assailed. Mr. Murray, of Dunedin, is out now in opposition. Both elections are held at the one time, and but ilia one ballot paper is used in connection with the election in the two unions. The obvious difficulty of obtaining a full vote of members is being minimised by the head office. Arrangements have been made to deliver ballot papers to members on incoming and outgoing ships, and at least six weekw will elapse before the ballot closes. The Hairdressers' Wages Board in Sydney has fixed a maxfnum week of 54 hours for all employees in the trada. A minimum wage of £2 2s 3d, wit a limo-aud-n -quarter for overtime, is also provided for. A congress of Italian trade unionists was held at Modena in September. 4 total membership of 305,957 was repre sented at the congress. The Confedera tion' of Workers of the Soil (agricultural labourers), with a membership of over 70,000, was one of the largest organisations represented.