LABOUR NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 9, 10 July 1909, Page 12

LABOUR NOTES.

ITEMS OF INTEREST., (By TJnionist.l The financial half-year of the local Painters' Union closed on 18th June last. The balance-sheet for the pei-iod has since been audited and circulated amongst members. It shows that the receipts for the six months totalled £192 9s 6d, and the expenditure £151 19s Id. The union finishes the period with a cash balance of £420 0s 6d. All the four interested unions are concerned over the question of the immunity from awards now enjoyed by the proprietors of clubs and boardinghouses in the four centres. Recently both the Christ-church and Auckland unions attempted to secure awards governing this class of employer, but on account of a ruling by Mr. Justice Sim, both Mr. Giles and Mr. Triggs declined responsibility in the matter, and refused to bind such persons to any award. Last week, Mr. Breen, on behalf of the Dunedin Hotel Employees' Union, sought to attach certain board-inghouse-keepers to the private hotels' award, and applied to the court for an order of attachment. The court, however, refused to grant the application. A movement has been initiated by the Auckland Waterside Workers' Union to establish a co-operative bakery in the northern city. Circulars have been sent to the other unions of Auckland asking them to join in the movement. Labour Day is approaching, and in Auckland and DuneoSn the respective trades councils have set up committees to arrange for the celebration of the holiday. In Auckland it is proposed to rehabilitate the old-time procession of trades unions with a subsequent sports gathering in the Domain. Dunedin usually celebrates Labour Day by a country picnic, but on this occasion it is suggested that a town function be arranged, and the committee appointed are discussing the suggestion. Up till the present the local council has not dealt with the matter. It is bound to come up for discussion, however, within a week or two, when, in accordance with the usual custom, a special committee, under the control of the council, will be set up to arrange for the celebration of the day. There are eight unions, mostly connected with the buikting trades, affiliated to the East Coast Trades Council, which is located in Gisborne. Last year this council was not represented at the annual conference of trades councils, but at the forthcoming conference, it will be represented by Mr. E. Hall, its secretary, who has been elected as delegate unopposed. The Wages Board set up to determine the working conditions of the employees in the Brisbane tramway service has delivered its award. It is provided that the hours of labour shall in no instance exceed 51 per week. Employees having one to two years' service are to be paid a minimum wage of ll^d pcl 1 hour ; those of five years and upwards not less than Is Id per hour, all time worked above 51 hours to be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter. Men waiting trips for a period not exceeding one hour shall be paid the ordinary rate. Head fitters shall be paid Is 3^d per hour ; assistant fitters Is o^d ; signal-men 8s per day ; trackmen 9^d per hour ; point boys 4^d per hour. The Greymouth Wharf Labourers' Union held its ajinual meeting last month. According, to the report submitted, the membeirsliip jof the organisation now stands at 257, and the funds have been increased by an additional £36. Mi*. Goodall hns been elected president of the union for the ensuing term, and Mr. Jackson Te-clected secretary unopposed. The meeting resolved to congratulate the Hon. Mr. Guinness upon his re-election as Speaker of the House of 'Representatives. Drivers of bakers' carts in Adelaide have just secured an award from the Wages Board set up to determine the working conditions in the trade. Tho board has fixed' a minimum wage of £2 2s 6d for adult workers, and a minimum wage of 25s weekly for all youths over 17 years of age. Overtime is to be paid for at tihi3 rate of Is per hour, and in no case has tho week's ordinary work to exceed 58 hour*!. Aa exjKcted, Mr. Ryan, the Labour candidate succeeded in retaining the Torrens seat for his party at the by-elec-tion in South Australia last week. The position of parties in the House of Assembly of the State now is : Government 9, Labour 20, and late Oppositionists 13. Labour while avowing that it is not anxious to put the country to the expense of c^general election, has definitely declared -its refusal to coalesce with the Ministerialists. To retain office Mr. Peake, 'present Premier will need to receive t.be continuous support of Mr. Butler .and his following of twelve. Whether he will have that support, in view of the fact that in arranging his Cabinet, Mr. Peake, entirely ignored ML-. Butter's party, remains a doubtful question. Parliament is timed to meet on 13th. July ; in the meantime all political organisations are preparing for a dissolution and another general election. At the beginning of the year 1908 there were ija German 589 Labour Exchanges, controißsd by the Government, namely, 248 in, Prussia, 55 in Bavaria, 11 in Saxony, 15 in Wurtemburg, 17 in Baden, 10 in Hesse, and 16 in Alsace-Lorraine. Employment was found during the year for 932,946 persons, of whom 265,505 were females and 667,441 males. The GoveiMjnent Labour Exchanges in Berlin found situations for 100,000 persons, those in Munich and Stuttgart between 60,00Cf and Bd,ooo, and those in Dresden and IXuesseldorf between 40,000 and 60,QOO. Constant efforts are being made to centralise the organisations, and the benef its rendered by the exchanges are so evidtgit that the demand for them is daily increasing. Th-a inception of the award in the Sydnejy hotel trade, secured by the Hotel!' and Restaurant Employees' Un ion, meant greatly improved conditions to a Isirge proportion of the workers conceriKjdl. During the hearing of the dis pute , it was stated that the membership of the unior did not exceed 100. According to a letter received, the crjjaisisatio'a is vapidly increasing in numoprs. It hns now a membership of 700, ai.d atteiiipts are being made to extend the Sydney award to other towns'. TSi.e Adelaide Carpenters and Joiners' Wagus Board has fixed the minimum waiges of carpenters and joinei-s at £2 18s ] Od per week of 48 hours, the number .of improvers being one to each six journeymen receiving the minimum wage . Apprentices — First yeai', 7s 6d per week each ; second year, 10s ; third year., 15s ; fourth year, 18s ; fifth year, 22s 25d ; sixth year, 27s 6d ; and. thereafter the mimimiun wage for a journeyman. Improvers — 14 years of age, but not 115 years of age, 6s 9d per week eacb 1 ; 15 years, but not 16, 8s 8d ; 16 years , but not 17, 10s 6d ; 17 years, but. not 18, 13s sd ; 18 years, but not 19, 118s; 19 years but not 20, 225; 20 ye£pu^, but not" 21, 27s lOd ; and thereaftMif the minimum wage for a journeymo[a v