LABOUR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 59, 6 September 1913, Page 12

LABOUR NOTES

(By "Unionist.") DOMINION TRADE UNIONISM. MEMBERSHIP, 72,500. In his annual report to Parliament, the Secretary for Labour states that 46 new unions were registered under the Arbitration Act during the year under review. The membership of the unions bo registered totalled 4091 at the time of registration. Twelve workers' unions were cancelled during the year. The aggregate increase during the year iB shown to be 15 workers' unions, and the membership increase over the whole of the unions is 4993. The inorease in membership is the largest since 1907. The following table shows the comparative figures for the last ten years: — Number Number of of December. Unions. Members. 1903 M s .. 258 27,640 1904 -..« „.. 273 30,271 1905 „„ ».. 261 29,869 1906 ».» *.. 274 34,978 1907 « 310 45,614 1908 »* «. 325 49,347 1909 %.* ... 308 54,519 1910 », „, 308 57,091 1911 w ... 307 55,629 1912 « w 322 60,622 It is difficult to get at the figures of membership of the trade unions registered under the Trades Unions Aot. In his report the Registrar of Friendly Sooieties (states that ten trades unions were registered during the year, and that there were 32 unions on the register at the end of 1912. Tho membership of these Unions is not given. Several of the unions on the register are practically defunct, and again, some are registered under both Acts. Probably when the figures are revified, and defuncts and doubly registered unions excluded, it will be shown that the aggregate membership of this class of unions is less than 12,000. , , , In the Arbitration union returns there are no figures as to the respective totals of men and women unionists. A safe estimate would be to place the women membership at about 5000 of the aggregate total of 60,622. Counting all unions, the trades unions membership in New Zealand is approximately 72,500. THE COST OF LIVING. In the report of Mr. T. R. Bavin, niio enquired as a Royal Commissioner aa to food supplies and prices in New South Wales, reference ia made to the relation of increased wages to the increase of prices. The Royal Commissioner has not gone into some phases of this matter a* fully as could hare been desired, but he clearly points out th»t > an inorease in wages does not necessarily mean an increase in the cost of production. The Oommisßioner Bays:— • Tho report of the. United State* Senate Committee which was appointed in 1910 to consider wages and prices of commodities, findfl that "Labour Unions have aot been apparently a serious factor in contributing towards advancing, prieec." In support of this conclusion, tho* committee points out that the greatest increase in prices hue taken place 'in those groups of commodities where the labour cost is not the controlling factor .in the prices, and where the advance in wages has been least. The New Zealand Commission on the Cost of Living ako gave some consideration to thi« question.' IU report gives actual instances of commodities in, the production of which labour cost has increased, while prices during the same period have fallen ■considerably, the higher wages having been provided for either by a restriction of the employer's profits, or by the rise of more economical methods of production. It is also to be remembered that an increase in the rate of wages does not neooeaarily involve a real ' increase in the ooefc of production for the following reaeone: — (iy There can be t no doubt as to the tendency of higher wages to stimulate the use of labour-saving machinery and the adoption of the most economical methods of production. In this way, under I'eal competitive conditions, tke ultimate effect of an • increase in wa,g«s t may bo n> reduofcion in price. - (2) , Any improvement; in tho conditions of labour, whether by the abolition of sweating, the prohibition of unduly long hours, or improvement in sanitary conditions, has a tendency to raise the efficiency of labour, and thereby to prevent any diminution of output. It may even tend to oauso an increase by improving the efficiency of. individual workmen. From this point of view, a rise in wages, while it would increase the actual cost, would cause no relative increase in tho cost of production. ITEMS OF INTEREST. \ Wellington again heade the list of cases for breaches of awards. During 1912, there wore 157 cases takon in the Ayellington district. In the Auckland district 147 cases were taken. Over the whole Dominion, 572 cases were takon and of that number, 436 wa^re takon against employers, and 136 against workors. Since the inception of the. Act t £6708 8s 6d has been inflicted in penalties in a total of 2621 cases. Of the total finet) inflicted, 94g per cent, has been recovered. Dealing with the Servants' Registry Office Act, the Secretary for Labour, in his annual report, says: — "It will be remenibered that in last year's report a special inspection of the books of registry office keepers had been made, when it woe ascertained that, despite the fact that the regulations of 1007 had reduced tho fees payable by thei workers and increased those payable by employers, it was found that the employers wore either not charged at all for services rendered or that they paid only a. very small fee. Instead of employers paying approximately double the fees paid by tho workers, they actually paid only about, two- thirds— £27B6 iusbead of £7594— which ifc will be seen is approximately £5000 less than the registry oflico keepers wore entitled to charge. Following upon the publication of the fig^ireß a now scale has been drawn up, and it becomes operative on the Ist Juno next. Jl'ho general effect of it is to reduoe the feeß' payable by workers for engagements actually made by about 6d all round." On behalf of workers a sum of '£1856 13e was collected by the Labour Department from defaulting employers during the year ending 31st March, 1912. The greater part of the amount Was collooted under tho Arbitration Act. Judge Heydott refused to grant the appeal of the Warehousemen's Associatidi to reduce the wages awarded to etoremen and packers in soft goods warehouses, though he altered tho hoUre and abolished the preference clause, which he Baid had been inserted Under; a mieunderBbanding. "I have several times," added his Honour, "pointed out on appeals by employees,, when the rates of wages awarded in other industries have been brought forward, that the time has not yet come when the industrial world can be dealt with as a whole; that the mere removal of anomalies might involve reductions as well as increases; and that »each industry must stand by its own board which has tried its case, and not by other boards whioh have tried quite other cases. I must now say tho same to the employers. Looking at the award itself, without regarding the Hardware award, I cannot cay that I am satisfied that any of the rates' awarded Bhould be reduced. Perhaps by-and-bye, if we can get the living, wage definitely fixed, ■we may be able to lay down rules which will enable us tc look, in each award, over the wholo industrial field, and introduce greater consistency into the vast body of decisions which have to be given." An award for machino compositors has been issued at Sydney for the County of Cumberland aaid the Newcastle and Mait'land districts-providing for ls 9d an hemr -for linotype operators oapoble of maintaining --a continuous speed of 6000 ens per hour on plain matter; monoline and^ other machine, excluding monotype, operators ere to-receive ls 8d per hour for 6000 'one 1 ; monotype operators' rate 'is Is 6d per hour. A*n extra 3d per hour is paid for night shift work. The piece rate dor linotype^operating is-3fd per 1000 en«: tor monali&d n&4^tl»if m*fihiiM# X ■&kper_lQQJl,-eii&.