LABOUR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 89, 11 October 1913, Page 12

LABOUR NOTES

. (By "Unioniflt.")

COUNCIL REFORM. THE NORWEGIAN SYSTEM. In hia speech on the Council Refdrm Bill, the Hon. Mr. Paul quoted from a Consular report an outline of the bicameral system of government operating in Norway. Tho report states: — "The entire legislative power of the Norwegian Parliament is vested in a body of 123 representatives elected triemually to form the Storthing. The eleotors are subject to very limited income qualifications, all Norwegians, both male and female, over twenty-five years of age. The Buffrage was extended to women in 1907. "Ac soon as the newly-elected Storthing meets, the members proceed to elect onequarter of their number to form the Lagthing, the remaining three-quarters constituting the Odelsthing. A list of names iB proposed by a 'Selection Committee,' but it is open to any member to suggest , alterations in the same, the, election being practically a party question. "The Lagthing, as thus constituted, remains unchanged during all the ordinary and extraordinary sessions of the same Storthing, except that vacancies are filled, by special elections, from among the members of the Storthing. "Members of the Government cannot ba elected to the Storthing; they .may, attend and take part in debates in either of its divisions, or when it sits as a whole, but have not the right of voting. "Every Bill, except such as regard finance, is discussed by the two divisions ('Things') separately. It must be,introduced into the Odelsthing first, either by one of its members or by the Government, and, if accepted, either with or without amendment of the original proposal, fFis sent on the Lagthing. This latter body either accepts it — in whioh case the Bill is laid before the King for, sanction and becomes law I—or1 — or returns it to the Odelsthing with suggestions for amendments. These proposed amendments are then considered by the Odelsthing. If accepted, the Bill is considered passed,; if, on the contraiy, the Odelßthing considers the suggestions of the Lagthing inadmissible, the Bill can be dropped, or it can again be sent to the Lagthing, with or without further alterations. Should the Lagthing again refuse to accept the Bill as sent to it from the Odelßthing, the whole Storthing sits as one Houbo to vote o'l the proposed measure, and in this case it requires a two- thirds majority of all the members of the Storthing to enable the Bill to become law." A BASIC WAGE.. "How much has the cost of living incroaeed in and near Melbourne since I fixed , the basic wage at 7s?" was ;he question Mr. Justice Higgins set himself to answer in giving his award in the gasworkers* case at Melbourne the, other day. He replied to his own question «,» follows: — According to the Commonwealth Statistician, the sum of 17s 4d would purchase in 1907 in Melbourne as muoh of the necessaries of life as 20s lid would purchase in 1912. From another statement it appears that, if the year 1911 be taken as the normal year, the cost of living in Melbourne has increased from 1907 to 1913 in the proportion of 923 to 1111. In other words, <j?s in 1907 was worth as much in Melbourne in real wages, in the commodities which wages can procure, as 8s sid to-day. This, if taken by itself, would suggest an increase to nearly 8s 6d. . . . But as against any increase of the yardmen's wages to about 8s 6d, there is this fact, which Mr. Hunt has fairly used, that according to the Commonwealth Statistician the cost of living is greater in Sydney than in Melbourne ; that Sydney has been uniformly more expensive than Melbourne since 1901— from 5 to 14i per cent. : that at present, reckoning on the basin of the past five years, the, sum of 8s O^d in Mel-' bourne goes as far in securing necessaries for a, worker as 9s in Sydney,. It is interesting to note that the difference is, for the most part, attributable to rent — the scarcity and dearness of house accommodation in and near Sydney. . . . Mr. Hunt urges, therefore, that by awarding 8s I should be giving to the 1 Melbourne yardmen just as much real wages as the Sydney yardmen get when they -receive 9s under the recent award. On the other hand, it seems clear that if the minimum of 7s per day was the proper wage in Melbourne in 1907, 8s s£d is the proper wage now ; and no evidence has been adduced, no good , argument , has been found, for impugning the basio wage of 7s for Melbourne in 1907." Mr. Justice Higgins's award in the gasworkors' case waa as follows; — (1),, The minimum rate of wages to, be paid to employees of classes hereinafter mentioned, if they, are members of the claimant organisation, shall be as follows: — Ac to the Metropolitan Gas Company and the Brighton Gas Company, Limited ; (a) Yardmen (including coke stage men) and all other labourers, 8e 6d per- day; (b) stokers or firemen, 10s 6d per day : (o) blaoksmiths, 11s per day ; (d) skilled labourers, 9s per day; (c) main and service layers' labourers, 8s 9d per day.. As to the Hobart Gas Company, Limited,' 3d less per day in each case. The award' will operate for three years from 3rd August, 1913. Some time back the Dunedin Painters' Union secured an inorease of the wages in the trade from 1b 3d to Is 4£d per hour. Since then several fresh agreements in other towns have been entered into, under similar rates. The latest case is in Gisborne, where the settlement is based on a worker's week of 47 hours at Is 4£d per hour. In Gisborno the Furniture Trades Union has obtained a new agreement. It is based on a 44 hours' week at Is 44d per hour. With the exception of Auckland, this rate now obtains in all other awards in the trade. The Auckland Painters' Union took a ballot last week on the, question of the future policy of the union as to joining the rival organisations. The result is as follows:— -In favour of joining tho United Federation of Labour, 57; in favour of joining the Social Democratic Party, 54 ; in favour of joining both, 48 ; in favour of remaining as we are, 75. During the second quarter of this year 81 increases wero made in tho wages rates of the Australian States. Of tho total 35 occurred in New South Wales and 19 in Viotoria. The increases, which aggregated £8751 per week, benefited 41,217 persons. The gain was thus 4b 3d per head per week. The trouble in the mining industry in Bendigo still continues. The strike in some of the mince has lasted fifteen weeks now. Mainly the dispute is in connection with the employment of non-union-ists. Mr. Justice Heydon has complained that he is unable to cope with all the cases now before the New South Wales Industrial Court. It is expected that Judge Scholes or Judge Edwards will be appointed to assist. According to the statistics prepared by the Labour Department of Chili, 13 strikes took place in the country mentioned in the first half-year of 1912; 9790 persons wero involved in these strikes, whioh lasted altogether 105 days. Most of the strikes were for increases in wages, but in two cases 6ame were entered upon in order to compel the employers to reinstate fellow-workers who had been victimised. Of tho 13 strikes, two wero sueoessful, seven partly so, whilst four ended in defeat for the workers. Mr. G. A. Elmslie. who succeeds Mr. G. M. Pronderga-st as leader of the Victorian State Labour Party, is 52 years of age, and has been connected with the Parliamentary Labour movement in Victoria since 1892, when he was returned for Albert Park, p. constituency he has represented over since. In 1904 he was appointed secretary of tho party, and during Mr. Prendergast's recent absence in Europe and America filled tho post of acting-leader. . Fo^ ohndren's haokinir cough at night, Woods* Oront PeppermFat Our*, 1» fid. Si vdi-^Aavti