LABOUR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 86, 9 October 1915, Page 10

LABOUR NOTES

(By •'Optimist.") J. KEIR BARDIE. fThe passing away of Keir Hardie will be a serious blow to the Socialist movement in the Old Country. Although one may not agree with his views, his life and living were worthy to be emulated by every citizen. Mr. Keir Hardie visited New Zealand in 1907, and spoke at Dunedin. On his return Home he wrote an interesting series of articles on his experiences. "New Zealand," he commented, "is by far the most attractive of the new States. Its Socialistic legislation is more advanced than in any part of the British Dominions, and, as a consequence, life is easier for the worker than in any part of the world which I have visited." In his opinion our Labour movement was in a "bad way." He wrote a letter on the matter, and in the course of his^ letter said : "Too much importance is attached to programmes, and not sufficient to the essential principles which should underlie the political Labour movement, viz., the creation of a definite Labour Party. It is always easy for the ordinary politicians to adopt in name proposals put forward in the form of a programme, but when the campaign is waged on the broad lines of securing a workers' party to protect the interests of the workers, that 'spikes the guns' of our opponents every time. If this end is to be secured, there must be a certain amount of give and take among all sections of the movement. Any attempt to create a perfect party all at s once is sure to end in disaster, and to postpone the realisation of the end in view. What we found in the Old Country was that the one thing upon which agreement was possible at the j beginning was the strict political independence of the party, and if that can be secured here everything else will follow in<-good time. Any leanings towards the one side ov the other in politics would be fatal to us in Great Britain, and I doubt not the same thing is true of the movement here." COST OF LIVING. The following from the Queensland Worker tells its own story : — A housewife of Leigh (England) and another of Auckland (New Zealand) recently made a postal comparison of the cost of living in their respective towns. While the cost of living in England over the last few years has advanced by 30 per cent., the same has been the case in Maoriland and the Commonwealth. This can be ascertained by reference to Knibbs. It would appear that the profiteers of all countries have struck about the same proportion in their exploitation of consumers. Following is a comparison of prices.-;—

The tragedy lies in the fact that the average labourer's wage in England is 20s per week, while in New Zealand it is 50s per week. Conditions in NewZealand are akin to those existing in Australia. The worker who gete only 50s per week has a pitiful struggle for existence in Australasia. In these days of high prices, only the baj» necessities of life are available to those wage-slaves who have to support a family on such wage, and sometimes even the bare necessities are not too plentiful at the figure. Comfortable clothing and residence is altogether out of the question, while amusement is an unknown quantity at 50s per week. Remember that, and think of the British worker, who has to pay almost similar prices, and has to cover the lot with only two-fifths of the money. It is little wonder thai twenty millions of England's population are " very poor," and that twelve millions are "always on the verge of starvaj tion," and it is less wonder that the union movement and Socialism are spreading so rapidly throughout the whole of the United Kingdom. COMMONWEALTH ITEMS. Ninety-five per cent, of the strikes thaL have taken place in the Commonwealth in the last eigtheen months have had their source in the increasing cost of living. At a recent trade union conference at Illawarra (N.S.W.) the following motion was carried: — "That, in the opinion of the conference, the time has now arrived when all workers should belong to one union, and that the one union should be departmentalised for the purpose of grouping workers employed in kindred occupations, in order that the interests of all employees should be properly protected." All the Australasian and Tasmanian Coahniners' 'Associations, with the exception of Lithgow (N.S.W.) have gi^en fourteen days' notice, as from 30th September, to terminate their present agreements. The advances asked for by the various localities are as follows: — Northern Queensland 20 per cent., Central Queensland 10, Newcastle 20 and 26 for surface hands, Illawarra 20, Victoria and' Wongthaggi 33, and Tasmania 25. In his report to the nfipvifl-1 meeting of the Victorian Branch of the Amalgamated Timber Workers' Union the secretary states : " The adven* of the' Workers' Compensation Act has revealed two striking facts. First, the number of accidents in the mills has been materially reduced. The Act has certainly relieved the anxiety which injury to the breadwinner occasions in eacn household None the less there are vexatious delays in effecting payment by the insurance companies. Medical certificates are needlessly asked for, despite the nature of the injury being visible, ana full settlements are preriiaturely made to the disadvantage of the employee. The Act should be made part of the administrative functions of the Factories Department." AMERICA. There is war in peace. According to statistics made public by the Department of Labour 25,000 American wageearners suffered accidents at work m 1914 which resulted in death. The number of injuries involving a disability of more than four weeks is given as about 700,000. The Boston, U.S.A.. Carpenters' Union has obtained a five-day week for the months of June-September inclusive for 1916. All work done on Saturday during those months will be paid at double time rates.

>lb sugar „, .}b tin apricots 3ix eggs Jib syrup .lb starch .01b flour 2 ilb potatoes Lib onions r * Leigh. . s d. 1 0 0 11 0 8 0 7 0 3£ 2 1 0 4^ 0 2 A'kl'd. s. d 0 11 0 10* 0 8 0 6 0 6 2 1 0 5 0 1