WRK AND WAGES.

Evening Star, Issue 11890, 19 May 1903, Page 6

WRK AND WAGES.

The Sydney Labor Council have decided to issue an appeal to all the Commonwealth labor unions, for the purpose of assisting the Brisbane bakers, who at latest advice were still on strike. The Westralian division of the Australian Labor Council decided to run Labor candidates for all the Federal districts except Swan. A levy of Is per unionist will be made to cover expenses. Non-union workers in an Indiana (TJ.S.A.) industrial centre have organised what they call a non-union union. The movement is said to be spreading, and those who would like to see labor unions disappear entirely are regarding the movement with satisfaction. It is, in reality, however, a spread of unionism, even though its professed objects and methods are more liberal than those of the older unions.

The circulation of disparaging reports concerning the South Wales State Clothing Factory caused a report to be prepared by the secretary of the Public Service Tender Board, under whose jurisdiction the factory is placed. This report states that the condition of affairs at the factory is very satisfactory. There are now eighty bands employed, and next mouth, when an order for 1,500 tramway uniforms will be put in hand, the number of employees will be largely increased. At pretent police uniforms are being turned out, and the cost of the clothing. supplied is less f.Kan that under the old system of contracting. The various departments already supplied report highly on the cut and workmanship. In the case of the tramway order, tenders were called by the Railway Commissioners, and the price quoted by the factory was below the lowest tender. The Wwfo are paid the union rate of wages and work union hours.

The president of the Sydney Boot Clickers Association (Mr Muggeistone) ■whose recent criticism of the State Labor party attracted much attention, has been severely attacked by the Labor Press. Mr Muggeistone dJlared that the present the cause into the mire. His critics almost all represent him as having denounced Labor principles themselves and employ very free language m reprobating his conduct. The leaders of the unemployed agitation on the West Australian goldfields held a meeting of “censure” in Kalgoorlie the other night, and severely reprimanded the Government, the Labor party, municipal authorities, and various newspaper editors for not having supplied work immediately for all unemployed. To improve matters, and to remove a number of these “incompetents,” the unemployed leaders intend to get into ' Parliament themselves, thnmgh an organisation called “ The Labor party,” which they are now busy forming. It was represented at a “ monster meeting” of unemployed recently held at the Central Market at Adelaide that the total number of men out of work exceeded 500. The Commissioner of Works promised to do his best to assist men in need. He

would give inetraeti<me'tlti*' th 6 -inA eal*. cipated by the Government should he poshed on without delay.; H» rain gave brighter prospects for the State, and there would be openings for men. in the pastoral areas. The New. Sooth Wales Government hare adopted a scheme of relief works for the unemployed. Stone-breaking depots are to be opened, to which , every mu desiring it will be riven an order by which he'wm be entitled to break a quantity of stone ▼siying according to his circumstances. AH work will be paid for at a price per cubic yard—vi*., Is 9d per cubic yard for white metal, and 2s 6d and 3s per cubic yard tot blnestone metal Single men win be allowed to break up to four cnbic yards per week, and married men up to eight cnbic yards ft is claimed that under the'arrangements made no mm will be able to truthfully say that he is short of food or m want of work. The Master Coachbuilders’ and Wheelwnghts 1 Association have carried oat what is virtually a resolution declaring want of confidence in the administration of the Arbitration Court. Hie Amalgamated Coachmakers, Railway-car, Waggonmaken, Wheelwrights’ Society had filed a claim against them for adjudication by that tribunal. Hie response made by the employers’ organisation was a flat refusal te contest the claim before the Arbitration Court In view of the Awards and decisions given by the Industrial Arbitration Court on claims of a similar nature, it was resolved that the Association decline to answer any of the seventeen el*itn« made upon them by the claimant union.— ‘ Sydney Morning Herald.’ #