WORK AND WAGES.

Evening Star, Issue 12843, 19 June 1906, Page 6

WORK AND WAGES.

The question of sharing profits by an employer and an employee was mentioned at the Arbitration Court, Auckland, the other day, when the Court were asked what position a man would occupy if he agreed to drive a hors© and cart for an employer, but instead of receiving wages he agreed to take half the money earned during the week as reward for his labor. This amount might be more or even less than the award provided for as wages. Mr Justice Chapman said such a man was not an employee, but a partner in the work, although actually not in the ownership of the vehicles. Mr R. F. Way: But the original owner can discharge that man at a moment’s notice. His Honor: Yon can dissolve partnership at a moment’s notice. It is is like the fruit people in Welling too. They tried to regulate their hours under the Shops and Factories Act, but the excuse, when they came before the magistrate, was always “ mo and my partner.”—-(Laughter.) Mr Way: We will have to bring some of these men up for a breach sooner or later. His Honor: Then the matter will be tested. Wo do not know exactly what the position is. The ‘Taihape News’ says that of the navvies who arrived by the Tuxakina the Labor Department has already forwarded thirty to Taihape, and another batch of eight will reach the works in a few days. All of these are single men, and seem very suited for hard work. Several of the “Johnnies” left for Taihape wearing black suits, with fashionably-cut Chesterfield coats. But there is no doubt but that the polish will be rubbed from them when they have put in a few days on the works. Dr Rudolf Broda, of Paris, who is making a tour of the CommiociwealEh and New Zealand for the purpose of collecting information on the -industrial and political movement,. attended a recent meeting of the Trades HaE Council at Melbourne. In the course of an address he said that social activity was world-wide.. Thirty years ago in Germany there were only 10,000 votes for Socialism, while the numbers now exceeded 3,000,000. It was only a question of a few years when the Socialists would have a majority in the Reichi-tag. Railways and mines were nationalised in Germany, but the result had not been satisfactory, as it was found that the State now exploited the workers. Australia was the first country to practically realise the aims of Socialism by the legislation which gave eight hours’ work a day, the women’s vote, and the wages boards.