THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 16409, 27 April 1917, Page 7

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

[By Veteran. Brief contributions on matters with reference to the* Labor Movement are invited. . _ COAL MINERS’ STRIKE. Whatever may be thought by the few extremists amongst us, it is certain that the large majority of trade unionists and workers generally will deplore the extreme action taken by the coal miners at a time like the present. Those responsible for an entire stoppage of work, to say nothing of the goslow policy, have a good deal to answer for. The effect of a complete stoppage of work in all the coal mines in the country at the present time would very soon mean a stoppage of most industries. In many instances, where electricity is employed for driving the machinery in workshops, coal is required to generate electric power; and at the present time the importation of coal from other countries is almost an impossibility. In places like Dunedin and Christchurch, where electricity is produced by water power, the serious curtailment of shipping and railway transport will have the effect of stopping some industries altogether, and in other cases throwing a large number out of employment. If the rank and file of the coal miners will only take time to think what their stoppage at tho present time means to the large majority of workers in the Dominion they will, by secret .ballot or otherwise. see that work is resumed at a very early date. V It must be well/ known to tho leaders of the coal miners that tbs object for which they say they are striking—viz., the repeal of the Military Service Act—cannot be accomplished during the life of tho present Parliament, and that the Act is only enuntil the end of the present war. The foolishness of the miners' present attitude will be brought home to other workers and unionists when ihp factories begin to close clown and numbers o; men find themselves out of employment. Perhaps when that takes place the members of those unions in Dunedin who are affiliated to the United Federation of labor through their member•'hip of the .Otago labor Council wii! beein to wake up and realise what is being done in their name. How many unionists recogriso that their opinions aro supposed to be expressed in the following telegram sent to the Acting Prime Minister by Mr Hiram Hunter, secretary of the United Federation of Labor 41 Tho United Federation of Labor aro ., . ol ' opinion that the miners who are striking against the Conscription Act aro expressing ■ the attitude of organised Labor throughout _ Australasia towards Conscriotion, and if the Government are desiroris f’ r obtaining industrial peace thsv should immediately suspend the operation's of the Alihtary Service Act and secure recruits vo imanly by taxing wealth, and thus provide the money to pay adequate remuneration to soldiers, with increased pensions and iii.owanccs to them and their dependents bv right. ’

Many will ask who authorised Mr Hunter to send that wire, and what steps, if any, were taken to ascertain the opinions of o’-’ panised Labor, say, in the Otago district? VVas tho question ever brought before the (. tago Labor Council or any of the unions composing that council, or was any single unionist ever consulted on the advisability of sending such a message? The pity is that telegrams like the. above can be sent m the name of organised Labor without the rank and file being consulted or laying any knowledge that such things are oemg done in their name. It is surely time Tat ihe easy-going unionists in Dunedin voke up and took a little interest in their iwn afrairs. The question of taxing wealth incl providing adoouate pay for soldiers and increased pensions, etc., can only be dealt with by Parliament, and it is Labor’s place to soo tnat Labor is properly represented in Parliament by men pledged to carry cut F.nch reforms. The first duty of all classes is to do everything possible to help the tllifs to win the war, and when that is .one to see that our soldier boys and their ■iepenueata aro properly treated. ******* WAR BONUSES. some time ago the railway servants approached the Government, asking either that the cost of, living bo reduced or that they bo given an extra war bonus. Nothing has yet been done by the Minister of Railways, wco promised to lay the matter before the Cabinet. Probably he is awaiting the return ot the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance.- Meanwhile the cost of living is tsadily creeping up, as is shown by Mr Malcolm Fraser, Government Statistician, in the tables .published.in the ‘Labor Journal.’ Many of the unions applied for new awards wun considerable increases in wages, but were put off with war bonuses—m many cases 10 per cent. They arc now finding that the bonus is totally inadequate to meet the increased cost of living, which in the 2-1 towns for which figures aro given has averaged a rise of 25.79 per cent, in groceries. Dairy produce and meat range from 17.35 Yu Nelson to 57.47 .per cent, in Palmerston North. Twelve months ago the Federaled -.lot-mug Trade Union approached th? employers for a rise in wages to meet the inireased cost of living, which had then gone up 17.07 on pre-war prices in Dunedin. Alter a conference the employers agreed to a bonus o; 71, per cent., which was about 10 per cent, less than the increased cost of avmg. Since that time tho cost of livin'* has gone up another 10 per cent., and the yorko.rs in the various centres arc finding it difficult to make both ends meet. The award does not expire until May, 1919, but one clause provides that the war bonus may bo increased, decreased, or discontinued on the application of either party or by the Arbitration Court on its own motion. Under these circumstances there is a growing feelinY among tho workers that the time has arrived lor tho federation to take advantage of that .ame, and apply either to the employers or oe Court for an increase in the war bonus. ******* ORGANISING FIJI WORKERS. The A.W.U. Conference, who concluded their sittings on February 7 after sitting 12 days, discussed a variety of subjects and passed some very important resolutions, and some that do not reflect much credit on the delegates forming the conference. One resolution dealt with the question of extendin'* their organisation to Fiji. Delegate Lambert moved, and it was carried—“ That the A.W.U. extend their operations to Fiji amongst sugar workers and others.” Delegate Lambert said that in Fiji the Colonial Sugar Refining Company operated in a fairly 'arge way, and numbers of members of the I.W.U. drifted across there and were emiloycd by ihat company. He was aware mat Fiji was a Crown’ colony, and that, (peaking generally, Australian laws did not operate there; but he was of opinion that i; the A.W.U. got a good footing there it Mount be as great a factor iu tho improvement of the conditions of wage-earners as it had been hero in tho Commonwealth. There r.-ero a great many men—natives and whites -employed on the waterfront iu the handling •i cargo, and assistance would be given bv chart workers here. Six months ago he had I .ccwiye.l letters from A.W.U. members in i fiji miormmg him that most of the people to whom they had spoken on the subject were uesirous of joining the A.W.U. and wanted tickets sent to them. The result was that many employed by the U.ii.R. had linked up with the A.W.U. He would like convention at a later stage to decide whether Fiji natives should be enrolled if it was agreed chat Fiji was to bo organised He understood t&at there were about 2,000 i white workers iu all occupations in Fiji ’and 1 tile C.S.R. ■ had 7,000 Indian coolies ’ who were indentured for a number of years at i lOd and Is a day. ]

Delegate Lambert then moved—"That this convention consider the matter of the enrolment of Fiji natives in Fiji,”—The President said he would have to rule the resolution out of order, as it involved an alteration of rule 5 relating to membership, to do rhich proper notice had Id bo given. - Shortly after the conference considered I new phase of the “ fro slow ” when Delegate Quilty moved—“ That this convention :ondemn the present ‘go slow ’ policy of ►state and Federal Governments, which is calculated to ruin our industries, deplete our manhood, and lead us to financial disaster, and consider that, in view of the enormous sacrifices Australia has made and the obligations we have contracted, and the argent necessity for providing for our men vho return, such can only be met by inareasing our production.” Delegate Quilty said that it was time a responsible body like the AAY.U. took a stand in this matter. Governments were holding up work with a view to forcing man. into the military service, and such taction would have a‘most disastrous effect on a young nation like Australia. ' Delegate Lane seconded the resolution. He said that some such pronouncement was necessary from_ convention, for the Delegate Meeting at Brisbane had carried something similar to this, and the A.W.U. should not he afraid to exnress itself fearlessly on this issue. Several other delegates spoke to the notion. Mr Itiordasi said that he believed that when the vast number of soldiers came back there would be a strenuous time ahead of various organisations—particularly the AfW.TJ.—with regard to the distribution of work.—The resolution was carried. .

NOTES. The Cuban sugar crop this year amounted to 5,500,000 tons, with tho selling price three limes as great as that of three years ago. The workers are receiving the same wages year after year, in spite of increased uving costa, and shrikes naturally follow. * * * ■ The Commonwealth Government clothing factory in Victoria is reported officially to have made a profit of £24,000 after all working expenses had been allowed. This proves bow little foundation there is for the private manufacturer's constant growl about exorbitant wages. A man wanting to live by work, yet finding no work to do—all the dramas of the poets furnish no figure more tragic than that spectacle. Here the man is in a world not of his own choosing—in a world where he' must eat his bread. Social conditions forbid him to work, and the laws forbid him to bs idle. For he is gravely told that he must not be a vagrant. He is reminded that every man must have visible moans of support; otherwise tho gaol swallows him. It is illogical, if not grotesque, in a Government to punish a vagrant, when that Government have not secured to him tile opportunity to make a living by work.—Edwin Markham. '* * * At the time of the referendum I, with others, did my utmost to support the Government in their righteous appeal for authorisation of compulsory service; nor does it trouble us that wo incurred unpopularity by our policy, which was dictated solely by the conscientious belief that victory for our arms could only be secured by the supremeot sacrifice, and was necessary', not only tor the defence of the hearths and homes of Australia, but for the cause of God.—Archbishop Wright, in address to Anglican Synod,. Sydney,' December 4, 1916.