THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18254, 19 April 1923, Page 5

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

{By VirauAN.]

Brief contributions on matters with reference to the Labor Movement are invited.

THE PROPOSED APPRENTICES BILL. For many years the unions in- this country have been agitating for an Apprentice Act. The Act passed m 1865 is certainly out of date, and was condemned bv the first president of the Ar bitration Court as absolutely ir&elesa for anvihing but placing Industrial feohoolchildren with farmers and settlers until they attained the age of nineteen, or (if girls) till they married, if 'hoy married before that ago. Now the Munster oi Labor is calling a conference of five representatives of employers and five representatives of organised Labor, to meet at Wellington on April 26. and consider a draft Bill, which ho calls the- Apprentice and Vocational Training Bill, and 1 which ho intends to introduce to Parliament next session I have not seen the Bill, nor do I trunk there are many unionists in Dunedin who have. I believe that the Otago Labor Council has a committee set up that is at the present time considering the Bill, and that (he council is providing one of the five representatives of Labor to meet in Wellington on the 26th inst. _ There are scores of unions in the dominion which are not affiliated to any of the Labor Councils. Arc they to have no say in the matter? It is evident that this question is causing a good deal of interest in Auckland, and joint meetings of the executives of all unions have been called to consider the question. There has been a good deal of criticism, and several objectionable features have been pointed out.. Industrial Tramp” sums them up ns under: 1. The principle of the Bill—i.e., to classify boys for suitable trades, register them lor occupations, and provide for their technical education—is right. 2. Tho draft Bill conserves tho interests of tho employers to tho detriment of interests of the apprentice. For example, when an indenture is drawn up it can he varied by regulation (clause 46)._ It provides for short-term apprenticeship, which is in the interests of specialising firms, but which experience with trainees has proved to bo detrimental to the trainees and the trade affected.

5. It provides for the old and much abused system of “living in” without making statutory provision for tho conditions’ under which apprentices may he housed. The factory inspector is to be the solo judge of what is fit and proper, and how much the boy should be charged for his accommodation.

4. It gives the employer power to transfer tho boy, but does not give the boy tho right, on the other hand, to ask for a transfer. If tho boy refuses to bo transferred to tho new employer chosen, a certificate from tho inspector _ absolves the employer from further liability. 5. In the examination of apprentices clause no provision is made whereby the union can ‘demand an examination; and, farther, if the apprentice demands an examination. he has to pay a fee on making the application. 6. Power is given to the Examining Committee under tho Bill to retard an apprentice’s time and wages if he fails to make sufficient progress; but no power is given to advance his time or wages if ho shows extraordinary aptitude and progress. He has to continue as a “ full-timer.”

7. The committee has power to transfer apprentices who are not fairly treated to another employer, despite the fact that tho firm transferred to already has its full complement of apprentices allowed by the award ; but it has not power to prevent tho first employer from taking on other apprentices. This power lies with the Minister, who may use it. 3. By widening tho meaning of the words ‘‘industrial matters” in the Arbitration Act, power is given to extend tho hours of an apprentice by making it compulsory to attend tho night school where awards provide for technical training at night. Daylight training is not compulsory on employers, unless it is a provision of the award under which they are working, and there are only about two awards in tho dominion which provide for daylight training. Even if this Bill becomes law, the securing of daylight training lor apprentices will still have to be fought out in the Arbitration Court. 9. Tho Bill provides that time lost by an apprentice must be made up, but makes no provision for crediting him with the time put in by him learning his trade at the school at night, after he has done his day's work. There was a time when copies of important Labor Bills were sent to all unions before they were considered in Parliament, Perhaps the Minister intends to follow that custom in this case; if so, there is not much time to be lost, as Parliament will be meeting in about eight weeks’ time. * * » * QUEENSLAND LABOR ORGANISER’S VIEWS. Mr J. Collings, the official organiser of tho Queensland Labor Party, was present at a meeting of union officials in Auckland as a visitor, and in reply to a resolution of welcome, made some interesting remarks on tho situation in Queensland, where a General Election is to take place in ‘'ay, and also some advice to New Zeala; workers. Do said lie had arrived in the dominion on February 19, and had expected to address about six meetings, but an itinerary had been arranged fur him by the national executive of the party here that had enabled him to visit twentysix towns and give over fifty addresses. Ifo appreciated his reception in New Zealand very much, and was leaving for home (Queensland) on Friday, April 13, to take part in one of the most important and strenuous campaigns that Queensland has ever experienced, 'lie Labor Government there had been hanging on by a majority of two for some time past, but lie had no foreboding as to tho result of tho elections next month. He expected that that majority would be increased to six or eight. ’ Touching on Arbitration Court matters in the dominion, ho opined that New Zealand workers would never get the most out of their present system until they have more cohesion in the party. Instead of several rival political and industrial organisations there should bo only one large parly. lie noticed that lawyers wore allowed to plead in the New Zealand Court of Arbitration in compensation cases. In his State,_ he said, no lawyer was allowed to plead in the Arbitration Court under any pretence whatever. A lawyer was allowed to i ppear in tho court, however, as legal counsellor to a Labor advocate and prompt him as to tho legal aspect of his case, but that was the extent to which the legal element was allowed to go. The result was that in Queensland in compensation rases, there was loss money deducted from the sum awarded to injured workers or their dependents than was the caso in New Zealand. In Queensland they had had to fight most strenuously against efforts to divorce the industrial side from the political side in the party,_ and he warned his audience against similar tendencies in the dominion party. Both sides of the question were inseparable, and should be kept so. * * * * RELIGION AND POLITICS. The following resolution was carried unanimously at the last meeting of the Auckland 'branch of the Amalgamated Railway Servants, the mover being a Protestant, and the seconder a Methodist, who takes a very active part in church affairs That this meeting of the Auckland branch of the A.S.R.S., composed of all religious denominations, condemns the reported utterances and innuendo of the organiser of the P.P.A., the Rev. Howard Elliott, with regard to the Labor movement. The Auckland L.R.C., on which this branch has delegates, was solely responsible for the decision not to contest the Tauranga election. This branch will donate £lO to the Auckland Public Hospital if the Rev. Howard Elliott can prove otherwise. In the opinion of this branch the P.P.A. is nothing more nor less than an anti-Labor organisation, masquerading under the name of a religious body.” The above resolution, in my opinion, expresses the feelings of every Labor organisation in the dominion. T ou could hardly

find a union of workers, however small, in which there are not Church of England, Presbyterian, Methodist, Roman Catholic, and other religious denominations represented; and if this question wore allowed to be introduced it would mean the breaking up of these organisations, or at least it would bo the means of spoiling their usefulness. Perhaps, as is stated by the Auckland Railway Servants, this is what the P.P.A. is aiming at. INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNIONISM. Almost fifty million human beings are organised in trade unions the world over, according to statistics compiled by the International Federation of Trade Unions. By the end of 1921 the number organised in thirty-four principal countries of the world was estimated at 46,300,000. The number thus has more than trebled within ten years, for in 1912 there were only 14,500,000 trade unionists. Germany heads the list with 12,600,000; then follows Russia, with 6,900,000; England, 6,600,000; United States, 5,200,000; Italy and Czecho-Slovakia, 2,000,000 each ; Spain, 1,300,000; France and Austria, 1,000,000 each; Belgium, 920,000; Poland, 820,000 ; Mexico, 710,000; Australia, 680,000; Holland, 660,000 ,* India, 500,000; other countries, less 'than half a million each.