THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 22797, 4 November 1937, Page 17

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

[By Trade Unionist.]

WOOL AND GRAIN STOKES. The Dominion Conciliation Council sitting in the wool, grain, and hide stores dspute which took place last week, at Wellington, proved futile, no agreement on the major matters being arrived at. This dispute involves four or five thousand workers who are employed in the wool stores throughout New Zealand, who through the busy season handle most of the wool produced for export, during about four months of the year. . The season is just about to begin, and to have a dispute in existence between the workers and the employers is not very satisfactory for either side. The main issue is the forty-hour week. As there seems to be no possibility of getting the dispute settled by the Arbitration Court, owing to the number of other disputes holding priority forbearing, it is hard to guess, at the tune of writing, bow the matter is going to be adjusted. . Special meetings of the men are being held in the respective centres to receive the assessors’ reports. At previous meetings unanimous resolutions have been passed claiming the fortyhour week. PHYSICAL WELFARE AND RECREATION. I have to thank the Hon. W. Parry, Minister of Internal Affairs, for a copy of his Bill under the abpve title. The Bill makes provision for the setting up of a National Council with the® Minister as Chairman, the Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs as Deputy Chairman, the Director of Health, the Director of Education, a representative of the Defence Forces and ten other persons to be appointed by the Minister. It also provides for .the Payment of travelling expenses incurred by the council in its business. . . The National Council is given power to appoint sub-committees or co-opt persons who may in its opinion be P assistance in carrying out the objects of the Bill. The functions of the council shall be -to advise the Government on matters relating to the improvemen of the physical well-being of the people by means of physical training, exercise sport and recreation and social .acridities related thereto, and from, tune to time to make such investigations and inquiries as it deems necessary. Minister also has the right to declare any district an area and appoint dis trict committees to advise and rec °” l mend, with the same power as the National Council. Provision is also made to make grants to local authan ties and voluntary organisations to provide facilities for physical training, including the provision and equipment of gymnasiums, playing fields, swimming baths, bathing places, holiday camps, and’camping sites and places for physical training, exercise and sport. , , An opportunty is now afforded the Trade Union movement . to take advantage of the Act to initiate physical recreation for its memhership. especially those who enjoy the forty-hour We fhe Minister is to be commended on his introduction of the Bill. tt appears not to be controversial, and should receive the support of both sides of the House. • * * • MILLIONS WITHOUT ENOUGH FOOD. A challenge to the Governments of the world and a demand for international co-operation to end the malnatntion. which exists in all countries are issued by the League of Nations Committee on Nutrition. The committee, which was presided over by Lord Astor, points put that millions of people all over the globe are suffering from malnutrition or subnormal health due to inadequate or improper feeding. , “It is a challenge to . men s consciences and an opportunity to eradicate a social evil by methods which will increase economic prosperity, says the report which is published by the League. „ , The disparity between food prices and income which prevents the poorer sections of the community from obtaining proper food is stressed. “Although the average level ot individual incomes in industrialised countries is relatively high, large sections of the population are So poor, owing to inequality of the distribution of the national income, that they are unable to purchase the requirements of a proper diet.” The committee implores Governments to realise that the problem of malnutrition is urgent. Yet no country has achieved sufficient security against the risks of malnutrition. The committee, which is going to continue its investigation into the economic problems, points out that a wise nutrition policy can benefit home agriculture. “ Tariffs and other forms of trade restriction,” states the report, “ may, if excessive, so affect prices as to draw farmers into the production of foods for which the demand is shrinking and prevent them from expanding their production of foods, the consumption of which it would be desirable to increase. “ Subsidies to consumption, on the other hand, may provide equally valuable assistance to agriculture.” The report gives an exhaustive survey of the state of nutrition in various countries and the steps which the various Governments are, or are not, takin s- # * * . SCIENTISTS JOIN WITH TRADE UNIONISTS. Trade union activity enters on a new phase with the announcement by Mr Ernest Bevin, president of the English Trade Union Congress, at Norwich recently that henceforth the T.U.C. is to have its own scientific advisory council. Problems of the workers’ welfare grow more complex as industry speeds up, ami the advice of experts in psychology becomes as indispensable as the counsel of the economists and trade union organisers. Scientists attending the British Association at Nottingham gave a warm welcome to the proposal. A body of men of unrivalled ability, may be expected to give their sendees. Professor P. G. H. Boswell, general treasurer of the British Association, after referring to the many points at which the activities of trade unionism and science now make contact, told the ‘ Daily Herald ’: “It is gratifying that a body of the great influence of the T.U.C. should make this advance, and there is little doubt that scientists will willingly and earnestly cooperate.” The other highlight of the presidential address was Mr Bevin’s outline of tlie essential steps if a disastrous slump is to he averted when rearmament ends.

These included creation of up-to-date credit machine, great schemes of public works, comprehensive economic survey at home and abroad. “ MOVEMENT NEVER STRONGER.” Mr Ernest Bevin, in a challenging speech, emphasised the part'*the Trade Union Movement will increasingly play in national and international affairs. As chairman of the General Council he presided over a great demonstration which preceded the opening of the, Trade Union Congress. ‘‘ A stronger, more virile, and more responsible Trade Union Movement,” as he put it, “ than the country has even seen.” ■ ' it was a great voluntary movement that lived entirely by the acceptance of the rule of the majority. it had'during tne last few years weathered some very difficult storms. When crisis after Crisis caihe" that solid, sound- common sense which was characteristic of the people had stood against reaction and maintained the unity of the great Labour Movement. The unions' were originally slow to undertake political action, but, having taken the plunge, they’ were not going to seeit led off at a tangent either to the right dr to the left. “ We .believe that this child of the unions'is destined in the end to win power in lShd,” he declared. Now. the stage had been reached tyhen socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange had become not merely a peroration, but something to be translated into actual facts. He appealed to the younger generation especially to study Labour’s schemes for coal, transport, cotton, electricity, land, arid agriculture. They were conscious that within the four corners of ordinary industrial negotiating machinery was a limit to what cbuld be done td satisfaction to the'rising generation. The T.U.C. was goirig to consider how arid in what way would they reconstruct ,fhe basis bf society. “At,a time when Fascism is spreading over middle Europe,” Mr Bevin said,’ “ how can it be stemmed .but by the British, French, and Scandinavian movements holdirig fakfc to trade unionism arid democracy P” " Notwithstanding the dictators, the Trade Union International had a bigger membership than before Germany went out of it. • • * DOMESTIC SERVICE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Measures are under consideration for improving both the conditions and the quality of domestic service in Western Australia, states a report from the International Labour of Geneva. The Western Australia Executive of the Australian Labour Party has expressed regret that the benefits of the State Arbitration law have not been extended to domestic service, and it has been suggested that the benefits of the law be extended to cover tins occupation. Representations have also been made to the_ Youth Employment Inquiry concerning the desirability of establishing an improved status for domestic service. Among these were statements that young women at present avoid such service because it requires of them undefined duties and unregulated working hours, and often acceptance of poor accommodation and sacrifice of privacy, and carries indications of soial inferiority. Employers were said to find the present situation unsatisfatpry because they have to employ 'Persons who pick up in haphazard fashion, after entering employment, whatever competence they possess. It was suggested l that a domestic science course be instituted which would provide three years of training, along with opportunity for part-time employment, and that a domestic science college be established which country girls could attend with the aid of residential scholarships. » * * • SAFETY IN BUILDING. . A draft convention adopted at the recent session of the International Labour Conference lays down a number of general principles for the promotion of safety in the building industry, in particular as regards the erection and supervision of scaffolds and hoisting appliances and the provision of safety equipment and first aid. These general principles are supplemented by a set of detailed rules embodied in a model safety code which forms the subject of a recommendation adopted by the conference. The model code contains 41 regulations relating, to scaffolds, inspection, gangways, ladders, fencing, roof work, cranes, hoists, etc. Three other recommendations adopted by the conference concern: (1) inspection of building operations (construction, repair,_demolition, etc.) by qualified public inspectors; (2) prevention of building accidents through the establishment of safety organisations to secure the collaboration of all concerned ; and (3) the inclusion in instructional courses on building of theoretical andi practical lessons in the construction and maintenance of scaffolding and hoisting machinery and the organisation and supervision of safety measures. * * * • BEN TTLLET’S WORD TO YOUNG UNIONISTS. Mr Ben Tillett, former leader of the London dockers, warned young umon members of the movement “ so perfect that I am rather afraid of it,” when he spoke at a dinner at the National Trade Union Club in London in honour of his seventy-seventh birthday. “ I warn the young men of our movement,” he said, “ that you may have a perfect organisation, but if that movement merely works within a vicious circle,_ and is not employed in fighting Fascism and Capitalism, Fascism may come.” Mr George Hicks, M.P., described Mr Tillett as having “ served our movement in the gutter, in the conference room, and on the platform.” Mr Tom Mann, who was associated with Mr Tillett in the great London dock strike 48 years ago, also paid tribute to his old comrade. • • • • SWEDEN’S PLAN TO PREVENT A SLUMP. The policy of preparing a public works programme beforehand in order to stop a possible slump is being actually put into practice by Sweden’s Labour Government, whoso success in overcoming the last slump is now well known No slump yet threatens in Sweden. Production is 40 per cent, above the 1929 record, unemployment has vanished, and prospects are good. Nevertheless, after prolonged consultations with the various municipalities and State economic agencies, the Government has drawn up a detailed works programme which could at once bo put into effect if a slump threatened at any time in the next 10 years. The total of possible expenditure provided for by the plan is £143,000,000. This includes £36,000,000 to be spent directly by the State on building, and £28,000,000 to be spent by municipalities on public works, partly with the aid of State subsidies. It also planned to spend £48,000,000 on load improvements, £23,000.000 on

agriculture, and £7,500,000 on forests. In this way it is calculated that 200,000,000 “ man-days ” of work would be provided. The expenditure planned is clearly very large—considering that Sweden is a small country, and that the great depression of 1932 was cured there by an expenditure of only £29,000,000 on public works and industrial subsidies. £143,000,000, however, is the maximum figure for a 10-year plan. Preparations to finance the plan are at present being made by the repayment of public debt out of Budget surpluses; £3,000,000 was so used last year.