WORK AND WAGES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14427, 18 July 1907, Page 9

WORK AND WAGES.

SYDNEY COAL LUMPERS. United Press Association —By Electric , Telegraph —Copyright. SYDNEY, July 17. Developments in connection with tho coni- lumpers’ trouble are awaited with interest. It is rumoured that an important move on the strikers behalf is not unlikely. TRADES AND LaBOUR COUNCIL. The annual meeting of the Canterbury Tracks and Laoour Council was held on batiuday, Mr H. R. Rusbmige (preoiueiu;, presuuug. erw uilegates were received from tho Vvicker Workers 1 and meat Preservers’ Onions. An apology tor absence wad receivcu from Mr J,. A. M’Cullough. Mr H. G. Ell, M.H.R., wroi© stating that he ■was in sympathy with the Gouncil in Its endeavours to obtain an amendment to the Tramway Enabling Act. __ The Tanners’ and Timber Yards’ Unions wrote inviting the president and secretary to social gatnennga. Tho invitations were accepted with thanks. The secretary of the Giiristciiurch Ministers’ Association (the Rev AV. Ready; wrote inviting tno Council to appoint representatives to meet the Association and discuss tho attitude of the Church to labour problems. The letter was received. The Chamber of Commerce wrote requesting the Council’s support in urging the comp.etion of the Midland Railway. It was decided that the Council should give its help. The Hon J. A. Millar, Minister 01 Labour, wrote stating, in reply to the Council’s communication asking for an amendment to the Scaffolding Inspection Act, that an amendment to the Act was being drafted. Letters wen received from the Master Printers’ Association and the Typographical Union regarding the increased duty on priuting materials, and it was agreed that copies of the letters should be sent to the Minister of ■ Customs. Corrce- • pondenc© was received from the Spiral ■Steel Pipe Company requesting tho support of the Council in an endeavour tc obtain an increase of duty on imported articles which come into competition with the company’s manufactures. A special committee was appointed to go _into the matter, comprising Alcssw ‘Thorn, ■ Shaw, Eaulkner, Hart and Forde. It was resolved that n strong protest should bo" entered against the reported statement of the Hon Dr Find lay -that he would use his influence to have the electoral roils printed by private (firms. The secretary was instructed to send letters of thanks to tho tailoring trade and the Tanners’ Union for donations to tho Farm Labourers’ fighting fund. The following motion was passed :—“ That this Council takes the earliest opportunity tc deny thestatements made by Sir Joseph Ward in the House of Representatives regarding tho appointment of the Hon John Barr, M.L.C., and absolutely denies that ho was recommended by the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council, and also that he was President of the Council for three consecutive years.” A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the retiring president for the able manner in which he bad carried out u-s duties. Tho election of officers resulted as follows: Pivaklent, Mr Jaimes Thorn • vicepresidents, Messrs'A”. Hart and D. Sullivan ; secretary, Mr R. T. Bailey (reelected; assistant secretary Mr E. Howard; treasurer, Mr F. Cooke; trustees, Messrs AV. F. Cooper and AV. E. Shelton; executive committee, Messrs G. R. Whiting, J. Buchanan and F. Nott: hall management committee, Messrs T. R. Wright, W. F. Cooper and J. Barr (trustee?), R. T. uaihy (seerrtary), F. Cooke (treasurer), H. R. Rnsbridge. H. Wilson and J. Thorn; Bills committee, Alovs-s J. Thorn. J. A. Al’Cnllongh; H. Wihon, L. R. Wilson, F. Ooke, A. Weir, H. Shaw, H. A. Robinson, E. Howard. Robertson, A. Paterson and H. R. Rvisljridg°. The election of other committees was left over uYttil the next meeting. Account s amounting to £l7 18s were passed for payment! The hall •management committee presented its report on the year’s work, and recommended-that £IOO should be paid off the mortgage, and the caretaker should be thanked for the manner in which he had carried out his duties. The report was ■ adopted. FARM WORKERS’ UNION. A largely rttend"d meeting of members of the Farm Workers’ Union and others was held in the Sheffield Town Hall on Monday evening. The president of the Union (Mr J. A. M’CulJough) presided, and addressed the meeting on the claims of_ the Union for support. Ho said that it gave him pleasure to meet many old friends, who for the past three years had remained loyal to the principles of the. Union. Their loyalty had resulted in the Union becoming the power for good that it undoubtedly was. For years the Legislature had studiously neglected the farm workers of tbs colony, while volumes of Acta of Parliament had been enacted in the interests of the farmers and the city workers. That legislation had heen introduced mainly because the farmers and the city workers had been organised, and had made their requirements known. The shearers and the city general labourers had had enactments dealing specifically with their occupations, and now after years of neglect the Legislature proposed. doing something for the farm labourers. He attributed the fact that Mr F. R. Flat-man, M.H.R.. had given notice to • introduce _ a Farm Workers Accommodation Bill to the organisation of the farm workers. This measure was only the forerunner of ▼ery many other enactments to be introduced in the interests of the country workers, and if tho Canterbury workers would remain true to the principles of unionism, those principles ■ would extend over the whole colony, and the Legislature in the future would be eager to introduce legislation in their interests. He noted with pleasure the large increase in the membership of the Unions last year in New Zealand, and predicted that the Increase would continue and with it the power and influence of the Unions ' would grow. Trades unionism had made an enormous growth in Britain, and recent legislation was evidence of its power in connection with the political life of the people of Britain. ■Mr E. Kennedy (organiser of th© Union) also addressed the meeting, referring to many cases of hardship and cruel treatment that he had met with Only that day, h© said, he had talked with two boys, quite young lads, whom he had found driving a six-horse team In a three-furrow plough, working for

wages of 17s fid and los per week. Tho work that they were doing was altogether unsuitable for growing boys. Tho speakers were warmly applauded, and a hearty vote of thanks was carried by acclamation.

A meeting of tho Sheffield branch was held after the public meeting. It was decided that another meeting of the branch should be held on Saturday evening for tho purpose of selecting witnesses to attend the Arbitration Court in connection with the farm workers dispute, and to select delegates to attend a general meeting of the Union to bo held in Christchurch on July 27. A public meeting was held in tho Town, Hall, Oxford, under the auspices of the Farm.Workers’ Union, about 260 persons attending. The president of the Union, Air J. A. M’Cullough, presided and addressed tho meeting on the advantages to be gained by the association of wage earners. He claimed that in those trades and callings in which Unions had been established, the wages and conditions) of employment had improved, and in those in which there were no Unions the sweated worker and tho unscrupulous employer were to be found. The farmers of Canterbury had been exceedingly prosperous during tho past ten years, and prosperity had induced selfishness. The average farmer seemed to forget that his farm hand had contributed by bis labour towards tho successes of recent years, and now that the workers had combined together and were claiming a fairer division of the wealth which their labour had assisted to create, the farmers were objecting. Tho farmers who would be injured by the work of the Union wore tho mean men who took advantage of the worker’s weakness and exploited him. Such men deserved all that they might suffer. Tho good employer had nothing to fear from the Union: rather would it bo for his benefit, as it would compel tho mean farmer to come up to the standard set by the good one and thus make competition fairer. Air E. Kennedy (organiser of the Union) also spoke of tho disabilities of tho workers.

The speakers were applauded. Air Parish asked what the Union would do with the incompetent workman, and Air Al’Cullough replied that tho Arbitration Court bad never given an award that did not make special provision for the incompetent worker. After the public meeting forty-three workers met and formed a branch of the Union for the Oxford district, and arranged to hold a meeting of the branch on Saturday. A meeting of the Springs ton branch of the Farm Workers’ Union was held on Saturday, Juno 30, over sixty persons being present. Air L. B. AVils.oii, of tho Christchurch Trades and Labour

Council, and Air Amour, secretary of the Leeston branch, wore welcomed as visitors. Eleven new members were enrolled. The secretary reported that nearly all tho labourers of tho district were members of the branch. Air Amour gave an encouraging report of the movement in Leeston, which was received with groat enthusiasm. Air Wilson gave a short address on the growth of unionism. Arrangements were made for another meeting, and votoy of thanks to. tho visitors were passed.