THE LABOUR WORLD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15210, 22 January 1910, Page 13

THE LABOUR WORLD.

(By JOHN BARR.)

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL'S HALL. Meetings for week ending Friday, January 28:

Saturday, January 22—Trades Council and i. Executive Committee; Typographical Association’s Committee. Ulondiay, January 24—Amalgamated Society . of Carpenters; Grocer*' Picnic Commit- ' tee; Furniture Trade Picnic Committee ; ' Butchers’ Picnic Committee. Tuesday, January 25 —General Labourers' Union; Coachworkers' Picnic Committee. (Wednesday, January 26—Bricklayers’ Union; takers’ Picnic Committee; . Bootmakers’ Union; Butchers’ Picnic Committee. Thursday, January 27—Trades Council’s Executive Committee. Friday, January'2B—Brewers’ and Maltsters’ Employees’ Union; Cycle Workers* Union; Moulders’ Union; Livery Stable Workers’ Union; Building Trades Picnic j Committee.

I Could the time and thought used in endeavouring to frustrate the provisions of tlie Factories Act, the Shops and Offices Act and the various Arbitration Acts be used both from a business and a humanitarian point of view, to belter' advantage? This is a question many keen business men might ■give «*me thought to at the present moment. It may be very agreeable to eome natures to get just a few ounces ;more than the exact peund of flesh, but it would be better to curb the habit sf adopting questionable methods to

procure ©yen in tlio interest of business. Rob an employee of a holiday, cr a portion of wages justly due according to the law for a holiday, and he may appear to submit; but lie will questionably, “get- back on” the employer—if he follows the teaching of that individual—at the first and every opportunity. The “game” is to take ■ i every" opportunity of besting each 'other; ho is to blame who throws down ’the gage. Employers forget they are leaders, captains, with this peculiarity about their captaincy, that, they never know just how many their good or had leadership may affect. Many have been wont to refer to foreign mothods pf production as superior to New Zealand methods, but, as a rule, only telling half the tale. So far few have Considered it worth while to refer to the new method of treating employees that is now being considered the order of the day by the foremost manufacturers, not only in Britain, but on the Continent of Europe and in the United States of America.. Neglect of the physical, social and moral well-being of the workers is now giving place to tho fullest consideration. Whether the , change is being brought about because It is thought it will pay, or whether it is the result of the development of a higher typo of employer, or a little of both, need not at the moment bo considered. What we may consider is what actually is being done abroad in comparison with what is being done in New Zealand. We have before the public at present the case of employers in various parts of New Zealand avoiding payment of a few girl apprentices a few shillings for a day or two days’ holidays. Contrast that with thefol-

lowing:—Messrs Crossfield, of Waryington, allow every employee who has jbeen fifteen months in their employ a .week’s holiday with full pay during the cummer months, the choice of date being left, as far as possible, to .the employee. The whole conditions imposed on the workers

are regularity and punctuality, with the result that in 1900 the percentage who gained the week’s holiday was s<, in 1904 it was 84. Tlie Siegel Co-operative Stores, of New York, and Messrs Ferais Bros, maintain a sea-

side cottage, where girl employees are sent down in batches. In the case of .the Siegel Co-operative Stores, they ‘issue a personal card of invitation to each of their 2000 young women, asking her to say when it would be convenient for her to spend a fortnight at their seaside home. Tn Germany the [Teubner Press at Leipsic has established a special vacation fund, and allows towards expenses of the holidays 80s to artisans and 20s to wonieu and assistants. In Holland. Germany,

France, America and Britain the same change in the system of treating those [who are assisting to maintain the business is coming more into evidence, the instances I have given being by no means isolated.

I It is not in granting holidays, which is but a small thing, but in the everyday treatment of employees that the Greatest change is found. Tn France jit is obligatory on factories to provide (dining quarters. In Germany Messrs jKrupp, in addition to providing dining rooms, send heated cars round to the Various departments to collect the food and take it to the dining-room. For those who bring their own food heating arrangements are provided, and hot coffee, milk and rolls are furnished ■morning and evening at cost price. Another firm has spent £I7OO on fitting 'up a kitchen and dining-room for'those ,wno do not go home for meals. In the evenings the dining hall serves as a recreation room, and outside the factory there is another dining-room, where those who have their meals brought to them inav take them with members of their families. Equal consideration is given with respect to meals in HolTand and Russia- In Hungary the Btate Iron Works possesses a diningroom with seating accommodation for 4000. and dinners are supplied at from Bjjd upwards, and to cap it all selections are played on the great organ throughout the meal hour. But- America really leads in this direction, although none of our globe-trotting New Zealand employers seems to have paid lany attention to it. The National [Food Company gives free lunches in ‘a commodious dining-room to its 350 ,female employees. The National Cash Register Company charges Is per week for supplying a hot lunch daily, consisting of tea, coffee or milk and one iiot dish, to some hundreds of its wo-

! men workers. An hour and twenty minutes is allowed for the meal, and a piano and a sewing machine are in the room for the use of the workers. It is impossible to give anything but the faintest idea oi the number of firms catering for their employees’ needs, providing facilities for taking and procuring good meals, dressing-rooms, washing facilities, baths, medical attendance, reading-rooms, libraries, recreation rooms and provision for education.

So far very little effort in this direction has been made in New Zealand. A few davs ago I visited the Belfast* Freezing Works. So far as the animals to be slaughtered wore concerned, everything was all that could be desired, and, considering the nature ol the work every place was, by a plentiful supply of water, kept wonderfully- clean und fresli. But for the worker there seemed to be no provision. At lunchtime I found men in odd corners all over the place, wherever their work was situated, eating their lunches; even in tho building where the refuse was being converted ihto manure men were sitting at lunch. The butchers wero stripped to pants and singlet, and very little of the latter ; they were perspiring freely and their bai'o arms showed evidence of the nature of their work. Yet I could find no signs of provisions for washing or bathing, both of which are an actual necessity before leaving the works. Still we have evidence that the changed treatment is reaching here. At most of the mines, I understand, baths and dressing-rooms are fitted up. In Christchurch the Gas Company used to have a fairly decent bathroom, but spoiled everything by having the din-ing-room used also as a. dressing-room. The company may have altered things since the additions were made. A few years ago I visited Messrs Booth, Macdonald and Co.’s works, and. was shown a very creditable dining and reading-room, and conveniences for washing, which were, I was led to believe, not made as much use of as they might have been. The same complaint has been made in other countries, but as far as my information goes the workmen have gradually availed themselves of tho washing facilities until the causo for complaint has disappeared. A few firms in Christchurch, I understand, provide hot water for lunch, although a number of employers do not take kindly to it; as I found a few months ago in connection with a certain dispute. A proposal was submitted that hot water should be supplied by the employer, and on that occasion it was supplied right away, hut not the kind that was wanted. The proposal to supply it at lunch-times was a severe shock to the employers, although all the assessors learned their trades at Home and knew it had been the,custom there for time out of mind. I understand there is one firm, the Crown Clothing Company, that allows its employees ten minutes each forenoon during winter and ten minutes ’each afternoon during summer in which to rest and take refreshment, the firm supplying the hot water and tea ; and from a business point of view it lias •worked most satisfactorily. Whatever form it may take, more consideration must be given to workers before employers can hope to have that consideration given to their affairs by those in their employ that they expect. There is little hope in battle for the regiment if the officers and privates have been continually pulling against each other.

The Wellington Bakers’ Union and the Wellington branch of the Australasian Seamen’s Union have given notice to tho Wellington Trades and Labour Council of their intention to secede front that. body. Tho notices were accepted with regret, and, a committee was appointed to wait upon the Unions with tho object of inducing them to reconsider their decision.

At the annual meeting of tho Federated Engine-drivers and Firemen’s Association of tlie Australian States, held in Sydney recently, Mr H. A. Mitchell, the general secretary, referred to the beneficial effects of the arbitration award. The following is an extract from a newspaper import of Mr Mitchell’s statement:—“The Association now has 800 members, which the secretary hopes to increase to 3000 in the five States, apart from W T est Australia. We published some time ago the total amount representing the increase of wages awarded these 800 members. The general secretary’s figures show what substantial individual increases have been awarded. A few examples will suffice:—ln 1906, he said, the firemen engaged in breweries received 7s a day, where they now received 9s, or an increase of £3B a year. Engine drivers in breweries were paid in 1906 8s 4d a day; they were now paid 10,s, an increase of £3O. Firemen in tho freezing industry received in 1906 6s 5d a day; they were now paid 8s 4d, an increase of £l3 a year, and, besides, they worked fiftytwo days less in the year. This applied to all the other classes of men now to be mentioned. Engine drivers in the freezing industry, Mr Mitchell •went on, received in 1906 7s 2d a day, and now 10s, an advance of £26 a year. Firemen employed in the electric lighting industry received in 1906 6s sd, and now 8s 4d, an advance of £l3 a year. Drivers in the same industry received in 1906 8s -Id, and now 9s. The General Board, Mr Mitchell concluded, had increased firemen’s and engine drivers I 'wages from, in many cases, as low as 5s a day to 8s and 9s. Colliery winding and locomotive engine drivers’ wages had been increased from 9s 9d to 11s a day, and colliery firemen’s wages from 7s to 8s 6d and 0s a day.”

According to the writer of “ Labour Notes” in tho Auckland “Star,” the Auckland House Painters’ Union is making a unique effort to cope with the trouble complained of by the Chief Inspector of Factories (Mr J. Lomas)

j some months ago, in a circular letter to the labour unions of the dominion, namely, tho practice obtaining amongst unscrupulous non-unionists, when seeking work, of representing falsely to employers that they are bona fide members of tho union, in which trade they may be workers. Cards are issued to all employers, in the four corners of which are the four primary colours of red, for March quarter; yellow, for June quarter; blue, for September quarter; and green, for December. All members of the workers’ union are supplied with other cards, which are coloured to represent tbc current quarter. At the end of each quarter the worker’s card is returned, and having paid his dues be is supplied with the next quarter's card, which in turn lasts the three months, and corresponds in colour to the full coloured card sent to each employer. The employers are asked by circular issued on December 23 to see that each employe© is in possession of the card for the current quarter,, and to compare the colour thereof with the one in his possession. The expression that a certain person is “not of the, right colour” has long ago been bold to mean that the individual in question bad certain political opinions, but from now on it wdl have an additional signification in the painting trade, and tho master painters are asked to see that their workmen are “ of the right colour.”