WORK AND WAGES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16138, 15 January 1913, Page 12

WORK AND WAGES.

BOILER-MAKERS AND THE LABOUR PARTY. ft United Press Association —By Electric. Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON* January 14. Tho Boiler-makers' Society, with a membership of GO.OOO, decided by 2G90 votes to 2152 to discontinue affiliation with tho Labour Party. Supporters of continuance of affiliation regard the poll as a snap vote. NEW YORK GARMENT WORKERS. STRIKE RIOTS QUELLED BY POLICE. (Received January 14, 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 14. At a mass meeting of garment workers thousands tool: an oath not to rcsumo work until tho union was recognised. Frequent strike' riots have been quelled by tho police.

FEDERATION OF LABOUR. ARBITRATION ACT' UNSATISFACTORY. [Per Pkess Association.] AUCKLAND, January 14. In response to an invitation tendered by the Federation of Labour, about 200 unionists attonded a meeting at the Trades Hall, at which Mr Parry urged the advisableness for all unionists to bo represented at tho Conference to be held at Wellington to discuss the position that had arisen in regard to Labour's endeavour to secure united action, lie complained that tho preference clause in the Arbitration Act was being used at Huntlv and Waihi to the exclusion of members of the Federation of Labour from the benefit of recent awards. A militant organisation was impossible under tho Arbitration Act in its present form, as it was being used to defeat the propor organisation of Labour. A good deal of general discussion followed relative to the merits of political action and industrial action. The trend of the speeches was sympathetic towards the object for which the meeting had been called, and showed recognition of the serious aspect of the industrial outlook so far as it concerned active unionists.

FARM LABOURERS' UNION. The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Labourers' Union mot in the Socialist Hall on Saturday, Mr S. Roscoe (president) in the chair. Mr C. Timpson, organiser, reported having visited tho stations and farms in the Ashburton Gorge, Mackenzie Country, "Waimato, Timaru, Temuka, Geraldiue, Pleasant Point, Fairlie, Mayfieid, Ashburton, Hinds and Ashburton Forks districts. He had appointed agents in the various districts visited, enrolled over two hundred members, and had promises of hundreds more, who would take tickets from the agents. The secretary (Mr E. Kennedy) was appointed delegate to the conference of unions convened by the Federation of Labour.

Tho matter of the slaughtermen and the reports of the farmers and sheepowners volunteering to act as strikebreakers created great amusement amongst members, and were ridiculed as "their usual bluff." Tho opinion was expressed that tho day had passed for ever when musterers and shepherds could be used as butchers, and farm workers as lumpers on the wharves for strike-breaking purposes. Tho secretary was instructed to call a special meeting if necessity demanded it.

Two more organisers were appointed, one for tho threshing mills and one for the grass-sseders on the Peninsula.

At last night's meeting of the Sumner Borough Council a letter was received from tho General Labourers' Union, asking for a conference for the purposo of drafting a new agreement. The communication was not sympathetically received by the Council, tho Mayor stat* u g that they had no time to waste ov. ei - the matter. "Between the firemen ; *£he general labourers and said'Mr Marriner, "I do not Know what things are coming to." Tho Grmcil decided to instruct the clerk to take steps to secure exemption from the proposed award.