Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1917. LABOUR CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10109, 1 June 1917, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1917. LABOUR CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA.

Tub pessimistic note sounded by tli president of the Associated Chamber of Manufacturers in Sydney in regar to the future of industrial enterprise in Now South Wales is more than justi tied by the action of the Labour Union in that State, which have been in ; continual state of eruption for the las four years or more. The president i reported to have said that “owing t< a certain class of agitator taking ad vantage of the Commonwealth being a war, the labour market had been prae tically in a state of chaos for a whoh year. Employers had been so harasset that a number had gone out of business The existing state of affairs spelt in solvency and probably tbo total cessa 1 lion of industry. As a result ol tin agitation and the ’go slow’ policy capitalists were trying to withdraw their money from manufacturing con corns and unemployment was increas ing. If it were not for the equipment of the soldiers tbo number of uuemploy ed would be appalling.” A review oi tbo industrial position is far from reassuring. The number of “disputes” (tbo official term for strikes) occurring in New -South Wales last year easily constitutes a record, although the only official figures at present available merely cover the first three quarters to September 30th. For tbo three years ended December 31st, 1915, and for the first three quarters of 191G, the number of “disputes” officially registered in New South Wales and the establishments affected was as under;— Year. ' No. of Dis- Establishments putos. Affected. 1913 134 466 1911 235 908 1915 272 694 1916 (nine months to Sept. 30)— 286 598 Hardly a day passed last year without one or more new “disputes” occurring, the number of working days lost by the employees during the nine months aggregating 585,606, with a consequent loss”in wages of £351,230. the average loss per employee being lints within a fraction of 12s per day. The loss to the employers concerned in those “disputes’’ was probably even greater. Much of file trouble, was undoubtedly caused by the weak-kneed action of the State Labour Government in failing to enforce the law against the strikers i ml was the direct outcome of the profligate expenditure upon public worktRuing its six of office. Under die Labour Government the public debt >( New South Wales increased by over hirty-eight millions, or by an average )f s ix and one-third millions per annum. :hus necessitating increased yearly in-

a-half (actual, £1.598.838). It was fortunate lor New South Wales: that the split iu tlio Labour Party over the conscription issue occurred wjien it did, because, driven as they, wore by the Podtlcal Labour Leagues, they were uniLie to check the saturnalia of extravagance brought about by the demands if the party ‘‘bosses” for the employ - unit of men at rates and under conditions that simply spelt ruin to any mlustrial enterprises compelled to proved on business-like linos, as instanced >y the newly closed brick works at Botany, which, according to Mr Ball, .ho Minister of Public Works, were involving the Government in a loss of 12s per 1001) on the bricks manufactured. Pbc formation of the National Government. and its effective endorsement by the electors of New South Wales, came none too soon, for the Treasurer is finding it a difficult matter to restore the finances to such a position as will enable him to keep the public services going on efficient lines.

A SERIOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS

Practically every penny upon which the State Labour Government could lay its hands had been expended before tbo National (Ministry took over the responsibilities of government. Even trust moneys, in tho hands of the Court officials, had been drawn upon, and lienee it was imperatively necessary that a new loan should bo floated, and hence also the three-million loan recently obtained by the, State Government on the London market, at an approximate interest of 51 percent., most of which is required lo make good the moneys previously / drawn upon. So serious is tho plight of the railways that the commissioners- have everywhere to turn down .requests for improvements. and thus wo find the ( liiof Commissioner stating at M'e‘t Maitland that the commissioners ‘ have not a single pound to spend.” ami that they ‘‘have had to stop works all over-the State—works half-finished and works three-quarters finished. The people, ot New South Males,” he added, “will have to put up with great inconveniences for tho next few years.” Again, at Armidale, the Chief Commissioner informed a deputation that “the commissioners had not £5 to spend.” Under the old Liberal Administration the New South Wales Railways were on a sound financial basis, the system being the best paying one in Australasia. The Labour Government, bringing pressure to bear on the commissioners, practically re-established the political control, which had been abandoned by their predecessors in favour of business principles, and, as a natural consoquence, the. system no longer pays, although both passenger fares and freights were considerably increased by the Labour Government, and even tho traffic fares were raised to enable it to meet the demands of the t tramway men, for increased pay and more liberal conditions of employment. The State Government was not without its trials in regard to the employment of labour, 23 “disputes”, being raised by its employees .during the half-year ended September 30th, 1916, and, as the resultant strikes generally" ended in favour ot the men, it is small wonder that the workers in private emnloy were infected by their example. The* result is that; during the three years and nine months period ended on September 30th, 1916, the workers of New South Males-lost £1,227,576 in wages, while the loss to the employers'was probably at least as much, and thus, on a conservative estimate, it would appear that Australia, is over two millions to the had, as tho result of labour troubles in New South M'ales alone. Matters have improved somewhat since the National Government took charge of the’affairs of New 'South Wales, but industrial pence scents only possible of attainment by eliminating the paid agitator, who jives and thrives upon the industrial “disputes,” which ho makes it his business to promote, sowing the seeds of discontent between the workers and their employers.