NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13304, 10 October 1906, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

.', :" ;:,; - : . '.' ;/'-."''"'/''" '/■. ;.. :":■/■■ ";.'/../;// ■:// . BY. ARTISAN*.The amended rules of the Bootmakers' Union have at last been passed, and have | been sent to '<■ the registrar of industrial I unions for approval and registration. : Mr. Jas. Aggers has resigned the secretaryship of the Independent Political Labour League (Auckland branch): owing to continued ill health. In all probability Mr. Oliver Mason will be/ appointed as his successor.'' ' ' ' A special summoned meeting of the Bootmakers' Union, is called for the /15th inst., when the importation question and the nationalisation of the boot industry" will be considered. . / '■■■■'.-■; / A... miner at the Corrimal-Balgownie colliery, Wollongong, New South Wales, was fined 2s 6d and- costs of court, for having tobacco in bis -possession whilst employed in and about the colliery. The Gumdiggers' Union recently: forwarded to the members of Parliament a circular letter embodying the resolutions passed at their recent conference. A large number of favourable replies have been received. ' The truth is. according to the Brisbane Worker. " that the working class can expect little till the working class rules, and in every sphere of social activity. And when it does that what _ need will there be for Arbitration Courts?' Sir William Lyne will shortly call for competitive designs for a Commonwealth mark, which when registered may be.used by airy manufacturers whose' remuneration for labour is fair and reasonable for goods specified by resolution in both Federal Houses. .;, "A strike brings other consequences in its train besides damage, to trade aud losa of money. There is much hardship and suffering which , fall upon the strikers, and their wives and children, and not on them alone, but also on non-combatants and their families. Just what these mean only those who have experienced them can say."— Waterside 'Workers' Gazette. The Social Democratic Club. Broken Hill, New South Wales, has resolved:—" That this meeting expresses its strong disapproval of. the action of the Federal Labour Party in deciding that Federal mail steamers are not within the scope of, the Labour platform, and further regards as a ; violation | of such. platform the vote of certain mem- ! bers of the Federal Labour Party on Mr. Thomas' .proposal for the. Federal mail steamers." : •/ ■ There is a rumour abroad that the Federal Labour members are offended with Ministers for conducting a vigorous campaign amongst the 'working classes in the suburbs of Meioourne. where the "Labour vote is strongest. Colour is given to this belief by the fact that Federal Labour members have decided to conduct midday meetings at the various factories, so as to prevent any weakening of their interests by Ministerial representatives. • /In"an article on "Speeches and.Speakers ef the Session," The Tribune (Eng.) pays a tribute to the eloquence of the Labour members 1 in the following words:"While on' the subject of oratory one cannot omit to mention the oratory; of the workmen in Parliament. The Labour contingent comprises many fiuo speakers, a.nd it is no exaggeration to say that the oratory of the T'abour.men, as a whole, is above" the' Parliamentary average." ..-■■<■. ;In the Victorian Legislative Assembly lately, Mr. Keast • described the railway goods shed .as "greatest sweating - hell in -Victoria," and said he had seen ablebodied men carried out in a fainting condition. A number of petitions were, received from locomotive engine-drivers and firemen ill; the - metropolitan ' and other districts of the' State., :'■ The petitioners stated ~that they worked 51 and 54 hours per week, and they; wanted eight hours per day or 48 tfour^per week.' i...// '.--:/';/,/■/ . /.. ~.5 . '..,/, s'l understand that the rules of the Trades and Labour Council are shortly to be amended. I would draw the delegates' attention to the advisability of inserting a provision in the amended'rules disqualifying permanent paid secretaries from holding office in the council; that is to say, men who act as secretary to two or more unions should bo debarred from 'acting as officebearers in the council. Such a provision would have a. tendency to strengthen the council, and induce the outside' unions to affiliate, so that 'the council/would become in reality the mouthpiece of labour in Auckland.' '.-.-■'. ■ ■ . '~■ .'■•/. "'Wednesday is Labour's national holiday. Throughout New Zealand the trades unionists are celebrating the day that has been set aside to'mark the ' progress made by Labour. It is barely a century ago that trades unionists had to hold their meetings in secrecy ; to-day they hold their meetings openly and all classes of society assist them in the celebration of their day, which is a strong testimony to the progress made by organised labour. In Auckland the celebration takes the form of a grand procession and sports gathering in the Domain. The preparations made and entries received exceed those of previous years, and given fine weather the most successful celebration on record will be the verdict on Labour Day, 1906. The result, of the inquiry into the working of the St. Helens Hospital should remove' anv misconceptions that may have existed about that institution.- The suggestion of the local branch of the Independent Political Labour League that reasons in,duplicate should be furnished in cases that are refused admittance, has been adopted/and should prevent a recurrence of the incidents "that led up to the inquiry. An extra nurse- is to be appointed, which will lessen the hours of the present nurses, and there is uo doubt, but that the hospital will be largely used by the workers who need l its assistance, and the only trouble in the future is the likelihood of the building proving too small for the accommodation of alf the patients— fault winch, no doubt, will be easily remedied. The following is ouc of the rules of the United Labour Party of South Australia, which are being revised at the . annua! conference now being held : — Any member of the party accepting nomination for a plebiscite shall be required to sign the following pledge: — the undersigned, hereby pledge myself (1) not to withdraw from an election contest, after being duly nominated, without the consent of- the 'executive of. the United Labour Party; (2) not to oppose a selected candidate of the party: and' (3) if returned to Parliament, on all occasions to do my utmost to ensure the carrying out of. the principles embodied in the Labour platform, and on all ■ such-questions, and es- , pecially on questions affecting the fate of a Government, to vote as a majority, of the Parliamentary Labour Party may decide at a, duly constituted caucus meeting." , Work is at present plentiful. The building and allied trades are busy, few, if my, union men being ..out, while in- the painting trade there is 'an- opening ■ for . several first-class men. Engineering > fair. Boilermakers and moulders are also fairly busy'. - Boot factories are on the improve iga'in. Clothing factories are busy. Order tailoring is now in full swing, all the shops ■ oeinc busy and the hands fully employed. Goachbuilders are fairly busy. / Boatbuildors are all busy, quite a number of launches ind yachts being on the stocks for. the Doming season, while yachts < rjid launches ilready in commission are being overhauled prior to the opening of the coming season, foe surplus . labour which drifts into the uty in the winter has practically speaking eft town again for the country districts, where work is plentiful for good navvies, 'arm hands, etc. The prospects for work luring the coming summer are bright inleed. . .'' .'..-'' ;,.-' .- -