NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13450, 29 May 1907, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

" '', '■ BY ARTISAN,

Union- meeting for current week: Trades and labour Council, 29th; coopers, 31st; builders' labourers, 31st inst.; boot; makers, June"3; tailors, June 3. A libel action, in which a well-known labour advocate is cited as defendant, will come before.', the; Courts shortly. ;v The benefit concert 'tendered by the Waterside Workers' Union to the widow and : family of i a deceased comrade was a financial-: success, and the proceeds are to be devoted towards ; procuring a home for the beneficiaries. ...'/.'■".. :. , The secretary of the waterside workers desires to combat the statements recently made that there exists a reign of terror on the wharf, and that persons are afraid to inform concerning thefts of cargo. The Waterside Workers' Union has drafted a set of by-laws.• dealing- with petty thefts. It is held that if preference were given to members of the union the practice would be reduced to a minimum; ' A machine that has displaced a great many workers is now used by match-mak-ing firms. > It cuts 10,000,000 sticks a day. and then arranges them over a vat, where the heads are put on at a surprising rate of speed. '- Mr. J. Thorn, secretary of the Executive Council for the current , year, is circularising the unions respecting the appointment of a labour representative on the Court of Arbitration. The late conference decided by a majority vote to recommend Mr. J. A. McCullough as representative, in place of the. present representative, MV. R. Slater. Mr. Slater has held the position since the inception of the Court, and has in the main done good service in the past, though in. late years the awardr of the Court have been unfavourable to the labour unions, and rightly or wrongly there is the impression that Mr. Slater . has not been fully alive to: his position. Locally the feeling is divided. Mr. McCullough not being very well known has a certain amount of prejudice to overcome, while Mr. Slater, being the present occupant, has a; certain amount of pull. However, the real issue for the unions to consider is whether they shall adhere to the recommendations of the conference, for if the conferenoe is to have any weight its recommendations ought to be loyally carried out. If the unions themselves fail to adhere to the conference decisions, there is little use in expecting Parliament to take heed of them. The question of retaining men in office for a number of years is one that frequently, crops up in union circles. That it is a mistake to remove men from office who have proven - their worth and efficiency by judicious and careful management of the affairs committed to their care will' bo readily admitted. But on the other hand men .who. hold office for a long time very often resent any attempt ,to waken them up." '■' The unions should at all times, look to the ability of those, offering then* services, irrespective of the length of time they may have been in • any particular office. Men of ability are sadly needed in labour circles to-day, and personal feelings should be set aside when a selection for' office is being made. ' ,i ——— The Agricultural Labourers' Union has cited a large number of fanners to appear before the Court of Arbitration in connection with an industrial dispute. The principal demands of the union are as follows:—Hours of labour: Ploughmen, six a.m. to eight p.m., with time off for meals, and ploughman to leave off working his horses at five p.m.; day labourers, eight hours and a-half for the first five days of the week, and . four : hours and a-half on Saturday; genera! farm hands, nine hours per day; harvesters; from ..--'seven a.m. to seven p.m., with one hour for "dinner: and a half-hour for lunch before' and after dinner. In regard to married couples, when working horses, it is ; asked that the hus- , bands' hours be the same as those of ,plough-;' men; , if >. required to, do.- harvest work, then the •*-■■ hours be those *of• a ' liarvesfer, all other classes of 'work being at ':■ the; rate of 48 hours per week. Minimum rates of wages are as follows: Head ploughmen or timekeepers, £110s per week ; pldughmen on level country, £1 7s 6d for four-horse team, and £1 -5s for three-horse team, and 2s 6d per week for each horse over six; general farm' hands, £1 7s 6d> and found ; day labourers, :7s 6d per day; casual labourers. Is-per hour; drainers, Is per hour, and; if working in water Is 3d (gum boots to be supplied by employer); all men working horses during harvest time on a farm or station, £2 15s per week and found; stooking.; and forking, £2 15s, or Is 3d per hour, s and found; stacking, £3 per Week, or Is 6d per hour, and found; stackers' assistant. Is per hour and found: dav men. Is per '-.hour,, with board and lodging at 10s per week, where necessary; married couples (if both are required to work), man £1 7s 6d, wife 15s per week, and 2s extra per week for each person over four* and if required to bake. £1 per week: married couples to receive, free of rent and other charges, a house, coal, or firewood, and. to be allowed to keep a ; horse and trap, on terms not to exceed Is per week; head shepherds (if married) on plains or downs country, £1 12s 6d per week; head shepherds (if married), back or mountainous country, £1 5s 6d per week, house fuel, rations, horses, and feed for dogs to be free of cost or other charges head, shepherds (single), same as above, with board and lodging in lieu of house, etc. ; under shepherds (single). £1 12s 6d per week and found; if married, £1 12s 6d: other conditions same as head shepherds; casual shepherds, during mustering, shearing, lambing, etc., £1 15s 6d and found; mustering on Sunday, Is per hour; -Blusterers and packers in back or mountainous conn- j try, £3 per week of six days, and 10s for > Sundays. The following holidays shall be i allowed : —New Year's Day, ' Good Friday, Easter Monday, day of local sports, Labour ■ Day, birthday of ruling Sovereign, Christ- I mas Day, Boxing Day, one week each iu November and May, all at full pay, and ; "a-half holiday on Saturday (except during harvest time). ~ ■■ " -~,'; . . ———; ; —- , /' ■