NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13725, 15 April 1908, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

■ BY ARTISAN', I TSK Hamilton Vomer* Visum and H«su!< 1 ton Hou«o Pointers" Union have e»cb v.,; [ caw* to ho beard at this next sitting* of tfs* j Arbitration Court, The Sydney wharf strike has been »pul,.<J ! and has HaSaNed in ft gain for sho tmiotwafj, I Among other concession* they h*ve obtained preference to anion member*. Mr. W. L, Rowland* b».* been ektt*d • ] .'elegate to represent tlw k*eal maker*''SS ; Union at the conference between the federfti- .'' ! ed unions ami the masters, when considers. ti«n of matter* in dispute in t'w boot ir*r)« will be considered, fhfl Southern uniofcj ; ; j luire yet to appoint their delegate*. i At the last meeting of the Auckland j ileßm«m«»'s Union Mr. A. Ronwer was elect- [ ed secretary, vice Mr. .'a*. Regan. resign*,!. . I Mr. Began, who has now practically MSVSfXJ i hi« connection with industrial unionism, hat | been an energetic and painstaking secretary' '- ' j of labour union* in Auckland for s«m* rear*. ~ 1 j At the last meeting of the general }n. \ bourers of Auckland it was decided to a*l ;: j the Builders and Contractor*' labourer*. Union t., widen it* charier, so as to uk> in I all general labourers in she city. The union i will most probably accede to Use request, and if so it should become numerically on« j of the strongest union* i'i Auckland. I At a preliminary meeting, held at nw»n----1 soit-istrect last week, it was decided to take .3 | steps to organis* the farm labourers' ci the province, from Otshorne to the North Car*, into a union. A further meeting in connec- | lion with this will be held this evening. A muaber of name*, of intending member* haw.been handed in to Mr. Woo. Davis (who j« acting a* secretary, pro tend, The position taken up by the Blackball Miners' Union executive in connection with '■■'. Mr. Tregear's letter i-> rather hard to un-(let-stand at this distance. The genera] opinion locally is that the union would have - been well advised to have accepted Mr. Tiegear's suggestion as a basis to meet the mm* management in conference. Loral sympathy with the miners ha*, in consequence, de. creased, and a disinclination to furnish fur. ther donations is observable. The evidence given before the Indian F*e, lory Labour Commission ha* revealed »om« scandalous (acts in connection with child, labour in jute mills. The president of the Commission (Mr, Morrison) stilted that so far ..is the Con mission could see. half the, children employed at the jute mills wer« between six ami nine years of age, and of that half a great many under It were working as "hill timers.' Mr. Walsh, an mspector, when asked if the factory law had ever been enforced, made no reply. Mr. It. Manning, secretary of the Waikato Miners' Union, has issued a statement baring on the proposal of his union to form *. feneration of the whole of the union* in the Dominion. Up to the time of writing replies hud been received from 63 unions, and of these 69£ per cent, were favourable tp-'thfc proposition, 16 per cent, in favour pi! the existing Trades Council Conferences, Bi.. doubtful, and 7 per cent, against federation. Mr. Manning complains of the apathy dinplayed by the Trades Conference official*, in • that they have not pushed the question into prominence among the unions represented on the conference. The value of opinions expressed a*, the conferences of the Trade* Councils i*-questioned, a* being only the opinions of city unionists, who have no know- . v ledge of the wants or opinions of the conntry onion*, which are now a factor in unionism, and the members of which live a totally different life to the city unionist. The advantages of a general federation, where delegatus fr&m all unions would meet in conference, are em- : phasised and impressed on the union* : throughout the Dominion. Mr. Manning - concludes by urging all the unions who hiivs not replied to do so not later than the middle of May, when his union will, no doubt, .; take further steps. Preliminary steps are now being taken in .-,:'.' labour circles towards selecting and endorsing Labour candidates for the next general elections. In Auckland the Trades and Labour Council has set up, in conjunction with the Political Labour League, a com ; mitteo to draw up a fighting platform, and consideration as ' i who will be the endorsed i Labour candidates for Auckland City will ' soon b- undertaken. In Ohinemuri the Political Labour League is likely to run a candidate, and present appearances point to " Mr. 11. F. Way being the nominee. In - Wellington the Labour Representation Committee will contest each of the city seat*, and hlho some of the suburban seats. In Christehuroh the Political Labour League run three candidates and the social- ' ists two candidates for the five city and suburban electorates. Nominations , for candidates have already been received, and a plebiscite will shortly betaken. In Dunedin Mr. A. R. Barclay will be run as an endorsed Labour candidate. The Hon. J. A. Miliar and .Messrs. J, F.. Arnold and T. K. Sidey have been approached on behalf of the Labour party without (so it is said) success), and tho Labourites are row considering what action shall be taken with regard to their seat*. Since the recent labour troubles on the West Coast the union* are considering the advisability of running one or two candidates, and should they ultimately decide to do so their chances of success would be of a favourable nature.