NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13875, 8 October 1908, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

BY ARTISAN. j | j j 1 J

- Eight Hams Day in Sydney was cd<y , , ' Sted by a. proccesion on Monday laet , (October 5). ,' ••In France, Belgium, and Germany the miners are foremost in the van of Labour representation. " The union movement is forging ahead in iiost countries. Lust year 232 new unions i yr«re formed in Canada. . the operative* bakers of Britain aroproparing for a national campaign in the in- • ; tJrtsts of a legal eight hours day for •" •bakers. Judge Ed slated recently in England that there are many well-qualified barris- : ters who al '° not earning as much as bricklayers. The Labour Day Committee is busy making final arrangements for its carnival to bo held next Wednesday, and, civco fine weather, the display should com- '. pare favourably with those of previous ■■■'■ T ars ' - " While each vessel arriving from Britain is loaded with immigrants, chiefly of the - 'artisan class, hero in Auckland are a large .'number of artisans out of work, especially carpenters, painters, and seamen. - The building trades unions of Sydney : are taking steps to federate. In Christ- • church there is a building trades committee, or council, dealing with affaire pertaining to the trade*. An alliance of the building trades unions in Auckland is ■ highly "desirable. The various miners' unions in the Do- . minion have practically appointed all ' their representatives for tho forthcoming . conference, to be held shortly at Welling- , ;, ','icn, when the question of forming a , Miners* Federation, and other matters of ■■ i> , moment to miners, will be considered. « The Municipal Council of the City of i Glasgow (Scotland) has acquired 170 acres : . 'of land, and will set the unemployed of - - : the city to work on the ami, and endeavour to grow food for their maintenance. Glasgow lias long been considered one of the most advanced socialistic cities r ill the United Kingdom, and the present ' venture is a decided step towards the municipal socialism that is so strongly advocated by Labour, representatives. Now that the Presidential election v campaign in the United States is in full , swing many and various are the schemes ; . -for obtaining votes. Lately/'Mr. Bryan, ■ ,the Democratic nominee, was elected a v -member of the Painters' Union, and Mr. . * Taft, the Republican nominee, has be- ■ • come a member of the Steam Shovellers' Union. By this means both parties hope • ;':to gain a large portion ox the Labour vote. . The Auckland Labour candidates are - entering into an active open-air campaign in connection with the forthcomig elec- . .(ions. Mr. A. Rosser, who has been ' selected for City Central, is well known as : a union secretary and advocate before the _ "Arbitration Court, and has unsuccessfully contested several elections in previous -years.. Mr. J. N. Harle has been work- • ing in and aroiuid the city for a few " years, and is better known as a no-license V advocate than in Labour circles. He is " a. good speaker, and is well grounded in . Labour politics. 1 •. The Political Labour League and other '-Labour bodies have from tune to time • •'• strongly advocated the opening of a public fish market, claiming that it would be , Jof advantage to both the consumers and .? fi the fishermen. At- the socialist party's ' Sunday afternoon meeting the Question •i.was' again discussed. Mr. T. Wake moved a resolution advocating the opening of ■the market, and Messrs. R. F. Way, J. N. Harlc, W. Peek, H. C. England, and T. ,•; ?Waku were appointed a committee to draw 'up .a detailed scheme for presentation to /the Prime Minister. Tho committee will •'also ask for the extension of the Govern- , ! ment Department now in charge of the ' -'oyster fisheries to include the whole of the fishing industry. Sydney tramway men who were pun- '' i?hed to the extent of one month's exclu--1,» sion from the service, to the number of 1 . 20, have been readmitted by the head of ■ i : the Department.' There are, however, : ' '-about 170 men still condemned to uTTem- '• ' ploymentat any rate, they would be if the wish of the authorities were realised. .; v Those who have attempted to get fresh . Employment and have asked the Depart- !.: ment for references have received a short , note st at ing merely that So-and-so was in "the employ of the Department and left it by striking. The Tramway Union has . disked its members to contribute half-a-day's V ' pay to the men in distress, and if that is ? ; done it will realise about £300. The men "ilfio appeal to the public to save their wives and children from further suffering. ' ' —Sydney Worker7': v There was a fair attendance at the , first meeting of the restaurant and hotel ■ employees, convened by Mr. Thos. Long, and held on Sunday, at Palmerstou V Buildings. Preliminary steps are now be- • ir.g taken for the formation of a union . .' of these employees, and it is intended to ■' 'register under tho Industrial Conciliation . aad Arbitration Act at an early dale. Similar unions in the South have very large memberships, and it is expected that ' the Auckland union will not fall far short of' them in this respect. Some curiosity ■ . . is felt as to the success or otherwise of • the attempt to obtain by conference an .increase of Wages and unproved conditions for hotel employees. When the an":nual conference was sitting in Wellington . ; . "recently the statement was made and . 'promptly contradicted that the "trade" . was opposed to labour. \ I The movement for an Independent Lahour..party is not making very satisfactory . vt9f°gress (writes the New Zealand corros- ' - pendent of the Sydney Worker). The '•elect will be held towards the end of •the year, but so far the choice of Labour : candidates, and the adoption of a common '. ■.''platform, ha* been left in abeyance. The different centres are all agitating for Lafour '- representation, but are acting inde--jftendentiy of each other. The prospects -iappear to lie brightest in the Chrietchnrch .' elwtorates, where, the Labour League and the Socialist party have arrived at. a tacit "■understanding, and are putting forward 'the candidates who stood in the interests -/Of.'Labour last election, without clashing '>f factions. The movement, however, .jacks control and guidance. • The trade - 4,tinions are large in membership, but low I, in morale. There are 45,000 registered ! . trade unionists, but except for the small • control exercised by the seven Trades Council? of the Dominion there is no evidence of true unity. The Federation of labour approved of by the recent Trades Council Conference, if brought about, will harden un the ranks. The attitude of i the present Government, and the constant .3d verses being meted out to the workers per medium of the Arbitration Court, are i;; : also illustrating to the members of •'Unions the necessity of direct political ac- - IJon.