NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14855, 5 December 1911, Page 5

NOTES AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR QUESTIONS.

VY ARTISAN - . Tira drawing for Labour Day Art Union " ' prizes look place on Friday. . Rely less upon ; presidents and secre- f taries, less upon leaders, and more upon yourself then you'll get better results ' from tho deliberations and actions of your union. \ . The Painters' Union, with its accustomed generosity, has forwarded invitations for a member of all unions, ac- •: • ; companied by a lady, to attend its annual picnic on the 9tli inst. - , New Zealand is not the only. place 1 " where th unions are ignoring State es- 'v. tablished means for settlement of trade disputes. The jam workers' union oi iiobart decided to send their claim for higher wages, etc., not to the wages' board, but direct to the . employers. The Bishops of ilipon and Birmingham condemn the Dean of St. Paul's utter- / .-V ances regarding democracy. The former \ ; asserts that there is no reason why the i Church should not be allied with demo- , cracy, which tends to secure: tho greates* j happiness to the greatest number. - >

By an ancient law of the Catholic Church, operating in Catholic countries, the labourer was given ninety days' holiday during the year, viz., fifty-two Sundays and thirty-eight week daysmen which he was strictly , forbidden to work. In modern industrial countries,' special provision is made in agreements to work even on Sundays, and on the four to sis other holidays given. •

A short time ago it was stated through the press that, the • Carters' Union de-. cided, by, an overwhelming majority, not to cancel registration. That was in- j correct. The , motion 'was that tHey join ',{■ the Federation of Labour, and an amendment to this, that the matter be deferred _ until the Federated Unions of Carters held their 1 annual conference, was carried by the majority stated.

The " National Insurance Bill," on ita introduction to • the House of Commons, received an all-round flattering reception. Government and . Opposition commended it. The public press spoke of it as a piece of humanitarian legislation. ■ The friendly societies and trades unions were somewhat divided as to its merits, although the majority of them looked ; upon it with favour in the light of a palliative. f'- ; Notwithstanding all this in its passage through Parliament it has met with the fiercest of opposition, and ;not a little from those whom it was intended to assist. During the later stages of its passage the doctors, the trades" unions, the friendly societies, and half a million of women protested against it, and th<3 latest word is that the Opposition walked out of the House in a body as a protest.,

This is how the latest British Australasian to hand views the industial state of affairs all round : The working men of Australia, and of every other country in the world, are struggling, to obtain higher wages and shorter hours of labour, and ■while the fight continues the non-unionist the JLabour man who refuses: to take part in the battle—will bo . treated harshly, and the non-combatants ■ will suffer inconvenience. This state of affairs is, however, by no means peculiar to Australia*. Strikes . occur there, it is true, but the bitterness, the violence, and the disorder accompanying strikes in the Commonwealth do not even remotely approach in intensity (similar phenomena in similar circumstances in England. . . . Compared with England, with Europo, with America, Australia is a model of law and ■ orderit is, indeed, without exaggeration, the most peaceful country in the world.

Tha following is an' extract from Hansard, of a speech by the Hon. J. Rigg, at ; the close of the session We f all, I think, recognise that the Conciliation and Arbitration Act is in serious danger. I am satisfied that it is within what might be termed measurable distance of the tomb. It has been brought to that position by bad administration on tho part of the Court of Arbitration. The reason that conciliation under the Commissioners has been so successful has been the fear the workers had to go to the Court. They accept tho agreement brought about by the Commissioner, for they realised there was too much danger in going to the Court, and because they' believed the result would be that they v would get something very 'much less satisfactory. That has assisted in making the work the Conciliation Commissioners , very successful. But another point is. this : that a few years ago. we were mistaken enough to abolish the necessary reference to the Boards of Conciliation, and givo the workers the righ I to go direct rto the Court of Arbitration. " The result was that the parties" ignored the Boards of Conciliation and went to the Court of Arbitration. ' Consequently tho e cases that came before the Courtt were very; largo in number, and the eases that came before * the Boards ; of \ Conciliation, -ana especially .those settled' by - them, were very. few. I have . said that the adminis-, tration has been bad, andvl that it ; isbe* | cause, it has been bad that the arbitration and conciliation: law has come into tho dangerous position in which it stands today. , .