TRADES COUNCIL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1204, 29 March 1895, Page 32

TRADES COUNCIL.

The usual weekly meeting of the Trades Council was held last week, Mr A. Ward (president) in the chair. A letter was read from the City Council to the effect that it had decided to stipulate that drivers under the cartage contract for the coming year should be paid not less than 6s per day; also that the Council had declined to grant the alteration for the weekly half-holiday in the case of watchmakers and jewellers. It was resolved that the thanks of this Council be given to the Mayor, Mr Myers and the other members of the City Council who voted against the alteration.

The Otago Trades Council wrote notifying that it had endorsed the resolution passed by the Wellington Council with reference to the objection of the Government being a party to the proposed treaty with Japan. A letter was received from the Canterbury Trades Council stating that it had appointed delegates for the conference to be hold at Easter, and asking that the business-sheet of the conference be forwarded. The Southland Trades Council wrote to the effect that it had refused to pledge itself to the resolution of the Wellington Council upholding Mr Reeves in his statement at Ohristchuroh as to the proposed labour legislation next session until it had seen or heard of the Bills. It also complained of the non-receipt of those Labour Bills. A long discussion ensued with reference to the delay which took place in forwarding copies of the Labour Bills to

the Trades Councils. It was decided to send a letter to the Minister for Labour requesting him to transmit copies of these Bills as soon as possible.

It was resolved to inform the Government of the fact that the City Council had inserted a clause in one of its contracts insisting on drivers being paid not less than 6s per day, and to request the Government to make it a proviso of their contracts that the standard rate of wages be paid.

The officials of the Department of Labour have some cause to be ia a rather perplexed frame of mind as to the interpretation of the term " shop assistant" in the Shop Houis and Shop Assistants Act. Two Stipendiary Magistrates (Mr Martin, of Wellington, and Mr Booth, of Gisborne) have decided that a shopkeeper's wife does not come within the designation " shop assistant." Two other Stipendiary Magistrates (Mr Carew, of Dunedin, and Mr Thomas Hutchison, of the Wairarapa) have ruled with equal confidence and magisterial acumen that she does. Mr Hutchison's judgment is the latest, so that he may be presumed to haVe carefully scanned the prior decisions of Messrs Martin, Booth and Carew before endorsing the conclusion arrived at by the Dunedin Magistrate. Six cases were brought before Mr Hutchison last week. The three informations against T. J. Wright turned upon the point whether the wife of the shopkeeper can be termed a shop assistant. Mr Hutchison decided in the affirmative. In the case of T. Kalston (two informations) it appeared that Kalston has taken his wife into partnership under an alleged deed, and the Magistrate held that no partnership could exist between husband and wife. The case against Day was on an act which the united shopkeepers of Grreytown arranged that he shouldf commit for the purpose of giving them the opportunity of carrying the matter to the Supreme Court to obtain a decision upon the following questions :—(1) Whether the Gazette notice is conclusive proof of the day appointed for Greytown ; (2) whether the Council's resolution was properly made ; (3) whether the seven days' notice required by the Act was properly given. The Journal of the Department of Labour for the current month was issued from the press on Friday. The labour reports for this provincial district represent trade to have been on the whole quiet. Under the heading of " unskilled labour " it is stated that 68 men ; have been sent away from Wellington to private and Government employment; 26 were married men and 42 single. The Premier of Victoria has informed a deputation of bootmakers that he entirely sympathises with their desire to obtain better wages and stop sweating. He intends to do all he can to better the condition of the workers.

London, March 19.

In the House, Mr. Bryee stated that the Government was awaiting an invitation to intervene in the boot strike, and would readily mediate between the factory owners and the men. One cause of the strike is that the Unionists object to the system by which several workmen contribute sections of a boot. They contend that the plan of working in large gangs has the effect of cheapening the cost of production, and that last year this system caused the value of exports to the Australasian colonies to decline .£'lo,ooo, and allowed the United States to supplant England in the trade. London, March 20. The master bootmakers have refused to arbitrate on the conditions proposed by the strikers. At Leicester and Northampton the strikers stoned the non-Unionists. Mr Ward, Secretary of the Masters' Association, asserts that they have only fought after exhausting all peaceful means. London, March 21. Sir Henry James, Sir Charles Dilke, Mr Mundella and Mr Childera have offered to arbitrate in the boot trade strike. London, March 22. The Hon H. H. Asquith says that in the interests of England nothing is more momentous than that immediate steps should be taken to avert the useless and hideous misery that .will surely be the : outcome of the boot strike unless terms are arranged between the employers and the men.

A ballot taken among the Welsh miners showed a large majority in favour of withdrawing the demand for an increase in the sliding scale rates, and it is expected a strike will be avoided. London, March 25.

The bootmakers' strike is not expected to last more than six weeks, unless the funds of the union are largely augmented. Mr Ward, secretary to the Master Bootmakers' Association, says the Socialists caused the strike by demanding that the workmen should receive a greater share of the profits. Pabis, March 25. The miners in Liege have gone out on Strike. Frequent collisions took place between strikers and police, and eventually the. police had to fire on the mob, with the result that many of the latter were killed. Sydney, March 22. The strikers at Hudson's ironworks are closely picketing the works. It is stated that most of the non-ITnionists who started have been induced to leave. The strikers have received promises of support from several societies. Hudson states that unless the reductions are accepted, the works must be closed.

m, a tt , , Sydney, March 25. t J-ne Hudsons have decided to start their ironworks with non-unionists, and are wSSf. ISmg ° r meU at reduced rates °f titl rik r ar - e drained to resist the work S' and^ endto closel y P^ket miT y aUd nigktfromThe r e^T eiving , monetar y assistance trom the employees of other firms The third reading The Premier Mid he fl

A , ~ Brisbane, March 21 fl fff\ mee X of the Unionisr s hearers at Hughenden it was decided to strike during the coming season for an increase week 6 ° f to IZ per oirPV e £! is *l e * li ?g 0 f Ji«Puietude throughout the district, and police patrols Ire being despatched to the centres where trouble is expected. A *oiw • v • B ? isban e, March 26. <*f»«™ fc ls * em S at Hughenden Station on the questions whether the rouseabouts should accept 24s per week or engage through the Pastorals'UW «fwi / •??? I lm P ression Prevails that* a strike will take place in May. T , O T . . Newcastle, March 24.