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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1536, 7 August 1901, Page 23

The autobiography of Henry Broad hurst was referred to by Mr G. F. Smithy of th e Wellington Harbour Board, in his address to the Conciliation Board, |Mr Smith deplored what he termed, the lack of independence on ih e part of working men in New Zealand. H q pointed to Mr Broadhurst as an example of independence. One of the Board members, Mr Andrew Collins, remarked that Mr Broadhurst growled a good deal at the conditions under which he .had to work. Mr Smith said that Mr Broadhurst’s career afforded an illustrai tjon of how a working man could overcome difficulties. Mr Collins : “Yes, on £3 a week in the Old Land, contributed by trade unionists.” Among the claims of the workmen’s union in the painting trade dispute, now before tb© Wellington Conciliation Board, is the following:—“Employers shall employ members of the union in preference to non-members, provided that there are members of the union equ_ ally qualified with non-members to perform th© particular work required to be done, and ready and willing to undertake it. When a non-union workman is en S a S e< i by an employer in consequence of the union being unable to supply a workman of equal ability willing to undertake th© work, at any time within twelve weeks thereafter the union shall have the right to supply a man capable of performing the work, provided th® workman first engaged declines to become a member of the union* This provision shall also apply to those nonunion workmen already employed.” This particular claim was spoken of as presenting some unique features. It was strongly opposed by the employers as an attack on personal liberty. Birmingham University is to have a Faculty of Commerce. The council is advertising for an organiser of the Fac - ulty, without, apparently, having any very clear idea of what it expects. The council will prefer a specialist in some commercial subject, such as economics, industrial organisation, and administer tion, finance and statistics, commercial law or commercial history. £750 is the stipend offered.