WORLD of WORK

NZ Truth, Issue 538, 9 October 1915, Page 3

WORLD of WORK

BY "HONESTAS."

For long "Honestas" has been of the opinion that the combined trades unions ought to retain one or two live lawyers who have made workers' compensation and employers' liability their special study, to take note of every industrial accident that occurs and see that justice is 'done. There are cases where men, • not _• only •- non-unionists, meet with accidents, and the employers responsible are able to get- them to accept much less than they are entitled to, owing to their: failure: --to. report their- cases .to the .union, 'or- from some other cause/ Wer.e;two or. mbredawyers retained for this specia.bjpurpose,;. the position of the unions would: be-materi-ally strengthened,- as nothing ..would bring- home to the non^ unionist.. with more telling-, effect Jthe value Ofminionism than that, despite the fact 'that he was a non-unionist* it was able to secure for him/ when 'incapacitated by an accident at work, muqh more than the "boss" had originally offered." In this case also,! !tooney : ,tallvs,"

Had such a system been m vogue what happened- the other day, m connection with the-> accident by which Frank Wftrelin lost his-' life, would not tmve tak^ii placed - Frank. "Honestas" understands, was' an A.8., and a member of the Seamen's Union, and this latter fact makes the proceedings subsequent to his death all the more unsatisfactory; Surely, if ever there' was a case m which a union* ought to have interfered, it was that of Warelin. The facts as stated to this scribe are as follows: Frank Warelin was nigm watchman on the Koromiko, when that ship was lying- at Evan's Bay unloading coal. At a .quarter to ten on the night of the 10th ult. Frank Warelin fell down an open hatch and was killed. It is said that the union was not represented at the inquest which followed, and that material facts were thu3 kept nack Which if they had been made public would have led to the U.S.S. Co. being forced to augment the amount of compensation granted. It is freely stated that on the night of the accident, and for many nights previously, those working at the unloading of the Koromiko were kept working up xo the last minute, and 30 knocked off work without either covering up the hatch or throwing over it a protecting net as they are supposed to do. Since Frank Warelin's death, however, this has been done. It this , statement is> true, this surely is a case m which the offending company should have been made to pay the uttermost farthing, and had legal advisers t^en retained on the understanding herein suggested, there is little doubt but it -would have had to write out a bigger cheque than under the circumstances it has been called upon to do. What perplexes "Honestas" is the silence and inactivity of the union m this case.

.The latest amending Bill to the Federal Arbitration Act is one that covers a lot of ground. The amending Bill has been agitated for strongly by the A.W.U. From being a union connected with shearers it grew into one dealing with all workers on the land, pastoral and agricultural. Rapid extensions made it possible for men to belong to the union who Would have been regarded with scorn m the old militant days of the A.W.U. when the members were far more conservative and exclusive. The union recently found that it had been going too rapidly, as far as the Arbitration Act wa3 concerned, and that It either had to go back or have the Act amended to meet its requirements. It was also necessary that the amendment should be effected within a certain time, or the registration of the Union WOUld be cancelled. A strike on the part of a union of such magnitude, over one hundred thousand members, is not a thing to be lightly regarded. It is better, perhaps, to take a little liberty with legislative power and authority to get an Act amended than to chance an industrial upheaval. At the same time it may be dangerous to establish a precedent of altering an Act to meet the demands df one union, no matter how important it may be. Under the existing Act it was provided that an organisation, to obaln registration, must consist of employees *n one industry or group of kindred industries. The Amending Act was designed to permit the registration of any oocnblnntion and variety of unions. It Is a big move, and goes farther towards the recognition of industrialism, or the new unionism, than anything yet attempted.

O'Connell and Austin, who are starring at His Majesty's , Theatre, Wellington, are presenting a bicycling act which is the veritable limit m this line of business. If anyone imagines that the fast word has been said m trick work awheel, they are advised to see O'Cbnnell and Austin, and then be disillusioned. Their act has lately been the talk of Auckland, and now it is Wellington's turn' to marvel. The male performer is particularly expert m performing freak operati6ns on his bike while careering round, and he dismantles handle bars, wheels and parts of the framework, until the spectator is contrained to ask what is going to happen next. The act culmniates m a thrilling waltz by the principals round and round the stage on the back wheels of their machines. .