WORLD OF WORK

NZ Truth, Issue 569, 13 May 1916, Page 8

WORLD OF WORK

— Pithy Points for Proletarian Plugs—

Despite the complaints which have appeared from time to time m these columns, and the promises of the Defence authorities to rectify matters, men who are of military age and sufficiently patriotic to offer themselves for service, without waiting on the passing of a general Compulsion Act, are being humbugged and made to suffer all sorts of annoyance, inconvenience and loss. ..Protest . after protest has appeared m the press against sending men to camp toefora they have finally passed th"c medical test. There had been so many cases of men, 'who, having passel a local examination, had thrown up their jobs and gone into camp only to be ; immediately turned down by tho camp doctors and turned out , on the road again jobless and, m many cases penniless, that the thing became a scandal. Some tirnje ago we were assured that this state of things had been remedied, and that there would not be any further reason for complaint on that score. But isn't there? Last week "Honestas" was informed of a young grocer, who enlisted m Wellington, and after being duly examined and passed as physically fit, left his job and proceeded. In response to "orders," to camp, to begin his training as a defender of those, beautiful islands and, if need be, the' larger and more glorious Empire beyond. The camp medical authorities, however, turned him down, and wearing a -grey-armlet, he sought his old employer for are-start. It was no good. He had been several years m his old job and had never given cause for complaint as to unfltness. Still, his employer would not take him back. After fruitless efforts to get work he drifted at last to the waterfront. Even here, however, he 1 was blocked. Somewhat annoyed, ho expressed himself as surprised that young men who had never been to the front, nor. had offered themselves aa recruits, aa he had done, were chosen m preference to himself. "Well, if a thin way, matey," said a well-known laborforeman. "It's as much as my job's worth to take you or ono like you on — that is while you are wearing that badge. You see, you are advertising yourself as &L 'physically. unfit,' and 'physically unfits' don't cut any ice on this stunt. Why, man,, don't you know there's a Workman's Compensation Act % You might drop dead ten minutes 'after you started work and the shipping company would have to dump up compensation to your next of kin. That's the reason, and the shipping companies are not the only bosses that weigh the matter up from this same point of view— not by a long way."

What price the patriotism of the Wellington Harbor Board? ''Honestas" had a call from an ex-member of the Board stair, a married man, who after enlisting, but before, leaving his job, had been ordered by the military authorities to present himself for medical examination. In obeying this order he was close on two hours absent from work, and on receiving his last week's wages, when leaving to go- into camp, he was paid two hours short! From another story he tells, It would seem that the Harbor Board staff, m a great measure, shapes Its patriotism ' after the Board's pattern. When this married man went to enlist, thre© single men, boyt worhinff for the Board, went with him. One was turned down for sorao weakness, real or 'assumed; another was rejected because his chest measurement was one Inch shy (this man had served m the Imperial Army! ) and the third man, becauso ho declared he could not read a sentence m six- inch letters several yards away. Only the married man passed. The queer thing was, that after they were back at their work some time, the shortsighted coon was asked the time m a casual sort of way. Not having a watch, ho ran out of the shed, looked m the direction of the clock In tho post office tower, and shouted back the time thereon quite correctly. Possibly moro than ono have Becured their unfit armlet by the feamo Kind of dodge, but one of these days the medical officers will be "taking a tumble." and following the example of a certain old army medical man with ono of the Highland regiments. "Shortsighted ar-ro ye?" ho asks. "Weel, I am sor-r-ry, but, let me see. Ay, ay, I r-r-rlsk It. You'll dae for-r gettln' dose up to your-r war-rk — bayonet war-rk, for instance!"

BY "HONEBEAS."

There was a time In the history of the typo-aUngera* union of Gorzone when they were noted among Labor organisations aa examples of efficient and economical administration. Although sedate of behavior and careful of decorum generally, on occaaiona when they deemed their Interests at atake they would flee to the conflict as furiously as a btUd-headed feinalo after her wig m a wind storm. The report of tho Federated Typoß for tho year ending March 31, 1016, la to hand, and the document is the reverse of stimulating. Whether It is because too many political plftlera have got into positions of power In the organisation, "Honeata»" can't say; but It Is quit© clear that the Typoa' Unions m their federated form no longer make a fighting organisation. They aeem to havo lost their punch, both as individual unions and as a Federation, for the few scraps m which they bavo assumed r ,he defensive, they have speedily skied the towel or taken tho count. After a conference of printing trades' unions, at which the Typos were (mis-) represented, had agreed to form a Printing Trades Federation for the Dominion, the members, on being consulted, "fired" the auggeHtlon with hearty enthusiasm, Kftrly m the year tho Canterbury Union rang up the Federation executive to #et busy and battlo to get revoked Bill Massoy'a Order-iu-Council suspending the weekly employment and payment of wngiw clauses of

the award, but once more a majority _of unionists supported Big Billiam's device. Two cases of "breach," which the report says are * 4 happily few," resulted In the Union biting the dust — beg pardon, kissing mother earth. The first was against the "Otago Daily Times" for employing a boy at .the trade who was not apprenticed. The Magistrate held that where no Indenture had been signed, employers were entitled to Keep on the lad aa a "waiting boy, rt No better luck attended the expensive effort of the Otago Union to re-establish the old practice of charging for "blocks." After a skirmish with the first Magistrate before whom the case was taken, which ended m that dignitary beating a speedy retreat with his judicial feathers rufl'led, a second Magistrate ruled that before a "conip." could claim a "block" it was necessary to have a "take" with it, which was like "hair spacing to make even" on what forty years ago was a "fat' take, ending m a break.

The annual "Compo." Conference which was held at Dunedln,' where the beer has another X on tho barrel, and travellers maintain that the lassies are the most buxom m the land, seems to have been a gathering of "Royals." After the assembled delegates had made some necessary amendments m the mortality scheme owing to tho war, they tackled the old problem of a new award. Deep deliberation evolved the decision that discretion was the better part of valor, at least during war time. The majority of those high-brows who would expect an increase In. wages after the war are In safe confinement, but not all, not all ■ — when some unions will spend hardearned golden googies to send delegates tripping over four hundred miles to arrive, at such a conclusion. The roll of honor, though still incomplete, shows that 110 enlistments oat of a membership of less than a thousand ia no e&*' bad. , Another seven resolutions were passed, not to mention tho fellcitions slobber which Is bo much a feature of these gatherings, and as the conference cost £259 odd, over five "roberto" per member, it is pleasing to note that thero is one body of proletarian plugs In the Dominion which is willing to pay such a price m order that Its representatives might Inform the world and his wife that it is as well treated as It ought to be. "Honestas" can't help concluding that the general indifference of the average type-sllnger to the interests of bis trade union has resulted m a small, select coterie getting to tho head seats and roosting there, whoso pet purposo seems to be to make the organisation as a sort of haw-haw, shabby genteel institution, but most people with an intelligent understanding of Labor matters will have little hesitation In regarding the results as rather of the he-haw species.

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The Commonwealth Labor Government, which won the last general elections on the preference to unionists question, excels Itself m finding qualifications when it comes to the application of the principle. In restoring it m the Federal service It took alt the value out of It by providing a terminating eubtorfuge, "qther things being equal." The question decided at the polls was preference or no preference, and n.ny qualifying clause was not considered. Tho Qualifying business extends farther than that, according to a statement rocently made Jn connection with a contract for bread for soldiers' camps entered fnto locally. According to the secretary of the union, the contract was let to a baker employing non-union labor, and it was furthor stated, that preference cannot be given to firms employing union labor under the Commonwealth .contracts. The statement was clinched by a letter from the act-ing-Prime Minister, In Tvalch it was stated that it was impracticable to make the employment of union labor a condition of contracts.

The Department, however, was prepared to extend consideration to tho firm which employed union labor In eases where UW<* wag not n groat discrepancy between tho prices quoted. 1

The qualification clauao being contained In tho last dozen words. Why, it may as woll be asked, can tho Common* wealth Government not take tho question, into account? In tendering for big contracts prices are cut very low bocnuso the tenderer < relies upon the quantity to provide him with a profit. As the prices of commodities differ but little, it follows that an extra cutting must be done at tho expense of tbo labor employed. That being so, does it m «an that tho Labor Government, which depends upon union support and votes for Us existence, Is prepared to encourage the non-unionists If xhny art) a little cheaper? If so, it is not an indirect, but a direct, method of encouraging tho existence of non-union firms, it is no woriaer that Australian Laboritcs are asking what advantage It la to them to elect Labor Governments who aro more concerned In pennies than principles.