THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13835, 23 February 1907, Page 14

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

NEWS AND NOTES. By the Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C. Secretaries are requested to forward dales of union meetings. Tlid iollowing unions will moot during the week at the Trades Hall: — To-night (Saturday).—Engine-drivers, Typo-

graphical. Monday.—Tramway, Butchers, Painters. Wednesday.—Labourers. Thursday.—Political Labour League. .Friday.—Plasterers. Saturday.—Carpenters,

THE SLAUGHTERMEN* AND ARBITRATION. Prophets have so often announced Ihe oikl of arbitration and the failure of the act wo have on our Statute Hook thai one may lie pardoned for being sceptical about the present " failure." The general opinion amongst opponents and those nci partial to arbitration in lulxiur disputes was thatihe act- would "fail" when a- dopm-sinn came. According to some authorities lho act has now "failed" in an industry which at the present moment is signally prosperous. So much so, iu faci, that one meat, company has endeavoured to outbid awithl'r i:i an attempt to purchase labour. Were we to abandon any law because it did nol alsolutcly prohibit, crime, for instance, it, would not lie considered evidence of sanity. It is therefore unwise to hail the failure of arbitration because an industry has been momentarily paralysed. The Minister of Labour (the Hon. J, A. Millar) and the officers of tho department have acted with o. promptitude which has commended iiself to all classes, and has done much to prevent any widespread labour trouble.! At time of writing, I am. of course, ignorant pf the Arbitration Court's view of Ihe matter.

Till", ARBITRATION COURT. The visit of the court to the various centres always causes a flutter of excitement. It does not. require much' imagination to assign Iho reason'. .No other trio of colonists can so closely affect the bread and butter of the wage-earners. Ilenoe the ordinary man and woman feel, they have more than a merely curious interest- in the work of 'tlio court. On the occasion of its visit this week wo learned something about, the felt-hat industry. Unfortunately, that industry has not, nrospcrcd as those who embarked in if liatf hoped it .would! Many reasons arc assigned for this partial failure, and during the hearing it was suggested that a tittle assistance might lie sought in the direction of more protection.

THK SYSTEM OF "LIVIXG-IN."

Whiteley, the great provider, who was shot in London recently, was a disciple of Hie "living-in system." Lord Wolseley, when Commander-in-chief, condemned it as pernicious, and if universal would necessitate the country importing its defender:;. Xo soldier could be made of the man who " lived in." Ho was not allowed to soil his hands. The result was a 11 pink-and-white figure, with hands like wax. It evolved the finest class of counter attendants in the world and the most type of man existence. Its effects wore even more disastrous on the women. The men would go out and ramble round until 10.30, when they had all lo be home or be locked out (and to be locked out three times meant dismissal); but the female hands passed straight from the counter to the dining room, and straight from the dining room to the social room, whore they read or did a little sewing for themselves while chatting with their fellow-slaves. The result was that these women became shockingly anionic; and an investigation proved that 63 per cent, of the first children of such of these women as could bo traced after marriage died within tliair first year, while an enormous number were stillborn." Whiteley bequeathed £1,000,000 to found almshouses for the poor. Since the above the issue of the Clarion to hand by the mail contains "An Exposure" of this 6ystem, by Percy Allott. lie confi mis tlie objection of Lord Wolselcy, and gives his personal impression:—"l have 'lived in' in one of the o 1 acst-established houses in the West End, which has a reputation for treating its assistants remarkably well, but I can only say that if the system adopted there is considered humane by any sane person, he need have no fear of a future Hell, for it would be a:i Paradise to him." Mr Allott sets out the advantages and disadvantages, and shows an overwhelming preponderance of the latter. IRVINE'S PLACE IX POLITICS. In the days when we devoted columns of spaco to the unfortunate railway strike in Victoria tho name of Mr W. H. Irvine, then Premier of Victoria, was most proniinein. ISomo believed he was the strong man sent to save Victoria from a civil service bent on running the country. Others believed lie was the eiiuse of the revolt of men who refused to sacrifice their manhood and do tho bidding of a reactionary Government. Australian Labour men and the Labour press have no 1-ive for him,, and 1 reproduce an extract from the Sydney Worker, which reveals their opinion. The sting of the taunt lies in the truth it contains. Speaking of tho strike arid the treatment of the men by the Government, the Worker says:—"The man who was obdurate was W. H. Irvine r and right through the piece lis fought against all compromise, and played for the right to administer the coup de grace. He got it. And where is W. H. Irvine to-day? In tho Federal Parliament, and every time he rises to speak any Labour member can taunt him: ' Bah 1 all your work in the State Parliament, has been undone by your own colleagues. They found that your *olicy of Yao Victis for the railway strikers vas rotten, and (lie strikers after three and ahalf years go back to their old places.

JOTTINGS. It is not every week I have reason to make it known that, all mv correspondents on questions.coming under "The Industrial World" cannot be attended 10. I have noticed one under another head; one other will have to be patient until next week. I have received a very helpful letter from Mr James Krown, the energetic secretary of the Dunedin Branch Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners. Ho sends along the Monthly Report of the Amalgamated Society, which runs into somo 50 odd pages of printed matter. Among other interesting items in tho report are "Parliamentary Notes," by Mr W. T. Wilson, M.P. in the House of Commons (one of the three carpenters returned at. last election). The "Open Column" supplies evidence of the interest r.nd calibre of tlie men who arc studying current questions in the Old Country. I thank Mr Brown, for his cordial acknowledgment oi the efforts to make this column interesting and instructive.

The Otago Trades and Labour Council lias elected Messrs 1?. Breen, J. Ilaymes, and \V. Pattison as its representatives to die annual conference at Easter. Mr 1!. Ferguson (Typographical Union) was elected emergency delegate. Mr Breen has represented the council at Christchurch (1004 and 1906) and Wellington (1905), Messrs Haymcs and Pattison make their first, nppcaranco at a Trades Conference, while Air Ferguson represented Otago at Auckland (1902) and Grcyniouth (1902). A conference'of representative? from the New Zealand Federated Ta-iloresscs' Union and the Now Zealand federated Olotlunff Manufacturers' Association will be held in Christcliurcli next week. Worliins; conditions and wages will he discussed with a view to a new industrial agreement. These federations cover (he employers and employees in the clot bins: liiamifiictwini trade in Duncdin. Christchurch, and Wellington. Tho initial steps are being taken by the trades councils to choose an " Official" candidate for the position of workers' representative on the Arbitration Court. The Wellington Council lias chosen Mr <T. A. M'Cul!<mgh (Clirisfcliurch) for representative and Mr T. W. Young (Wellington) deputy represcr.talivc. Mr M'Oulloujrh has been a member of tho Railway Appeal Board, in addition to many years' active interest- in the labour union movement. Mr Young is also widelv known. Mr Slater (the sitting member) will be a candidate for the position, and probably others will offer themselves. The Easter Conference will discuss the question, and the vote of the unions will be taken at the end of the year.

Attempts are being made to resuscitate •ho Tnvercargill Trades and Labour Council. l'V>r many years tile council was a live institution, and its delegates attended the annual conference. With the rise of the Axemen's Carnival, however, eamo the cessnlion of [nvcrcnrgiil's representation, mvl 'i:iriuit the last few years no evidence has bren forthcoming that a. trades council exists in the southern oitv.

'' Old Moore." the almanac propbet. of 'Md .England, foretells a gigantic union of ihe world's workers durine 1907. The l r :\iver=al Fraternity of Breadwinners is the liile. and it- will "ensure the world's ucacc," rm-iitutintr "a strike against armies and brotherhood slaughter.'' "Old Moore'' will •be considerably less be/ore this 'delightful consummation 'is achieved,

The Workers' Compensation Bill which tile last session of (he British Parliament passed was an extension of the original measure, and includes j number of classes of workers which worepreviously exempt'.

A recent British Parliamentary return to the order of Labour Member Crooks shows tl'at. at last election the proportion cf illiterates who voted was: England and Wales (19.758). one in 247: Scotland 12041), ono in 287; Ireland (12,510), one in 11.

A convention, called by the Trades and I.sbour Congress of Canada recently endorsed Socialism, believing Hint "in tlio accomplishment of its aim lies the only true and permanent, .solution of the labour problem.'' The eoiiveiiiicn also urged independent representation for labour.