THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14156, 7 March 1908, Page 13

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

NEWS AND NOTES

2i the Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.O,

Items of information and brief comments on questions coining under this heading are always welcome. Books, pamphlets, etc., sent to the editor of this,column will also be noticed.

MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK Tho following unions will meet during the week at tho grades Hall: — To-night (Saturday).—Engine-drivers (special). Monday.—Painters; Butchers. Tuesday.—Pimnhers. ' Thursday,—Furniture Trade; Trader and Labour Council. Friday.—Carpenters; Carters, Saturday.—Bakers. THE POLITICAL LABOUR LEAGUE AS EDUCATOR.

The local league look the plunge on Sunday la.st. its present intention is to continue public meetings each Sunday afternoon and a weekly open-air meeting in the street. The president occupied the platform at tho initial meeting. He made a characteristic speech which was transparently sincere. Air Muiiro did not speak long, but he made more .than ono good point. He claimed to be a Socialist. He was not a. revolutionary Socialist, because he wiw not quite sure what the prefix conveyed. If. is tunaziiig the charm this word "revolutionary' 1 has had of late for a few.of tho most militant Socialist?. They never lose, an opportunity of'parading the fact that they are not of the common garden variety: they are revolutionary Socialists. In the majority of cases these men have some acquaintance with history aml are not Ignorant of the relative value of terms. Socialism is ip its essence evolutionary, ami evolutionary Socialism is understandable—revolutionary Socialism is capable only of misconception by the majority of .jicople. Revolution in Iho generally accepted sense, with bloodshed and attendant evils, is certainly not contemplated by those, speakers, but when such a • term can only make confusion worse confounded, surely it would bo wise to drop tho prefix.,

Mr Munro did well to refer to the possibilities of voluntary co-operation. Two subsequent, speakers totally disagreed with hie idea that the workers should help themselves by this method. They declared themselves revolutionary Socialists. Tlie State must do everything. It is a lamentable fact that co-operation has failed miserably in New Zealand. It has, as is well known, been a magnificent success in the Old Country. And lest Socialists of tho revolutionary brand think it against Socialistic principles to help ourselves, I would point out that tho most recent and moat successful example of co-operative effort is the general store promoted by the Victorian Socialists on Rochdale lines. When they know that Mr Tom Mann is head and front of the party I am sure they will bo quite satisfied that it is not. an infringement of Socialistic principle. I notico further that Mr \V. G. Sponce, Federal M.H.R., in his presidential address to tho annual conference of the Australian Workers' Union (which union, by the way, now numbers 39,000 strong—an increase of 9000 for the year), paid a tribute to voluntary co-operativo effort in these terms: —

i Capitalists claim /that they aro the only people who know how to manage business affairs—a. claim which r.deny. Such labour as in friendly, societies and the trade unions movement have shown greater success, than any of the commercial enterprises, and they have been entirely, managed by workers. Already the experience of Labour-in-polrtics has shown a greater measure of success than that experienced, under old parties. As an illustration of successful management by wciking men I refer to two examples. In Ghent in Belgium, ia 1873, Mr E. Anseele and a few weavors started a co-operativo bakery. _ From that they have built up huge enterprises—a large co-operative store, the biggest cotton factory in the district, a, printing establishment from which is issued a daily and a weekly newspaper. They l provide life insurance, old age pension, and in a magnificent "People's Palace" they cater for recreation in oil forma. So successful has* it been that they 'havo now in their "Vooreist" (as their society is called) 100,030 members out of a total population in Ghent of 165,000. Practically they have lnada Ghent a city of Socialists. It is .ttleo worthy of noto thai a fourth of the population of Great Britain belongs to co-operative socioties. There are 1588 societies in Great Britain, with 2,332,000. adult members, having £30,000,000 of capital and a'turnover of £18,000,000 in 1906, and the sum of £11,000,000 profits divided amongst members. Theße extensive organisations, together with tho immense extension of State and municipal enterprise, exemplify tho evolution of that movement called by the generic term of Socialism. Socialism is not a creed, but a tendency or evolution towards the better conditions of life in which humanitarian considerations shall prevail Tathcr than .commercial profit-making.

JOHN MITCHELL RETIRES. John Mitchell is the big man of Amori--can trades unionism. Since. .1898 bo has tod the. United Mino Workers of America, v,ho number close on 400,000 and with dependents total nearly 2,000,000. He hai been engaged in some soul-stirring struggles, notably in. tho great American anthracite ccal strike. He is 33 years old. His face shows care and responsibility. He is a distinguished-looking, man, and knows when to apeak and when not to. Some prophesy that he will end up at-the White House.* Ho is young enough and ahlo enough to accomplish that.

Mitchell began life below the bottom rung of the ladder. He put in four or five years at a country school. At 13 bo became a door-boy in tho mines, and then he put in the odd moments in educating himself. Tims he was educated. He ffcaks just when he is ready. Newspaper men have repeatedly found it so. If he does not wish to talk he says so. If ho is not quite ready to answer the questions of tho interviewer he suggests that they call Ic-monow. He only talks wher he believes be can advance tho cause he stands

John Mitchell is a practical reformer. His immediate ideal is a home for every worker which will contain a bathroom, a fow books, and a. carpet on tho floor. Simple, you say. With dog-like fidelity and pertinacity Mitchell has worked for these things. His thoughts are ever for the men who are to havo baths in their houses and books on the shelves. Yet Mitchell has had to fight for his hand timo and again. A trade union of numberless nationalities and enormous numbers is often a .hard task-master. Ho has had to stand tho abuse of the men he slaved for. Ho has had to listen to the word'" Traitor" more than once. Ho has had to withstand tho jibe of the envious and tho sneer of the fraud. Sectional mobs have denounced him. On one occasion hp stood up to a five days' fusillade of Wayne MacVcagh. But" Mi'tchoU has triumphed. And the future is full of possibilities. What he will do is uncertain. One of the New York dailies prophesies this:—"Not tho bitterest onmv of the president of the 'United Mine Workers will .deny that he has worked hard and faithfully for tho organisation, nor will he he slow to admit, tjiat John Mitchell might easily havo <ioub!ed the.3ooodol a year which was his salary, and relievd himself of much worry and anxiety at any time (luring tho past half-dozen years. That his retirement, from the office of president of the united Mino Workers will end his efforts on behalf of organised labour it is difficult to believe. What is more likely is that Labour will benefit, as well as John Mitchell, by the change. Entirely untrammelled, no longer having to struggle to hold power, be will bo free to speak openly as one who realises that old methods of the labour union aro aa foolish as they a.re wicked. Time can now lie given to a discussion of ,a great question in which thought, shall ho givon to tho. public that is demanding fuller knowledge of 'conditions and more light concerning equitable adjustment of these conditions."

JOTTINGS. A native working a Gordon drill on the Rand in Jive hours achieved results equal to the average day's work of 15 coolies or natives. At the last meeting of the .Australasian Fedoratod Butchers' Union, held in Adelaide, it was officially reported that "satisfactory news was received from slaughtermen in New Zealand."

The white wage-earners in Johannesburg (South Africa) have set on foot a vigorous boycott against traders and employers who simport Asiatic cheap labour. Now South Wales Labourites have only elected ono Federal member (Mr J. C. Watson) to represent them at the Interstate Political Labour Conference, to be held in Brisbane next June.

Mr W. (i. Spence, M.H.R., bus been reelected president of tho Australian Workers' Union, a position he has held for 20 years.

From Siberia comes a belated report that in a Duma election held at Irkutsk on December 27 T. Bobou6soin, a Socialist, lias boon cloetad to represent that far-off constituency.

A sample of tho letters Labour member Will Crooks quotes as proof of abject misery in Christian England:—" Dear Teacher-Will .von allow my little girls to come home at half-past 3? I slmll have corned sixpence by then, and shall lie able to give litem something warm to tat. They liavo had nothing- all day." ' The. New South Wales Labour party is firm for arbitration, and will make great elforta to have the act re-enacted. The Sydney Worker says:-"That New South Walesj instead of -minor sporadic- strikes, lias not. been involved in a strike that, would paralyse 250,000 pairs of bunds is the greatest" tribute to bo quoted to tho real attitude of trade unionises towards that principle. They believe in and are prepared to abide by it, but. it must he placed on a plane above legal quibbling." The Italian Consul at Perth has gone to Home to suggest modifications of the scheme for settling Italian colonists ill West Australia. If the scheme is carried out, 100 families of cheap workers will lie settled during 1908, and 500 more will fol-

low. , The Trades and La-bom- Congress of Canada decided to send to Great Britain a representative labour man to inform the workmen rhero the truth about . existing conditions in Canada, and if possible stop the further exportation of emigrant for whom no work exists in America. The Worker says that Australian Labour Councils and unions keep kindred bodies in Uritaiii regularly informed by mail as to the true position locally. New Zealand's Socialistic Department of Lc.bo-.ir has issued an interesting history of its operation since its establishment 16 years ago. During that poriod tho. bureau found employment for 52,4-77 -non, having 83,818 persons dependent on them. The review, which is issued under tho instructions of the Minister of Labour, has been compiled by Mr R. -Trcgear, secretary to the. department. An idea of tho extent, to which New SeaUnd ■ drains her politically less favoured neighbours may bo gathered from the fact that of 7393 persons assisted bv the bureau last year, 5966 were single nieii. The vast, majority of these latter were immigrants from Britain—Sydney Worker.

]n thi! middle of December of last year 11,385 unemployed were registered in the Central Bureau for Labour Statistics at Berlin. The Trados Union Central. Office knew of the existence of 72.322 additional to these. The men hit. hardest are those in the building trade. There were three times ie many nut, in December, 1907, as in December, 1905. The metal industries are also in a state .of slackness. Tho polling for the South Leeds (twig.) vacancy, which showed a slump in tho Lalwur vote of close on 2000 as compared with the last. poll,, is explained thus by tho Sydney Morning Herald;-' The truth is that personal feeling among his fellowworkers has had a great, deal to do with Mr Fox's diminished following. All through tho railway agitation last year he apposed Mr Richard' Bell, M.P„ the secretary of t.ha Amalgamated Socio 1 ,? of Railway Servants, and declared that in the event of a strike being ordered the locomotive drivois, oE whom he is ail executive officor, would not come out. Although before the ballot on tho question of a strike was taken a truco was patched up, Mr Fox's attitude rankled • in tho minds of railway men, and they have shown him plainly that they will not permit division in their ranks." It lias long been a cherished belief in Great Britain that the lot of the German coal-miner is infinitely worse than that, of tho British. But the facts, as giveai by Mr :R. Smillie, president of the Scottish Miners Federation, who has studied the Gorman coal industry as a member of a royal commission,' reveal, "that tho conditions in Germany aro improving much more rapidly than at Home.' Hours are reduced and wages going up. Britain is lagging far behind Germany in the matter. of hours. By statute the Gorman miner is not allowed to remain more.than eight ami l a-ha!f hours underground. Tho. Germans have also the advantage over the British miner of changing their clothes at tho pit head, so that they are never seen going to or coming from work in their pit clothes. In Westphalia no miner lives/in a houso of less than four apartments, whereas in Scotland colliers live in dens of one room, where thov sleep, wash, and eat." The Registrar' of New South Wales Arbitration Court has written to the secretaries of all*unions asking for. information as to tho conditions in tho trade whilst the late award was ruling, and those existing previously. Tho tailors' award dropped, out some time ago by effluxion of time. Tho Tailors' Union has decided to aeud the seerotary (Mr Duraek) to supply the following examples of the relapse which followed on the award going out, of force:—Sac coats, which under the award were 16s Bd, have since been reduced to 14s, 12s, and even 10s. Under the award outdoor work, which has always been markedly sweating, was onlvaJlowed in oases of invalids. There is ■ mo'rc"of it now than before the .award.. An additional half or fourth was then paid for overtime; overtime is not now paid. Apprentices (who are almost always women, as being cheaper) were only allowed in the proportion of oho to three journeywomen. 1 They aro now flooding tho wade, are not properly indentured, and are in many cases taken on in a busy timoras before Christmas—to work for a time without wages, on the understanding that they will be properly indentured and paid later, and after tho holidays arc told they aro not. required. Thus order, which was in some measure guaranteed by the Arbitration Court award,, has given place to chaos.