THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14899, 30 July 1910, Page 5

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

NEWS AND . NOTES,

6 Br the Hon. J. T. Faui,, M.L.O.

- MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. Monday.—Tailors, Bricklayers. Tuesday.—Tinsmiths, Canister Worker?, Sawmillers, Slaughtermen. Wednesday .—Tramway Kmployecs. 'Friday.—Engineers, Plasterers.THE LABOUR CONFERENCE. The annual Trades and Labour Councils' Conference must now be numbered with things past. Its valuo will bo measured largely toy tho-.-political platform which it has adopted. By a tacit understanding tho conference was toola-d to for some lend in the political side of tho movement, and that lead is to soma extent given by tho adoption of the platfonn. Like all other similar productions, it is a compromise in so far as it attempts to meet tho ccnllicting sections in the movement. If the extremo i-ocial-ists failed to win the objective on which they build all of their hopes and none of their labours—" tho socialisation o( the. means of production, distribution, and cxchangc "—tho other soction of the.,conference was forced to accept "tho gradual public ownership of tho means of production, .distribution-, and exchange." Whether thai remains the pormnnent objective of the party only time will show. It may be said in a word, however, that the spirit pervading, tlvis conference was. more hopeful; tho viewpoint of delegates saner, and tho general disposition of the conference more in unison with realities than has been tho caso with at least tho past two gatherings. This, of course, will be commendable or, otherwise according 'to tho predilections of reformers.

The late conference will bo historic for two reasons. It has evolved the most complete piatform yet drawn up. by a Trades Conference. It was also the last conference under tho present constitution, as it is .proposed to hold die next conference under the Federation of Labour constitution and scheme., -A ; big effort will now bo made to. launch the federation during the coming, year. For - those two reasons alone the conference of 1910 will be remembered. A- UNITED BUILDING TRADES ' ' COMMITTEE. The second annual report of tho honorary secretary .of • the Christehurch United Building Trades Committee his been issued. The comini.ttio consists of representatives from several unions connected with tho building trade. The report ] joints out that the two questions which took upmost of tho eonimitteo's time, were a proposed amendment to the Industrial Conciliation ami Arbitration Act and the ■ technical education of apprentices. Tho report says: "In regard to the fust proposal"the committee, after a discussion running into two meetings, passed a, resolution to the effect that the present method of appointing and workers' representatives to the Arbitration Court should be abolished, and that in substitution thereof representatives should lw drawn-' fi'om industrial groups in each industrial centre or district, such representatives onIy : to act when tho court is called upon to deal with a dispute affecting an industry included in the group. Tho question of grouping industries was dealt, with more from the point of view of economy, and in consideration of the great number of small industries in, this country. Tho"-committee is ;of tho opinion that the ideal system is to appoint exports from the particular industry, in which a disnnla necurs, tjiose experts to sit with the judge when qflest-ions on which the parties .have failed to decide at tho Council of Conciliation havo been ,referred to the Arbitration Court. Tho experts to bo appointed as required, and to b6 remunerated for actual tune occupied on. the court. The second subject was that of extra consideration for technically-trained apprentices. A considerable amount of of labour' lias been expended in connec-' ti.on with this subject, including a visit of the committee to tho Technical College and corresponding with unions having representative classes at the Technical College. As tho subject is still undor discussion -I need not refer further to it any more than to say . that .-Ujhen, I state that lio more importanfc could como before tin's committee I am expressing the opinion, of every mejijtyjrii'i » " • THE' LINES' OF It is always' difficult'to' corrcotly cstK lttato i political, and iindustntil .progress. The reason is bscauss prejudice to largely colours judgment For a number- of years fcns Statute Books have boon considerably tinged by Labour influence. It has- become the fashion in some pircles to condemn all this in a comprehensive 'phrase. It is true that tho new cbjectivo of tho Labour party declares an intention "To maintain upon our Statute Books all the progressive legislation that has already been enacted, atrd to insist upon its sympathetic and proper' administration." Nevertheless, it. is not exceptional to' hew ' a speech' from a Labour loader which moro or loss seriously questions the virtue of our industrial- legislation. In etfoct it it urged that, despite our progressive legislation, tho workers arc no better off, That is not in any eengo'.a fair statement of the position. The irony of such a view comes here. Tho Socialism-at-onco party invariably takes the La-bour 'man's impeachment for granted, and never troubles to provo til© alleged efficacy of' the progressive _ legislation. Ho says that Labour legislation has failed' in the past —for lias not the Labour man said so?— ami the proposed remedy-of more' Labour legislation must also fail. From which, of course, lie argues tlyit there is no hope in minor or greater degree outside the creation of a Socialist State.

Leaving out tlie question of the absolute Socialist State for the reason that it is outside our time, at,least the Socialist contention is built on a false premise.' It is true unfortunately that in "many cases fclio promise is that supplied by v 6ome of the units of the Labour party. That, howover, does not -malco it correct. If Factories and Shops, Workers' Compensation, Arbitration and Conciliation Acta, aird our other Labour laws have availed us nothing, tiwm there, is 110 hope for the future. The industrial cair only come along evolutionary lines, a«J if these truo 'evolutionary lines have proved fake tracks, so much the worc» for our industrial future. It 1 may bo urged that Socialism is the only. road leading' to the industrial Jerusalem, but it cannot lie denied that all our Labour laws aro based on the best humanitarian instincts and the sounrdfst progressive principles. If Labour leaders will continue to supply ammunition for extreme Socialist propagandists, and ihoso pvopagaiKlists draw the only possible conclusion .from incorrcct facto, ' then tho Labour party must not be surprised i[ a. section of the workers boliovo botli the Socialist extremists and tile incorrect interpretations' of a few Labour leaders. I ain led to make these observations after hearing some recent speeches from both sections of the progressive movement, and I do' so because I consider them both misleading. . THE GREEN OF FAR-OFF HILLS. A few of the delegates to the recent Trades and Labour Conference 111 Auckland were' certain that Queensland was a happy hunting ground for class-conscious Socialism, and was simply jumping aheadbecause of its transition into an industrial haven by tho adoption of the wholehog objective of " tho socialisation ofMhc means of production, distribution, and exchange." A few days hence will 6eo the Trade Union Congress open in Brisbane. A glance at tho agenda paper, however, reveals similair difficulties in organisation to those whioh exist hers. In the first place the object of the cungress is "to briny about greater harmony and ' closer relationship between individual unions, to' take, part in the organisation of any industry not already organised', and lo endeavour to secure an amelioration of the conditions of workers generally by inducing unionists to take a keener interest in the political phase of the Labour movement than they have done in tho past.". Commenting 011 this, a regular contributor to the Queensland Worker shatters some New Zealand conceptions of the position of the Labour movement in Queensland, for Jl3 says that "hitherto the ilnions outside the A.L.F. have largely ignored political action. Some of them "have been so blind to their own interests and to the trend of the times as to sternly shut down on politics, and make a virtue of exoiu.'ljng 'the .political phaso of the' Labour movement' from their deliberations.. If tho coiu;r2ss puis an end to that mistaken and suicidal state of affairs it v.-ill have done well." '

In the editorial columns I find confirmation of this view, and it is not a little rsiuarlcablo to notica that.'the difficulties to bi? cvc-rcomo in Queensland are not yerj different from those" mit hero. This is the editorial dictum:—

The one great subject confronting the coming Trade Union Congress iu Brisbane is the federation of Labour.

Everything elso pales "in importance before it. ' .- The congrcss will discuss a good many other matters. It will. cxcrciso its wisdom and its organising capacity-in many other directions. " " But the test of its. power to bo of service to the cause of unionism \vill bo tho measure, in which" it solves the problem of federating the scattered units of Labour, and- transforming a multitudo of separate, dotacht,, awl consequently inefficient unions, into one homoj ge.neous and effective .fighting force. Tho present conditon of things is extremely deplorable. Thero never were so many unions in Queensland; it is , questionable if thero ever was less unionism. It would appear from all this that tho apples havo still to bo pickcd in Queens-land.-It is not enough to-.sit; under the tree and murmur high-sounding phrases. jottings!' 1 ' ' . Tho re-enactment of the Arbitration Act is a leading plank in the Labour party's campaign in New South Wales. . Mr F. W. Coneybecr, South Australian Labour Minister o! Education, says tho State should provide tho whole cost of education from kindergarten, to tho imivoreitv. . The principal provision- of the Amending Immigration Ilestriction Act introduced in' tho Federal Parliament -by the Labour Government is that, the dictation test -may be applied any time within fivo years of landII!?. As showing tho,trend of organisation'in J«ow Wales nine hew. unions have been uormed by tho Sydney Labour Council in tho -last three', months. ■' Thoy-aro: Watchmen, Carotakere and Cleaners, Cycle and Motor Workers, Tin Canister Workers, lvopo Workers, Stage Supernumeraries, Metal' Coiling. Workers, Meat Packets, and Boatbuildore. At Adelaide recently tho Amalgamated' : Society of Engineers sued a momber {or £7 4s Bd, due _as fees, levies, fines, and dues, tho magistrate mado an order for the amount, with £ 1 17s costs, to bo paid within one yoar. A similar caso against another mem'ber fcr 19s 5d- resulted in am order for tho piyment-of that, amount, with £l 17s costs. ■ ' Something like delay! In December/ 190 a, Brisliano Clothing Trado Wages' Board tirst met to consider the wages. o2 employees, and they havo bjen considerijrg it ever since. It is, .howover, confidently expected that before the latter, end of this century, or the .beginning' of 'tho. next, tile board will bo able to promulgate its award. Meanwhile thd'urifortunato employees await a redress', of- grievances, while the bleeding- taxpayers foot tho boards bill of cost';.—Queensland • Worker.

. The South Australian Labour- Cabinet issued instructions on Tuesday to tho Government Supply and ; Ter.dcr Board, directing: that in recommending till© pur-, cli'ase of materials to tho deportments, it shall', send a minute'with each recommendation, stating whether or not suoh materials aro procurable within tho Commonwealth. Hitherto, suoh minutes have had reference to South Australia only, but the Yerran Government has determined to foster Australian industries, irrespective o£. tho States itt which they aire conducted. ' " The high rata of wages in tho United States, compared with Europe and Asia, is not accidental," writes Herbert N. Casson, in his " Organised Self-help.". "It is not due-to. tho greater: bo-iiovolencc on tho of 'American capitalists. It - is not due~ to die fact 'that this is a »sw country.;, the Canadian- provinoo of Quebeo is a new country, yot wages aro low-tv thero than, in England. It is duo to the 75 years' light against .low wages mado by organised labour/' ;This country was not a working man's paradise when it was first settled. Every inch of progress for tho labourer has had to bo fought for." '

Workmen's compensation -has, after many years, become a matter for seriois attention by a_No\v South Wales Government (says tho "Worker). The coining elcolions have, of course, nothiiis do with the case. In Committee of 'tho Whole on Wednesday last Premier Wade' moved for leave to introduce a billpfe; amend tlie v law in respect to work- ; men for injuries sustained con tse of their omploynwnt. Thisjlwoiwl. provide t for monetary comnensatidn-Vwithout proof of .negligence by tiHs employer. ' Such compensation would bo "limited 1 to three years' salary, as in Englmi<L" It would: not ap.ply to minora, who ihad-i schema of their omi. It would; not propose full .compensation, "and both parties woulf • sharo to an extent in tho loss sustained." . 1