THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15433, 20 April 1912, Page 7

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD,

Br the Hox. J. T. Paui, M.LC. Items of information and brief oommonts on questions coming under this heading, nro always wetcomo Books, pampldetfi, etc, sent to tho author of this column will also bo noticed. MEETINGS FOR THFi WKEK. Tonight (Saturday)— Typographical (Board). Monday — Woollen Mills Employees, Saddlers. Tuesday-Metal Workers' Assistants, Bootmakers (special).. Wednesday-Bookbinders and Paper-rulers. Thursday—Labpurors, Engine-drivers. Friday—Enginoors. Saturday— Printers' Machinist*. LABOUR WOMEN IN CONFERENCE. Tho National Women's Trado Union League of America is ono of tho largest and most important organisations of working womon iu tho world. Its third biennial convention has just been held, and its demands havo been formulated as follow :— J 1. Tho eight-hour day. 2. Elimination of night work. 3. Protected machinory. 4. Sanitary workshops. 5. Scparato toilet rooms. 6. Seats for women, and permission for their use when tho work allows. 7. Prohibition of the employment of women two months beforo and after child-birth. 8. Pensions for working mothers during tho lying-in period. 9. That wo- ask for an increased number of women factory inspectors, based on tho percentage of womon workors in tho Stato. 10. That the State Department of Health bo urged to appoint women physicians as health inspector, whoso duty it shall be to visit all workshops where women and dhiklron arc employed, to cxamiiio tho physical condition of the workers. 11. A legal minimum wago in sweated trades.

WITT SOCIAL DEMOCRATS WIN SEATS-IN.GERMANY. It is not an exaggeration to say that no political contest has crouted so wido an interest as the recent general elections in Germany. The Social Democratic! party won 110 seats and polled over 4.000.000 votes. It is now thi! strongest party in ficmany. Mr Oscar Pelersson. a member of the parly, has been telling English audionces how it was clopc._ Tin- following summary is from' a recent Home exchange:— "How was their victory possible? Tho secret of their success lay in four things: (1) Organisation. (2| a democratic society, (i) a great political awakening of tho people, (4) the blunders committed by tho liiipera! party. '• After years of toil they had built up a splendid organisation. Their enemies knew it, and said mournfully tli.it the Kociali.-ts were like the Athenian*, with n trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. They had 9G0.M0 paying members m their party, and about 4300 branches. Tho liases of the organisation were in the Reichstag constituencies. The supremo authority of the party was their annual Congress, which decided all matters of principle; the l'arly Executive did the business in accordance with the instructions of the Congress. Tlur pr.rty prefs, with tho exception of the Vorwarts, was independent of-the executive. They had 81 daily papers printed in 61 offices. In one yeur they held 131.673 meetings, and distributed ' 33,525.780 leaflets. That, meant a revolution of tho bruins of the people—iChccrs.) "They had a surplus of £35,000, but were compelled to pay £1500 in fines in one year. Socialist journnliiU were sentenced to terms of imprisonment totalling 26 years. —(Shame.) German Socialists wore ever ready to help their fellow Socialists nbrond; they contributed £125 to tho International Rurea.u. The trade unionists bclongod mainly to the Socialist party, and they numbered 2,5(10.000. They spent £125.000 for education purposes.—(Cheers.) Tho third pillar upon which tha Socialist organisation depended was tho co-operativo 'movement."

REFORM OF THE TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCILS. As a result of tho recent unity conforenco far-reaching reforms will be effected in tho existing Trades and Labour Councils. Hitherto they have been wholly industrial but under tho new constitution of the United labour party the councils will perform the political work as well as ntteml to the industrial activities. In tho nomination of candidates one of two methods will be used—the requisition agreement, which lakes the form of a signed petition by elector's; or a plebiscite vole of the members of the organisation. Under the new constitution the purposes of tho councils will bo:— "To promote tho complete organisation of all the workers in all occupations within their respective territories. "2. To consolidate, economise, and make cfTectivo tho secretarial work of nil tho organisations of which it is composed. v, 3. To cooperato with tho chief organiser and with the organisers of nil affiliated groups in furthering all national undertakings in behalf of Labour. "4. To provide for 011-thc-year-round activity in tho holding of public meetings, in the distribution of literature, in a frequent houfc-to-hoiiso and shop-to-sliop canvass on behalf of Labour, using fonnis provided for that purpose, in the raising of s|>ecial funds, in tho organisation of new unions and societies, and in the extension of nil such work through the assistance of special workcrj organised ond trained for that purpose.

"5. To determine tho positions to be taken and tho platforms or programmes to be adopted within their respective territories in all olrction campaigns, but always in keeping with the declarations of the annual conferences of the United Labour pnrty.

"6. To cooperate, on its request, with any local union in the settlement of any dispute, or with any national federation in carrying on any such dispute which may havo been referred to such a body by any local union, and. on the consent of tho organisations involved, to use the whole power of nil affiliated Indies in support of the workers in any such controversy; it being understood that no such controversy ihail ever bo mndo the occasion for a strike, without _ first scouring tho consent and co-ojioration of the national federation or federations of tho organisation or organisations involved."

These amendments moan a marked extension of the work of tho Trades and Labour Council.'. If the councils fulfil tho functions allotted them, t|iero will bo no further reason for tho complaint so prevalent just now that - the councils aro of no use to organised labour.

THE UNITED LABOUR PARTY. Tho practical outcome of the Unity Conference is the formation of a United Labour party of New Zealand. Tho conference itself has proven tho most remarkable happening in the history of organised Labour in New Zealand. True to the name under which it assembled, it remained a Unity Conference to the end. Tho machine which it has put in motion is easily tho most comprehensive and perfect yet devised in this country. Iwiicd, I am not aware of any similar organisation in existence elsswhero.

Taking tlio lending features of the constitution, Ihsy reveal several new departure?. Its biieis is tho organiwilion of industrial groups along tlio lino of tho industry: n practical effort to evolve tho purely craft union into Uio industrial union. In addition, the new organisation covers the workers in tho fullest sense of tho word. It aims at associating together all the >.iscful pcoplo, independently of whether they work with hand or brain. Then, again, it combines for tho first timtf flit! industrial and political activities in one organisation, Tliat in itself is a radical B t ( .p, n i 5 held to bo justified by the advance in working-class opinion that Labour must exercise all its influence in the (wlitical as well as the industrial field. It will be seen, therefore, that the new organisation has three 'fundamental points of difference from tho crganisations which lave preceded it

For several years tho objective of tho party has been a mattor of conflict, Ono section of the movement desired the socialisation of all the means of production, distribution, and exchange Another section held that such an objectivo did not fairly outline the goal, and was open to serious objections from many sides. If all tho means of production were socially owned, then the family sewinjr machine would bo barred from privoto ownership and control, Ijecauso it is a means of production. The objectivo of the United labour party, as finally adopted, reads thus:

(1) To promote the organisation of all tho workers of New Zealand in all forms of necossary service; (2) To protect their interests in the matter oi regular, rational, and remunerative employment; (3) To promote their good citizenship and to increase their efficiency; (4) To consolidate tho political power of tho workers in their own behalf, and to use their whole power (both political and eoonomio) in negotiations with cm-

ployors, in tho courts, in municipal, county, and parliamentary bodies, in international relations, and (if need be) in industrial rovolt; 5) To uso tho fruits of ovory partial victory to strongthon and continue this work until tho power to oppress and exploit any of tho workers, either by private monopolies controlling tho_ Go. vornmont, or through the private monopoly ownership and control of industry, shall utterly disappear, and tlioro shall bo secured for all the poople power to puroha9o with their inoonio tho total products of their Inboiir-imlil, in short, tho means of (iroduction, distribution, and exchango in so far as thoy constitute in private mn«i instruments of oppression and exploitation) shall lip socially owned and operated without profit and for tho common good of all. " The finest objective in tho world," said a prominont Labourite, who for years has striven for tho SbciaU'st formula—"the socialisation of all tho meant of production, distribution, and exchange." The candidate's pledgo has for years also been a knotty point. In all previous attempts at constitution building a rigid candidate's plccgo has been insisted on. Tho candidate's plodgo of tho old form has disappeared. In its plaoo is tho "Condition of Membership." This applies aliko to tho newest recruit and the. greatest man in fho party, and is couched in tho following ieims:—

I hereby acknowledge myself a member and agree to accept and loyally adhero to tho principles, rules, constitution, objective, and platform of tho United Labour party of New Zealand 1 , and to record my vote for tho selected Labour candidate of the party at ovory election; and if circled as tho party's candidate at any election, I agree to do my utmost to curry out tho principles embodied in the party's platform, and on ail questions affecting the, platform and policy of tho party or affecting tho fate of a Government, vote as a majority of tho members elected as representatives of the party may decide at a duly-cons'.ituteu caucus meeting.

•How far is Labour united? is the very natural question. I have said the conference was in every sense a unity conference. It was a truly reinarkablo gathering, and everyone of tho 70 odd delegates realised I hat it was time a truco to dissension was called. An indefinable something seems to have taken hold of Labour sentiment and action, and taught it tho. simple lesson that unity alone is strength. Men have agreed .to agree in a truly remarkable manner, and the agreement is the more remarkable when almost nil their energy and talents have previously been ahsarberj in agreeing to differ. The conference can claim already Ui have been instrumental in clumping the political situation. Among the adherents of the now party arc Messrs J. Robertson and W. A. Vcitch. This ensures that on all crucial division!) Labour will have a united vote of at least three in the House of Representatives. Judging by the ability, the earnestness, and the enthusiasm of the delegates who attended l th<- conference, tho I'nitcd Labour party will in the near future exert a very Inrgo influence.

BISHOP CORK AND THE WAGES QUESTION. According to one of the wcck'6 cablegrams, the Bishop of Oxford, tho Bight Hew Charles ftorc, D.D., Iws been speaking cm the wages question. The Bishop is reported to have staled that "wages no longer settle themselves by the law of supply and demand. The proper Irasis for the reconstruction of society is the principle that adequate payment to those who lalioiir should bo tho first charge upon industry. A permanent standard wage will doubtless entail a standard of efficiency in tho worker." Tho cablegram contains only a summary, but may bo accepted as voicing tho Bishop's views. Dr Gore recently made a remarkable pronouncement on tho fuluro influence of the Church and its relationship to tho pressing social problems of tho day, as will bo seen from the following summary and comment in London Lnbour Leader:— , "Dr Gore, Bishop of Oxford, has delivered an indiotmont of Hie Church which more than justifies everything that Ims been said by Socialists in condemnation ot its indifference towards social questions. He says he has been trying to awaken tho Church to a sense of its duty for many years, but has met with very singular and almost unique lack of success.

I have constantly sat down bewildered before the blank and, as it seems to me, simple, stupid, refusal of the. mass of church people to recognise their social duties. Why on earth is it? What produces this strango blindness of heart and mind? Often have I tortured my mind trying to find un answer to those questions, und tortured it in vain. I svmrliy recognise the fact, it stares you in the face. II tho founder of tho Christian religion entered a church and repeated what lie said about poverty and wealth when on earth, he would bo scorned as a revolutionary, added Dr Goro. t Look at our Lord's awfu] and Irflmencons words about wealth—words which none of us who are rich in incomo to-day can hear without trembling through and through. Tho " poor," whom ho called '"blessed," wcro they like the poor of our slums? Not n bit of it; they woro men like the Apostles of the well-to-do artisan class. Bemcmber what he said about tho rich and poor, and then remembering the state of our society to-day, I dnro any one of you to say that what he preached was not "revolutionary" doctrine which we have got over again to digest and mako her own. The Bishop proceeded to urge that physical, mental, and moral degeneration resulted from conditions of life ' which arc caloulated lo destroy every vestigo of soul and intelligence.' Alt this could be altored, he s-aid, if a sufficiently revolutionary spirit were to enter into tlio majority of churchmen and churchwomen. Needless to say, wo agree with Dr Gore. But is he prepared to ally himself with tho workers in building the New Jorusalem?"