INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18513, 25 March 1922, Page 14

INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

NEWS AND NOTES.

Br J. T. Paul. BUILDING GUILD PROGRESS. A record of remarkably rapid progress is contained in the first annual report of the Guild of Builders (London), Ltd. On September 30, 1920, the salaried staff consisted of one person, the pay-out roll was £4 a •week, and no contracts had been signed. On September 30, 1921, the salaried staff had grown to 38 persons, the pay-out roll was £4OOO a week, and contracts to the value of £600,000 had been secured. At Walthamstow 70 houses had already been completed by the guild, and 30 at Greenwich. The wages bill amounted to £96,000. It is claimed that a saving of £SO a house has been effected at Walthamstow, and the guild is now erecting its own joinery works. SEAMEN’S WAGES. The dispute which is now before the Conciliation Council in the shipping industry, and which will be heard in Dunedin on April 4, is of special interest for the reason that wages, hours, and conditions have for several years been settled in conference. It is contended that the proposals of the shipowners carry the wages back to the rates prevailing under the agreement in operation in 1917, and represent a reduction of £4 16s 8d per calendar month on the wages now being paid, except in the case of ordinary seamen, where a reduction of £3 6s 8d is provided for. Instead of a monthly wage, the counterproposals of the Seamen’s Federation suggest the payment of a daily rate of wages. This daily rate is equal to an increase of £2 per calendar month op the wages cifivent in November last, or an increase of 15s 4d monthly on the wages now being paid. The claims of the shipowners do not interfere with the principle of the eight-hour day, but modifications in regard to the present working conditions are proposed. BUILDING COSTS IN WELLINGTON, Building costs are coming down in Wellington, though (according to one author ity) it does not appear that they have moved yet to the full extent of the reduction in prices of materials. One firm is offering to build a well-fitted four-roomed house with a suburban section thrown in for £950, but this is a special case. It is stated that a year ago five-roomed houses certainly could not have been built for anything like £9OO, but he fully believed that now a complete five-roomed house could- be built for £9OO or £950. As yet there has been no marked drop in the list prices of timber, but in fact the drop had been considerable, though prices were still far above pre-war rates. Cement is now sold at £7 10s a ton, he said. Bricks had dropped 50s or so per thousand, roofing iron was down from £6O to £23 a ton, slates had fallen solidly, general hardware and glass were easily 50 per cent, cheaper than they were at the peak. Plumbing materials had fallen about 20 per cent.. Labour was from 3d to 5d an hour lower than it was 18 months ago, and. happily, the good old rule of a day’s work for a day’s nay was again coming' into recognition. “Taken all round.’’ he said, “actual budding costs may be said to have dropped 20 per rent., and 20 per cent, off £I4OO brings the figure down to. roughly, £llOO. I fully believe that a really good house could be built for that sum at the present time.” LABOUR’S RESPONSIBILITY. Discussing the relief of unemployment Terentiy in a speech at a meeting of the Imperial Commercial Association. Mr J. R. Clynes. chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, said he thought far too muich money had been given away for limiting in return. “It is n bad doctrine ever to give anything for nothing, and I would dke to see this great business of unemployed support renting more in the great workshops and factories, and taken away from separate and outside Stale institutions, very very costly in themselves, and perhaps not altogether. efficient in the detection of that individual who is tempted to live upon money if he can get it anyhow. The malingerer and the waster is hot so frequently discovered as he would be if there were upon him the jointly watchful eye of his fellow-workman and the men who arc at. the head of tho great businesses and works throughout the country. Labour says, -his is our country as well as yours.) and. having said that, it is the duty of Labour to join with other classes in actively serving tlie national well-being, so as to give to everyone working with his brain as well as his hand, his fair and full share of the rewards of his service. 1 am certain that tins reward can come in fuller measure just in the degree that fnehe is greater and not less class co-operation, greater agreement among all sections for the common advance of this country which we are all so wishful to see better off than it is ;t present.” THE CHURCH AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS. Addressing the delegates attending the Congregational Union Conference in Christ church, Brofcssor J. B. C'ondliffe said that industry should be the association of labour for the good of the community, but this was not the line upon which our industries were worked. It was not too much to hope that some dav the business man would lie recognised as the servant of the community. and for his service he would receive a certain set reward. He could not ouirc say- how this system would evolve, but he felt that it would soon come into operation. It was patent to everybody, the professor contended, that the present industrial system was very much out of gear. Instances of it could be scon everywhere. It seenmd inevitable that before long we should wn a change in our Stare. In an industrial struggle the side which was opposed by the Government was liable to consider the Government as its enemy. There were many who did not like the idea of change, but this could not he helped. A man was always entitled to the nrrfil be could get through bis organising ability.and through the risking of money in industrial concerns, but bo was not entitled to money gained through fluctuations. There was. in Professor Condliffo's opinion, a tendency to forget the human claims in industry, and it might lie necessary for people to forgo opportunities to increase wealth in order to better industrial conditions. All this bad much to do with Christianity. The Master intended Ilis teachings to apply to industry as well as morality. After all, economies were a small factor; it was emotion that ruled this world. It was emotion that found an expression in Christianity. CALLS ON UNIONS. Discussing tho frequency of financial appeals to trade unions. “Industrial Tramp" ■ (Auckland Star) points out that during one week a union has had appeals for financial help from the Russian Famine Relief Fund, an appeal for aid to the dependents of the victims of the recent scaffolding accident, a, donation to expense of sending a delegate to Parliament to oppose the amendments to tho Arbitration Act. from (be Dunedin Assistants' Union for aid to a, sick member, from the Workers’ Educational Association and the Labour Representation Committee for election purposes. box financial appeals in one mouth. Whenever a Trades Hall is being built in the south the unions of Auckland are importuned to lend n helping hand; onr own Trades Hall was financed in Auckland. Each union in Auckland has had posted to it from Oreymoulli a mnnher of are union tickets to he sold in aid of “ Labour’s Machine Fund.” while another consignment of ( tickets from the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union Band art union is to hand, requiring to he sold by A fay 20. Individual niemlters are e\ peoted to buy the art union tiokels. but the six financial appeals are t.o the funds of the unions. The wonder is. not that the union has such a small credit balance, but that it has anv credit balance at all. MINERS’ WAGES AT HOME. According to a statement issued bv the British Miners’ Executive in January, the wages paid to miners in Great Britain are far below the pre-war level of subsistence, and quite inadequate to maintain the workmen and their families with even the elementary necessities of life. “ Whilst the highest paid man is not earning anything like a proper wage compared with the character of his work,” the report says, “the lowest paid man would, in innumerable cases, be Itetter off if he were totally unemployed, and in receipt of the Government dole.”

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