INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18673, 30 September 1922, Page 15

INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

NEWS AND NOTES. Bi J. T. Paul. DAY BAKING. The New South Wales Chief Secretary /Mr Oakes) has decided to introduce amending legislation covering the baking of bread in New South Wales. By an amendment of the Early Closing Act in 1919 night baking was prohibited. The Operative Bakers’ Union desires that the prohibition shall continue, but the Master Bakers’ Association is just as desirous that a return shall be made to- night baking. Mr Oakes has drafted a Bread Bill which, if passed, will remove the compulsory day baking provisions of the Early Closing Act; but employees will have the right to apply to the court for the continuance of the system on health or other grounds. The Operative Bakers' Union has decided that it will resist any return to night baking. WELSH MINERS’ WAGES. Acting upon the decision of its annual conference, the South Wales Miners’ Federation is asking for an increase of 60 per cent, above the pre-war rate of wages. At the present time the day daily rate of 8s Id, with cost of living at 80 per cent, above the pre-war level, gives the South Wales miner a weekly wage for the full five shifts of £2 Os sd, equivalent to only 84s in pre-war values. A 60 per cent, increase would raise the average daily rate to 10s 9d, or £2 13s 9d per week of five shifts, equal to a prewar wage of £1 12s 3d. Short time still more seriously reduces the weekly income. At the annual conference the Executive Council recommended that the National Executive should be called upon to make an application for a 60_ per cent, increase, and the conference decided that the application should bo made at once, with the proviso that it the National Executive failed to obtain satisfaction from the employers the Government should be approached. TRADE UNIONISM IN CANADA. At the end of 1921 (says the Labour Magazine) the total membership of all classes of trade unions in Canada stood at 513,330, organised in 2658 branches. There has been a decrease of 50,522 members in 250 branches, most of the losses being sustained by the “international” unions whose headquarters are in the United States. Over 71 per cent, of the trade unionists of Canada belong to the American unions. There are 98 such organisations having one or more local branches in the dominion, and their combined membership is 222,896, a decrease for the year of over 44,000. What are called non-international bodies report an increased number of branches, with a total membership of nearly 25,000, the drop in membership during the year being under 1000. The, local units of the One Big Union are reported now to number 54, a decrease of 17 compared with last year, and the membership is stated to be approximately h? 00. The growth of trade unionism in Cftnacla has been continuous since 1911; in that year there were 133,132, and the number increased steadily un to 1919, when the total stood at 378.047. In 1920 it dropned to 373.842, and in 1921 (as stated) to 313,520. There are 41 organisations catering for school teachers, Government employees, and similar classes, and their combined membership is returned at 43,298. A MODERN ELYSIUM. A former resident of Wellington is now living in his native Jersey. He recently wrote to a relative in that city stating that he was able to buy New Zealand butter in Jersey at Is 6d per pound, and that for the first time. It was, he said, excellent in quality, and it was sold aa New Zealand in competition with Jersey-made butter selling at 4s per pound. This happy island, he added, levied no taxes upon him except 2s per annum for his bicycle. A proposal* suggested by the Imperial Government that Jersey should collect income tax was repealed by the States of Jersey, the independent legislative authority. On Jersey there are now some 50,000 people. The island’s wonderful productivity is maintained, and its general produce, “early” vegetables and flowers, continue to be shipped to London and other markets in their thousands of tons daily, notwithstanding the influx of population. These newcomers have gone to live on the island to escape the heavy taxations of England. Houses are at a premium, and those who have been renting houses for over 40 years are being turned out to make room for newcomers at increased rentals. There are no severe restrictions on the sale or price® of liquor on Jersey, and the native population is renowned for its temperate character. The proximity to France, the reputation for cheapness, and fine climate and beautiful scenery have always ensured Jersey’s popularity aa a holiday resort: but the flitting of tax-crushed people from England to settle in Jersey has put a new face on affairs in this happy island and in its sister, Guernsey. PAPER MONEY PROSPERITY. Citing conditions in Russia and Austria in illustration of his argument, Mr J. M. Keynes writes in the Manchester Guardian Commercial’s “Reconstruction in Europe.” thot in the last stages of currency inflation “the prodigious increase in the'velocity of circulation may have more effect in raising prices and depreciating exchanges than the increase in the volume of notes. In Mos cow the unwillingness to hold money except for the shortest possible time, reaches a fantastic intensity. If you buy a pound of cheese in a grocer’s shop the grocer runs off with the roubles as fast as leg® will carry him to a central market to replenish his stocks by changing them into cheese again lest thev lose their value before ho cets there. Ibis is what keeps the new bourgeoisie so thin, and justifies the prevision 'of economists in naming the phenomenon ‘velocity of circulation.’” Having lost all confidence in the value of the currency, except confidence that is certain to decline, the public’s one instinct concerning its money is to turn it into goods or other more reliable currencies. Thus a wholly artificial demand for commodities is stimulated which put® equally artificial profits into tho nockets of producers and holders of goods, turns the ordinary household into a sort of genera! warehouse, stimulates employment. and gives a pleasant appearance of industrial prosperity and activity to any ■country that is afflicted by the disease. AN OUTSPOKEN LABOUR CAN-' DIDATE. A few-weeks ago Mr H. J. Farrant, the selected Labour candidate for Invercargill, made an affirmation with respect to his religious faith and his loyalty to his country which created wide interest. Tho recent attitude of the parliamentary leader of the Labour Party on the Turkish crisis has led him to make his attitude on that question perfectly clear. It was rumoured that he had relinquished his candidature as asked by a Southland Times reporter whether the rumour was founded on fact, Mr Farrant stated that it was not entirely without, foundation although it was not true that he had relinquished his candidature. A meeting of hia committee had been held on Wednesday evening and although ho had not suggested resigning, he had stated that he was considerably perturbed by the unpatriotic sentiments given expression to by the Leader of the Labour Party. While fie agreed with Mr Holland that the matter should have been referred to -Parliament, ho did not agree that it should have been referred to the people, and

he wholly disagreed with Mr Holland’s speech when moving the amendment. He considered that Mr Holland was not speaking in the name of Labour throughout the dominion and he was certainly not echoing his (Mr Farrant’s) sentiments. The attitude ho took up was that if his sentiments were challenged by the Labour Party he would stand down as the official Labour candidate. He would rather do that than bo associated with the unpatriotic remarks made by tho Leader of tho Parly. TO OPPOSE REDUCTION. A meeting of tho Now South Wales State Emergency Council, appointed some time ago by tho New South \Vales Trade Union Conference to devise ways and means of combating any attempt by the employers to reduce wages or increase tho hours at work, was held last Wednesday at tho Trades Hall, Sydney. The council decided to call together the industrial groups and to recommend the various groups and unions that in the event of 48 hours being imposed, either directly by a Government Act or through the Industrial Court, they Should endorse the following policy, or such part of it as would be suitable to the union or group concerned : “Ketusal to work more than 44 hours per week by refusing to work on Saturday; that in the event of 48 hours being imposed, the union or group refuse to work overtime.” The Emergency Council also desired to submit the following questions to the unions: “Will your group or union allow the campaign on wages and hours to bo directed by the Council of Action? “Will your union or group go slow as a means of harassing the employers in the event of other groups .being out resisting the 48-hcur week, if directed by the- Council of Action ? ‘‘Will your union or group assist any union resisting wage reduction or increase of hours, as directed by the Council of Action?” A motion was carried to tho effect that each union be asked to contribute 3d per members to the Council of Action. The Council of Action met at Sydney on Wednesday to consider tho question of a combined tight against any attempt to alter the present rate of wages, hours, oy other working conditions. Delegates were present from all the Australian States. JOTTINGS. There are 550 tents and huts for the accommodation of the workers on the Wellington side of the Rimutaka hill, and another 30 at what is called the Hotel Mid. land. Tho camps are now very snug, and cosy, sheltered by manuka fences from the wind. Eleven thousand Trade Unionists aro reported to be in jail in South Africa awaiting trial in connection with the groat strike in tho Rand gold fields in January. Oi these, 860 ore accused of high treason. Many of them will be tried under an, old Roman Dutch law, which means that they will be tried for murder. 1 An army of 2249 officials is constantly employed in tho collection of the various taxes imposed by the Commonwealth Government. Of this army 161 officials are of the central administration in Melbourne, 717' are in Now South Wales, 474 in Victoria (outside the central administration), 311 in Queensland, 237 in South Australia, 273 in Western Australia. 72 in Tasmania, and four in the Northern Territory. The total annual salaries paid by tho department amount to £459,930. It is interesting to recall that tho first parrots w»re brought to England a® e wonder and luxury for kings and princes. Nov/ parrots and parrakeets of a hundred types are Ireely brought from Africa, Asia, America, and Australasia, and are purchaseable aa cheaply as dogs. Similarly with regard to foods. The richest fare of tho potentates of Europe two centuries ago was deficient in articles which are commonplaces of the costermonger’s barrow in 192?. A special tannery for making shark leather is being established at Vancouver (Canada). This is Iho first instance of a factory being started to compote with the leather made from goat skin and from calf, cow, and horse hide, which has served us for so many generations. Sharks are very plentiful off the west coast of Vancouver, and the skins of the fish, unlike those of animals, give, in addition to the leather, a number of useful oils and other products. An electric cotton-picker has just been invented which makes it possible for a person to pick 6001 b of cotton per day instead of slightly over 1001 b, which is the limit by hand. The machine is made up of e set of revolving brushes encased in a small metal frame about the size of a man’s fist, with an opening in the head exposing the brushes and large enough to grasp a boll of cotton. Tho two brashes revolve toward each other with a comb-Hko motion, pulling the cotton out of the boll Questioned concerning the new American tariff, the United States Consul at Auckland. Mr K. de G. MacVitty. stated that he had not yet received full particulars concerning it. He did know, however, that there was an increased wool duty, but he said this would not affect to any groat extent the exportations of wool to America. “There is not enough wool grown in the United States,” said Mr MacVitty, “to meet local demands, and the increased doty simply means that the American public will have to pay more for their clothing. It will probablv make a difference of from 10? to 16s in the price of an ordinary suit of clothes.” Tho effect of labour costs on the primary industries was briefly referred to by Mill. E. Makgill, chairman of directors of tho Farmers’ Freezing Company, at the annual meeting of the company in Auckland. “The plain fact,” said Mr Makgill, “i® that labour costs aro above what our primary products can bo produced at on present returns. This is an unsound position and though its effects may be cloaked for a time by tho expenditure of borrowed money by the Government or local bodies it will, sooner or later, lead to a serious position! which none will feel more seriously than the wage-earners. All sections of the community should face the position and endeavour to remedy it.” On the latest cost of living statistics, it is expected (says a Labour exchange) that the basic wage m New South Wales will be increased in October. Last October, when the basic wags was fixed at £4 2s, the Board of Trade worked on statistics compiled up to the previous August. Tho figures for tho month of August just closed are almost identical with these of Augustlast year mure, March this year when the basic wage was reduced to £3 18s, there has been a steady increase in the cost of living. In August there was an increase in the price of foodstuffs of 24 uer cent, over July. There has been an increase of 9 per cent, since March, It is not tnought that the basic wage will go up to £4 2s, but it may rise from £3 18s to £4 or £4 Is. Tile New South Wales Statistical Bulletin, just issued, discloses-remarkable progress in manufacturing enterprise. In 1910 there were 4821 factories, employing 99,711 hands in the State, with a wages bill of £8,687,007! At Juno 30. 1621, employing 145,011 hands, and the wages bill totalled £25,618,591. The value of goods manufactured increased during the same period from £49.615.645 to £137,841,586. During tho year 1921-22 goods were imported into the State valued at £45,395.755. Exports during the year were valued at £47,767,210, and consisted mainly of primary products—wool, butter, wheat, skins and hides, etc.