THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18766, 20 January 1923, Page 14

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

NEWS AND NOTES. Bt J. T. Patti- ' THE SHIPPING DIFFICULTY. Tho shipping trouble was referred to by Mr W. J. Jordan, the newly-elected Labour M.P. for Manukau, in an open-air address in Auckland. The speaker said ho was not prepared to express his sympathy with the seamen, although it was their duty to see that tho wives and children did not suffer unduly. Ho was disgusted that tho Government had not established a court or a council, where the whole position could be discussed end tho relation between capital and labour considered. The payment of large dividends to far-distant investors and tho cutting down of wages of local workers wore not compatible. Tho capital invested had to be safeguarded and paid for, but the compensation should bo considered and controlled just as wages were. COST OP LIVING. The monthly abstract of statistics shows that the index number for the three food groups as at November 15 is 1486 y-a decrease o£ 5 points as compared with the preceding month’s figures (1491), and an increase of 38.88 per cent, as compared with that for July, 1914. Very little movement has been recorded in prices in the groceries group, tho index number (1752) remaining the same as that for the previous month. / The fall of 38 points in tho dairy products group is due mainly to an all-round fall of from Id to lid per lb in tho price of butter in /most town* In the meat group the index number has risen 5 points, due mainly to a slight rise in tho prices of mutton and pork m some towns. Most items have, however, remained stationary. THE ALLIANCE AND THE STRIKE. Some caustic comments regarding tho Alliance of Labour and its strike ballot wore made in Wellington this week by an official of an important dominion federation of workers, who expressed the opinion that *he time had long since passed when tho workers should have protested against

wages “cuts.” “ Tho workers of New Zealand have always boon known for sleepiness, or stupidity—l don’t know which it is,” ho remarked. “With a flourish of trumpets the Alliance of Labour now comes out to protest against the last reduction of 3s per week. Had those controlling the affairs of the alliance any intelligence, the fight against decreases in wages would have been launched when tho Arbitration Court made its first cut. To anybody who will sit down and think, it is amusing to realise that after two ‘test matches’ have been played, the employers have won both' of them. The third test will come off in May next. After one or two of its affiliations have been gently ‘hit to leg,’ the Alliance of Labour, in ghostly majesty, calls upon other poor unfortunates who have been well trounced to put up a fight against further reductions. It is all very well for tho Alliance of Labour to start counting heads by taking a ballot, but it is a well-known fact that the affiliations will be ‘No.’ The reason is that the alliance has no backing, no organisation, and nothing in tho way of solidarity behind it.” STRIKE FOLLY. . Mr P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner for Auckland, has just spoken plainly on the question of strikes. He had just visited

Waihi. where there was an uneasy feeling and the possibility of another strike was being discussed. Mr Hally’s remarks had no reference to the position in Waihi, so far as tho Arbitration Court award was concerned, but they arc worthy of attention. He said: • “I do not mind telling you, as plainly ns I can, that I am absolutely opposed to a strike. Like many others, I am. as a matter of fact, fond of a good fight, but I like to have a chance of a win when I have commenced business and a bit in hand at the finish. In the present instance, however, I do not see a possible hone of tho men coming out on top. What I can see is anything from a mouth to two months’ idleness, with little or no money coining in to support the men or their families, a pos sibility of the employers introducing tree labour into the mines, a probable disruption of the union, and eventually a capitulation of the men on humiliating terms. It would be sheer folly on the part of the men. .There is very little money to support them, and there is absolutely no general work going on where they could bo employed. Unless .some pleasure is to be obtained from the more fact of being on strike, then I certainly cannot see that in the present instance it is going to cut, any ice, and it would surely do a lot of injury, especially to the working man and his family, and these are the very persons who can least afford to lose their incomes.” LABOUR’S POLITICAL RISE. In tho old days .of politics (says an exchange), when there were only two parties —the Whigs and tho Tories, the Liberals and tho Conservatives —the only prize which tho nation could give to a party was possession of tho Government benches. Under a. three-party system, such ns now exists in most countries, there is a consolation prize—tho right of official Opposition. It is a prize not without its value. In Britain tho Labour Party won the consolation prize at the last election.

Mr J. L. Garvin, writing in the Observer, underlines its significance in a trenchant passage. Speaking of the first sitting of the new House of CoiVvmons, ho says; “Oyershadowing them (the divided remnants of the Liberal Party) was another and dominant Opposition of a kind never seen before in the House of Commons, but asserting in every way a pride of precedence in accordance with its superiority in numbers. This was the strong feature and stamping trait of tiie new House. Tho Socialist Party with Mr Ramsay MacDonald for its leader, has become his Majesty’s chief Opposition. Massed together on the left of the Spcokei. sloping up in a solid tier from the briphtlylit floor to the shadows under the galleries, the Socialist Party is far stronger than both the Liberal fractions put together. Every thoughtful observer of public affairs knows that this is one of the signal events in tho whole history of Parliament.” And then follows th-.- moral; “If the Socialist Party, even without a majority wholly of its own, became in the further future the basis of a Governniont; the present chief loader of'’ Opposition would ho come Prime Minister ns a matter of course, quite unlikely to code that position either to Mr Lloyd George or to any other Liberal statesman. This new feature of the situation must be carefully noted. It is undoubtedly one of the most significant indications that the new Parliament has already given.” JOTTINGS. A steeplejack fell 90ft from tho tallest chimney in Glasgow- (Scotland) into a tank of water, and was only slightly hurt. This escape was amazing, for tho tank was protected by an iron grating and he foil between two of the bars. The city of Detroit (U.S.A.) has built a steam boiler said to eclipse all others ever

built. It is capable of supplying heat to a thousand eight-roomed houses, and is used to heat the business district of Detroit. It is 26ft long, 19ft wide, and 35ft high, and can convert 190,CC0 pounds of water into steam every hour. It is understood that the New South Wales Board of Trade will meet in the near future to reconsider the basic wage. It is understood that Judge Booby, President of the Board, favours a three-monthly review of tho basic wage, now that the Full Coutt has ruled that tho board has tho power to make quarterly reviews It seems almost certain that if the board goes into the question of tho basic- wage in the near future it will order a reduction. Councillor Ada Salter, just elected Mayor of Bermondsey, has the honour of being the first woman Mayor in London. “I do not know if my husband will take up (ho duties of Mayoress,” she remarked wittily to in interviewer. Since her election, her husband. Dr Salter, has been elected member of Parliament, having achieved one of London’s most, notable Labour gains, so ho will not. have time for this interesting function ! Tho strongest and best organised union throughout China is tho Metal Workers' Union. It was organised in 1909, and has conducted many successful strikes for shorter hours, higher wages, and better working conditions. Tho membership totals 156,000. Tho organisation is industrial in character, and is departmentalised into 10 sections, one each for draftsmen, modellers, founders, turners, moulders, steel workers, copper workers, machinists, electro-technical workers, and stokers. Thebe were 869 applications lodged with tho New South Wales Fair Rents Court during 1922, and 68 cases were overcarried from tho previous year, making a total of 937 cases for 1922. Of this number 328 were withdrawn. In 20 cases (he court, after hearing evidence, decided to leave tho rent ns it was. Two hundred and forty-nine applicants had their rents reduced and 139 had it increased. Forty tenants had their rent increased more than tho figure claimed by tho landlord, and 375 had it fixed lower than the landlord’s notified increase. The magistrate made increases of from 6d to 6s a week above tho landlord's notified increase, and reductions of from 6d to £4 a weak under the landlord’s notified increase.