THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19204, 21 June 1924, Page 18

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

NEWS AND NOTES. By J. T. Pact. UNEMPLOYMENT IN CANTERBURY. Large numbers of men are being added to the unemployed ranks as a result ot the closing down of the freezing works in Canterbury. Air J?'. C. Ellis, secretary of the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union, stated yesterday that altogether about 700 men would lie thrown on to the labour market during this month. The Parcora and S.milhliehl works closed down last Saturday, the Fairfield works would close to-morrow, and the Kaiapoi works on Saturday next. The two Belfast works and (he Islington works were still operating, but would also close down shortly. Already, however, the number of workers was being reduced. “Some of the men are going to Australia, and others into the back country, but the great majority of them will remain in the towns and take any jobs that come along,” Air Ellis added. TOO MUCH WORK. An unusual case was recently before the English courts and resulting in the jury awarding £1750 damages to Air Percy Brett, a Swindon railwayman, who sued 23 of his fellow-workmen for alleged libel. The dispute arose in 1919, when Mr Brett’s gang of workmen created a record in earnings. His fellow-chargemen passed a resolution stating that Air Brett’s returns were not correct, and that he was not a tit and proper person for them to work with. After the resolution had been sertt to the management, Mr Brett was removed from his position as chargeman, and he now claimed damages. Air Justice Rowlatt, in summing up, said that there were many workpeople who thought they might be injured if too much work was done. That was how the trouble arose in this case. It was thought that Mr Brett’s gang was doing too rrihcli work, and the defendants had contended that there was a demand from, the workmen for his removal. AN APPEAL FOR IDEALS. Sir (Martin Conway says tho coining age i.s the province of the young. The old may preach, but it is tho young who practise, and they seldom practise as the old would have (hem. It is the young that have the peril and the responsibility. Let them vigorously and seriously prepare themselves for their great task. “Alay they face their task with head erect and eyes fixed upon the stars! Alay their age produce saints beautiful as Francis- philosophers stimulating as Socrates ; heroes as attractive as Gordon; poets exalted as Shakespeare; buildings fair and delicate as the Parthenon; paintings, too, and sculptures, plays, romances, and music, fine as any that the world has ever seen, but fine in a now way; and when the age (hey are opening is closed, may it have endowed the world with a new splendour, and may its golden setting bo as gorgeous as is the blood-red horizon out of which its sun has recently arisen.”

INTERESTING COMPARISONS. It is always interesting to read in the monthly Abstract of Statistics the return of the number of men employed on the public works of the dominion (says the Lyttelton Times) . At Lake. Coleridge, for instance, where the Public Works Department is at work on the duplication of the electrical station, the department, has 12 artisans and 58 labourers at work. At xiamilton tho department has 18 artisans and 45 labourers at work, and the big Mangahao works absorb 158 artisans and 557 labourers. The comparison between North Island and South Island is ns impressive as ever. On railway works the department employs 29 artisans and 1980 labourers in the North, compared with 04 artisans and 932 labourers in the South. On road works in tho North 1423 men are engaged; in the South 339. There are 36“? artisans and 932 labourers employed on public buildings and “other works No comparison between North and Soutn is possible under this but it is a fair inference that the North is not being neglected.

THE APPRENTICES' ACT. In connection with the Apprenticeship Act, little progress is reported to have been made m Wanganui by the industrial organisations with formation of committees, upon whom, under the Act, w;dl fail the greater part of the administration burden, A meeting of employers and workers in the building trades was held recently, at which the local Inspector of Factories (Mr E. W. E. Gohns) presided. It was decided to form an apprenticeship committee for the industry, and it was decided to appoint representatives of the master bailcicrs, carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, plasters, and stonemasons to it. Mr R. G. Talboys, architect, was unanimously elected chairman, and Mr Gohns was appointed secretary. The meeting was adjourned to enable an application to bo made tor registration. The Engineers’ Union has elected its representatives and the master motor mechanics will meet shortly for the same purpose, after which application will be made by the two bodies for registration. A similar movement is on foot in the painting trade. It is interesting to note that awards now being made by tho Arbitration Court contain no reference to apprentices, as under this Act this work will be left to the various local committees. The court will make an order covering apprentices generally, but local conditions and variations will have to bo administered by the committees. It is stated that the court is waiting for recommendations from the committees before issuing its order, so tho importance of local organisations can be readily organised, also the need for all industries to form their committees. In the event of any industry or trade failing to form a committee in a district, tho administration of the Act so far as the apprentices in that particular trade are concerned will be carried out by the Labour Department under the Arbitration Court’s general order.

MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM.

Discussing the question of the minimum wage rule an Auckland writer says that in certain trades —notably the building trades—the minimum rates in the awards is not necessarily the maximum rate paid by employers, for good tradesmen are being paid threepence and even sixpence an hour above the award rates; and for plasterers, plumbers, and bricklayers, the overplus is even greater. The Christchurch Union advocate, Mr C. Renn, asserts that this practice does not obtain in the centres south of Wcllingon, owing to combined tactics adopted by the employers. It evidently shows (says an Auckland writer) that there is a better feeling in the north between the two parties, or, that there is more surplus labour in the south than the; north. I feel that there is a bit of both reasons to .account for this state of things. There are at least two industries in Auckland in which so much of the old seated antagonism between employers and employees baa been displaced, as to allow of the parties mutually agreeing that the union contributions shall lie deducted from the wages by the employers and handed over to the union secretary in a lump sum. cither quarterly or monthly. Of course, this deduction must be sanctioned individually by the workers in writing, so as not to infringe the law relating to wages being paid in full, and without deduction. By this arrangement, much time is saved in not having a collector visiting the members in their work, and it also ensures that there will be no arrears in a member’s contributions. Every member is kept paid up on the books. On the other hand, a great incentive to attend the union meetings to pay in contributions is taken from the members, and last week, the annual meeting of one of these unions lapsed for want of a quo Aim : there was not interest enough amongst the members, apart from the financial question, to cause enough members to attend the annual meeting to elect officers. Every silver lining has a dark cloud. dodging questions. “What impresses you most about the new 1 .aDour Ministers?” asked a crony of his friend the M.R. The M.P. loaned forward with the air of one imparting a confidence (says an English paper). ‘‘Their manner of answering questions,” he said emphatically. ‘‘No high and dry old Tory, with generations of the governing instinct in his being, can say with greater aplomb and self-assurance, T must have notice of that question,’ or, T can add nothing to my previous answer,’ or ‘lt is not desirable in the public interest (hat the information asked for should be given.’ ” Bo they Tory or Liberal or Labour, Ministers are all alike when it comes to countering the efforts of M.P.s to extract information which the departments are not anxious to impart or in dealing with heckling posers. The Clyde! contingent were alternately enraged and dismayed when they first came to Westminster and tackled the Tory Ministers. “But, Mister-r-r Speakcr-r-r-r. it’s no an an«wer-r-r at all.” Mr Kirkwood would protest, his broad Doric rolling fearfully, when some teaser subtly planned has boon turned aside with a polite evasion composed in the best stylo of the Civil Service.,

Mr Speaker's soothing comment, “It. may not. bo the answer tho honourable member desired, but it is the answer tho Minister gives." did not placate thorn. “Gr-r-r-rr” (contemptuously, from another of tho Glasgow Socialists), “they can’t answer anything.” They wore furious at being bafllod so often.

“I put a plain question. Why can’t I have a plain answer?” was their lament, and they openly condoled with one another or muttered their resentment at the soft answer that had failed to turn aside their wrath.

Nowadays tho position is reversed. Tho Socialist hbaok-bonchers 101 l in their seats and look on with satisfaction at the spectacle of the Liberals and the Conservatives being’ battled by the same stonewalling answers that in their day had annoyed themselves. They come trippingly off the longue of tho Socialist Ministers; The matter is under consideration. That is a matter for another department. I cannot anticipate my Budget statement. My department has no power to deal with the matter. That question should be addressed to tho "Grime Minister. That is a matter for argument. It cannot be dealt with by question and answer. These are some of tho tried and trusty phrases. They have served many hardpressed Ministers in the past; they will b© friends of many in the future. JOTTINGS. ‘The young fellow who comes along with his girl and pays 2s Id for his seat is full of egotism and very difficult to handle,” said Mr C. Ilenn this week at a sitting cf the Conciliation Council, which was considering the claims of theatre workers in Christchurch. Mr Ilenn quoted the cose to support his contenion that doorkeepers and ushers had to bo people of tact. A connection with New Zealand industries extending over 30 years was claimed by the Secretary of tho Department of Industries and Commerce, Mr J. W. Col, lins, speaking at the dinner tendered to visiting industrialists at Auckland. Mr Collins said he stayed in his first job, in a Wellington tea-packing warehouse, for six weeks Ho put some glue on the seat of a chair upon which the manager happened to sit. “When asked about it, like George Washington, I told tho truth, and was discharged,” concluded Mr Collins. At a largely attended meeting of delegates of tho Chelsea. Sugar Works, held at tho Auckland Trades Hall, the matter of making representation to the Government relative to the continuation of tho sugar tariff was brought before the organisation by delegates representing the workers employed by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Chelsea. At the conclusion of a most instructive debate tho following resolution was carried: “That tho matter bo referred to the Parliamentary Labour Party, and that the Sugar Workers’ Unions bo requested to place all information and documents before that party.”