THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19505, 13 June 1925, Page 18

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

NEWS ANT) NOTES.

Br J. T. Paul.

THE WORKERS AND ARBITRATION. Periodically sections of the workers, prompted by certain leaders, make a set at arbitration, and il would appear that a large measure of opposition was developing. As opponents of arbitration usually content themselves with (lie adoption of a negative and destructive attitude, their opposition has in tho past quickly evaporated. Mr G S. Thomson, after a very short experience of the Arbitration Court, recently tendered it some praise. His sentiments found disfavour in certain militant quarters. Mr Thomson offered some justification for his conclusions in an address before some 30 persons who attended last, 'Sunday evening's meeting of tho Workers’ Educational League. In tho course of his remarks Mr Thomson said that within one month of his appointment, as secretary for the Otago Hotel and Restaurant Union ho became convinced that without such legislation as tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act administered by some such body as the Arbitration Court there would bo no possible chance of tire workers, especially in tho small and scattered industries, being organised, and as a result, chaos would reign on tho industrial field as it did before the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act was first put through in 1894, shortly after tho time of the big maritime strike and of the soup kitchens. Briefly he explained his experience of Conciliation Council and Arbitration Court; work, and wont so far as to say that the Arbitration Court and tho personnel thereof were merely a reflex of tho economic conditions prevailing at any particular time. The same, Mr Thomson contended, applied to Labour officials. If these officials sometimes worked in with the other side (o the detriment of tho workers, it was because conditions did not press hard enough on tho workers to compel them to taka more interest in tho management of their trades unions. In the course of the discussion which followed the address many wild things appear to have been said, hut whether there wore any conversions from preconceived notions is another question. BRITISH FARM WORKERS. A great national campaign among farm workers in England and Wales is being launched by tho General Council of tho British Trade Union Congress. The campaign, which was authorised at the T.U. Congress at Hull hist ,Septum lier, will be conducted under the auspices of the council, and special assistance will ho rendered to the two unions catering for tire farm workers—the National Union of Agricultural Workers and tho Workers’ Union. The country will ho divided into areas and a centre established in each area An organiser for each area is to be appointed, who will ho responsible for tire detailed organisation in accordance with the national policy and plans. It is proposed to set up in each area joint committees representative of tho nonagricultural union branches, and that tho assistance of tho unions shall be co-ordinated through those committees. The puriroses of tho campaign will ho to secure for (ho farm workers: 1. A legal minimum wages that, will ensure n proper standard of living. 2. A guaranteed working week of 48 hours. 3. That, all farm workers shall bo entitled to one half holiday a week. 4. That occupiers of tied cottages bo given tho full protection of tho Rent Acts. PAINTERS’ GRIEVANCES. At tho last biennial conference of unions affiliated to the Now Zealand Painters’ .Federation, it was decided that a deputation should wait on the Minister of Labour (tho Hon. G. J. Anderson) to' place before him some of tho conclusions arrived at from tho deliberations on the remits, regarding some of the ailments and disabilities that painters labour under. Tho deputation was duly received by tho Minister at Wellington, tho secretary of tho federation, Mr F. Cornwall, acting as spokesman. The Apprentices’ Act, which has figured largely in Auckland since it came into operation lost year, came up for consideration, especially the need of an amendment of clause 3 of the Act. As originally designed, this clause (section 5) was intended to apply to all apprentices taken m during a period of two years prior to tho Act coming into operation on April 1, 1924, but tho President of the Court _ had declined to operate this clause, but indicated that an amendment was needed. Tho Minister: A clause is being drafted now. After mentioning such items ns tho prohibition of tho use of white lead, and also of the use of scrim, Mr Cornwall made another complaint against tho use of mineral turpentine, naphthol, benzol, etc., which caused much sickness amongst tho painters. Dr M'Kibbin: Quite true. A lot of sickness and vomiting attributed to white lead is traced to this. It was stated that there was a regulation which would meet the ease. The Minister said ho would again go into the question of prohibiting (he rise of white lead, and investigate the complaint respecting mineral turps. MINERAL TURPS. Hearing tho complaints made by painters against the use of mineral turps made rno (writes "Industrial Tramp” iu_ the Auckland Star) a bit curious to inquire into the matter, and it may be interesting to many of my readers to know that there are at least two kinds of turpentine in use in tire commercial world. One is the product of the vegetable kingdom, got from resinous or turpentine-yielding trees ami plants, and which wo have been accustomed to use from childhood, not only industrially, but medicinally. This is not (ho deleterious product that has caused the complaint from the painters. During tho war turpentine was "hard to get in the markets of tho world, and, like many other commodities which sprang into being, as substitutes ✓born of our shortcomings, manufacturing chemists evolved from shale and other minerals of like nature a substitute for the much-needed turpentine for paint and other compounds. Now that the was is over the mineral production holds it, own by reason of tho fact that it is much cheaper than tho vegetable article The painters contend (by experience) that (lie effect of using this article for decorative purposes in a room is sickness and vomiting. It is volatile, and enters tiro system by way of the lungs. Some men are affected after breathing tho air of a room so treated for five minutes; others take longer. It is alleged to have a hardening effect on the walls of tho arteries of the body, similar to the effects caused bv lead poisoning j in fact, as stated by Dr M’Kibhin to the deputation, it is often confused with tho illness caused by the latter. The Now Zealand Worker;-' Compensation Act provides for compensation for lead poisoning, but not for (he evils brought on by the use of mineral turps. Tho painters’ unions ha’? bad workers claiming for- compensation for ‘Mending,” and when the case_ has come before the court medical evidence has shown that, white lead has had to bear more than its burden, and mineral turps has gone scot free. Hence the request of the painters to the Minister that the use of mineral turps shall bo brought under the Act. ACCUMULATION OF CAPITAL. The necessity of accumulating savings to maintain the capital resources of society was emphasised by Sir Josiah .Stamp in an address recently. He said that in Britain tho nineteenth century was unique in its immense capita) accumulations. There had been nothing like it in the history of the world, and there might bo nothing like it again. Savings at that period were probably about 100 to 120 millions a year, and national capital rose at a much greater rate up to 1875 than before or since. Nevertheless, before the war tho national savings wore 350 to 400 millions, of which soma half was accumulated abroad through compound interest without actually being enjoyed by the owners. This was essentially an unstable state of affairs, and the high progressive taxation of modem times was faking the top layers off large incomes, which thus ceased to be saved. The ouestion before the community was (bis: If we no longer tacitly agreed lo the freedom of those large, surpluses on tho undeist an ding tli.it they became capital, and if it were a matter of importance that capita l accumulations should he maintained with a growing population, who was to rake over the responsibility? Were the classes lower in the scale of distribution taking over the duty of nutting aside for national accuinu--1 at inn? Tf tlicv were not, the whole rate of progress of the country inuM lie retarded. If £'"o was formerly saved by a person with an income of £2500. and he now Pad to pav Rial sum in taxes, would 50 peonl” wif. 'incomes of £2-50 save £lO each to make up the dcfiitciencv! 00-OPER ATT Vies; TRANSFORMING SOVIET REPUBLIC. Oentrosoyus. tho All-Russian Central Cooperative Union, now has 69.0C0 distinct 1 tocieties, oi winch ball axo fee;mini co-

operatives, 22,000 consumers’ co-operatives, and tho remainder producers’ societies. Seven and a-half million families aio represented as shareholders in consumers stores, while 2,300,000 farmers have a financial stake in tho movement. A third ol a million workers are shareholders m j-ro-ductivo enterprise. In one short year, this represents an increase of 1,700,000 families who not only do business at co-operative enterprises, but also have invested their money in the movement. > Not only in numbers, hut also in volume of business the activities of these Russian co-operatives are si riding ahead with unparalleled vigour, Hack in 1913, the year before tho terrible international slaughter was started, Controsoyus Rimed over £25,000,000. Despite the unimaginable paralysis which overtook industry and transport in Russia in the sad years which followed, tho total business last year was £80,000,000. Insurance is a rapidly developing activity of tho co-operative movement in Russia. At a delegate meeting of tho All-Russian Co-operative Insurance Union reports showed more than twice the number of (ire insurance policies issued than during the previous fiscal year, and tho same is true of transport policies. There was a corresponding increase in premiums collected upon all forms of insurance. Insurance m industrial and credit co-operation much more than doubled. Tho Union lias H 4 agencies throughout Russia, and extensive plans have been drawn up to develop tho movement in tho rural districts.