THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19844, 17 July 1926, Page 18

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

LANDMARKS IN NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRIAL HISTORY. Br J. T. Paul. 111. THE BEGINNINGS OF LABOUR ORGANISATION. Complete records of the first trade unions do not exist, Carpenters ccitamly pioneered trade union organisation in our country. The builder came with the first ships, and everybody wanted houses. Therefore, the carpenter was in demand. A previous authority was quoted to say that a Carpenters’ Association was formed in 1840. I cannot affirm that statement, but in my searcli I i- and an ment in the N.Z. Gazette and Wellington Spectator. May 16, 1840, which brings ua very close to the beginning of things in trade union organisation. The advertisement reads; — TO CARPENTERS AND JOINERS. An Important Meeting of the above Trades will take place on Thursday evening next, at Mr W. Elsdon’s Commercial Inn and Tavern. The chair will be taken at 7 o clock. That notice may have been the forerunner of the Carpenters’ Association referred to. The Benevolent Society of Carpenters and Joiners had become established in 1842. An advertisement in the same paper in the following month announced that “gentlemen and builders can be supplied with good workmen” at the society’s house of call. Another in December announced that the society “are willing to contract with any captain that may be willing to take any number, not less than twenty, to Valparaiso, Sidney or Hobart Town.” Across the Straits, at Nelson, reported in May, 1842, “A meeting of the Journeymen Carpenters of this settlement was held on the evening f Friday, the 6th inst., Mr King in the chair; at which a resolution was passed to the effect that no carpenter should work for loss than 12s per day. Mr Isaac Hill and Mr Browr explained their reasons for giving their support to the resolution. Sir Richardson endeavoured to impress upon the meeting his vie.v of the political economy of the question of wages, and of the propriety of attempting to combine to fix any rate of wages, but without much effect, for the resolution was unanimously adopted.” The Carpenters’ Unions as we know them, branches of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, came later. "In 1875 the ramifications of the society were extended to New Zealand by the opening of a branch, with 14 members, on April 15, at the Central Hotel, Colombo street, Christchurch . . . followed by Auckland, Dunedin, and Wellington the same year.” The Auckland Carpenters and Joiners’ Protection Society was formed prior to these —on July 7, 1873. That the fortunes of some of the early Carpenters’ Unions were varied is shown by a statement in the first report of the Federated Trades Union Council of Wellington;—"lt is a matter of regret to (r that two Societies which were affiliated have since ceased to exist—viz., the Painters and Carpenters.’ The Amalgamated Society of Engineers, offshoots of tho British parent union, commenced organisation in 1863. At that time the union numbered 26,058 members, and was the largest trade union in tho world in any one trade. In the official report of the general secretary, published in London m May, 1864. it is recorded that “there has also been an increase in the number o( branches to the extent of 12. includi'w three in America, one in Australia, and one in New Zealand.” Tho first mention of unionism among engineers in Now Zealand was in tbe Engineers’ Monthly Report published in London in October, 1863) reponbig the formation of tho Auckland branch with five members. In 1865 the union had 14 members, in 1866 26 members, and in, 1867, 28 In 1865 and 1866 trade was reported to bo bad, members working short time. % hi 1866 the society, in its official English' journal, published the following:—-“New t’ealand and Queensland.—Wo have been particularly requested by tho members of tho Vicklnnd and Ipswich (Queensland) branches to caution our members throughout tho society against emigrating to either of th coun tries—that is, providing they intend to follow the trade after their arrival. As tho question is one of importance, and may deeply affect tho interests of many of our members, we consider it advisable to publish the communications rereived from the above-named branches, as they will convey to members the exact state of trade in New Zealand.” In the Wellington Independent on July 24 and 26, 1862. the following advertisement appeared;— TO PRINTERS. A mooting of tho printers of Wellington will bo hold at Barratt’s Hotel, on Saturday evening next, at 7 o’clock for tho purpose of forming a Typographical Society, when all are requested to attend. July 23. 1862. That was the beginning of tho Wellington Typographical ’ ’nion, the forerunner of unionism among printers in New Zealand. The Wellington Union fe r on evil days, nothing very definite being done untilabout 1865. After a few years of “ups and downs,” in which tho “downs” p:('dominated, it practically fell through. It was re-established in 1873, and has since steadily progressed. A glance at printers’ wages in the old days is interesting. In Wellington in 1862 tho wages wore £2 6s for 60 hours por week. About 1866 piecework compositors on the Independent wore earning up to £5 per week. On tbe West Coast compositors were receiving up to £l2 a week in 1865, and in Otago the wages wore high, in both cases owing to the flourishing condition of the gold diggings. The Dunedin Operative 'Jailors’ Union was formed on June 28. Übb, and celebrated its diamond juhileo in April. The Otago Typographical Union was instituted in 1873, and celebrated its jiufileo on September 29, 1923. HANDS ACROSS THE SEA. In tbe late seventies and early eighties a distinct and very natural tendency toward Australasian trade union organisation developed. In 1879 an Australasian Labour Congress was held in Sydney. New Zealand was represented by proxy delegation from Sydney. “As regards tho regulation of industry and improvement of, working conditions, the congress was unanimous in urging upon the Governments of the various colonies the necessity for a factories and workshops' regulation law, for workmen’s compensation, for the inspection of boilers, and for uniform colonial mercantile shipping laws. Upon questions of general policy the congress was united in opposition to Chi .ese immigration, while there were only two dissentients against a resolution condemning the expenditure of public m ney for the purpose of European immigration. The extension of the eight-hours syt an and the legalisation of trade unions, which were still nominally subject to the old conspiracy laws of England, were strongly urged, while the questions of co-operation and technical education were fully and favourably discussed.” The third congress, held in 1885. adopted a scheme of federation for uniting trade unions throughout Australasia. The federation did not eventuate, but a closer association developed between Australian and New Zealand trade unionism. In 1889 the Coal Miners’ Union, with headquarters at Westport and 1800 members, was a branch of the Amalgamated Miners’ Association of Australasia, estimated to number 28.000 members. The Seamen’s Union numbered 2000, and was part of 14,000 which comprised the Federated Seamen of Australasia. In the Grey Collection in the Auckland Public Library there is a copy of the “Bye-laws of the Thames Branch of tbe Amalgamated Miners’ Association of Australasia. Adopted February 1, 1890.” Tbe relationship between the New Zealand Workers’ Union and the Australian Shearers’ Union was of tho closest and most sympathetic character. The tendency developed, and was in a fair way to becoming an established act. The maritime strike changed everything in this connection, however, and New Zealand entered a new era. The colony became a field of independent social and political experiment. (To be continued.)