THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20354, 10 March 1928, Page 18

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

NEWS AND NOTES. 07 J- T. PACt. LABOUR AND COMMUNISM. At ihe recent special meeting of the executive of the Australian Labour Party iu Melbourne a ruling was asked for on the following question; —Does the Constitution of the Australian Labour Party prohibit individual members of the party from advocating Communism? The ruling of the chairman, which was unanimously agreed to by the executive, was as follows; As the Australian Labour Parly has determined (1) that neither the Communist Party nor branches thereof may ho or become affiliated with the A.L,., and that no member of the Communist Parly may bo or become a member of the Communist Party may bo or become a member of the Australian Labour Party, individual members of the A.L.P. are prohibited from advocating the policy of the Communist Party. The ruling is in accordance with recent decisions of (ho party that members of the Communist Party are not eligible to become members of the A.L.P. THE INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE. Increasing interest is being shown in theP conference which has been called for this month. The official organ of the Employers’ Federation, in its last issue, devotes some attention to tho proposal. Its tentative conclusions are stated thus: — “It is obvious that any readjustment of a system of wages fixation, even if intended solely us a measure of relief to the primary industries, must produce certain reactions upon other industries. The primary industries are part of an economic whole, and care must bo taxon that alterations in any structural element will not impair the stability cf the edifice. It is not easy to see, therefore, how any discussion on industrial conditions in the farming industries can proceed without a preliminary review of the whole system under which both primary and secondary industries are carried on in this country. What the primary industries should guard against is any measure which may react unfavourably, not only to the prejudice of other industries, but to their own. ‘‘ If the conference can approach its task in a national spirit, imbued with a desire and determination to achieve something which will bo of benefit to the country as a whole, much may bo expected from its deliberations. Sectional discussions, rambling over a wide area, will achieve nothing, and leave the Government in tho position of having to legislate next session without any guidance from those whoso practical knowledge of such matters should make them competent advisers.” NATIONAL INSURANCE IN BELGIUM. As early as 1557 there_were no fewer than 40 registered sickness insurance clubs bo longing to the Belgian Labour movement, and they had a total membership of 2600. There has naturally been much progress since then. Iu 1594 there were 579 clubs, with 70,343 registered members, and in 1915 2956 clubs, with 510,000 membership. In 1926, after sorno centralisation, 3814 clubs and a total membership of 1,200,000. The number of persons voluntarily insured against sickness being so large, and the principle of insurance being to-day so deeply rooted among tho people, the Bel<Caa Labour Movement naturally feels that the time has come for the establishment of compulsory insurance regulated by law. Tho employers, however, continue to resist it; they urge that with good propaganda there need not be a single uninsured worker left in Belgium. This, of course, is a false conclusion to draw. Tbe right one is quite different. Obviously since the organisation of sickness insurance has gone so far it would be a great pity not to go farther and establish tho system on national lines. A Bill to this end has already been introduced and the last Congress of Federations of Benefit Clubs declared that in view of the strength of public and parliamentary opinion, it was almost impossible that the year 1823 should not see the establishment of compulsory insurance for sickness, invalidity and maternity. The same congress urged tho need for improvement iu the draft submitted by tho Christian Democrats. The minimum benefit instead of 9fr per day should lie 15, he., about bait tbo normal wage of an adult worker, and moreover 15ft is the benefit usually paid by the existing clubs. (The metal workers pay 10fr, plug 50 centimes for a wife and 50 for each child; tho railway-men 50 per cent, of tho wage, plus 6 per cent, for each child under 16, the maximum not to exceed 75 per cent, of the wages.) ■ As to the organisation of insurance the above-named congress thought that, when once legislation has gone through, there ought to bo no more occasion for party controversy on the subject ; the system should bo such as. with goodwill, will meet all demands. The large number of clubs at present in existence is a waste and a source of weakness. The congress pronounced for the following system oi otganisation: (1) General district or local sickness insurance centres to deal with sickness not exceeding six months m duration; (2) provincial centres for very long illnesses (up to two years) ; (5) a national centre for invalidity, tuberculosis and maternity; (4) the centres to be managed by the insured persons themselves, the employers as contributors having a certain influence, but the final control being in the hands of tho Government. THE APPRENTICE PROBLEM. In a recent issue of tbe New Zealand Industrial Bulletin, Mr S. E. Wright, secretary’ of the Auckland_ Employeie Association, concludes an article on the above subject in the following terms: — A few years ago the apprenticeship system had at least the merit of simplicity. Though it was admittedly in some ways inefficient, this could have been probably overcome very easily. At the time referred to an employer could take on a boy as apprentice without any formality. At the end of three months, however, if the employer, the boy, and the boy’s parents were willing, the factory inspector had to be notified of the employer’s intention to keep on the boy for the balance of his term of apprenticeship—five years. This became, for all practical purposes, a contract of apprenticeship, and, in the majority of eases, worked satisfactorily. The factory inspector could prevent a boyleaving his employer without good reason and could also have, no doubt, prevented an employer from dismissing a boy without showing cause. The weakness 1 of the system was that the inspector had no sufficient power to decide in the place whether an employer was a fit and proper person and had in his shop or works a sufficient staff and facilities for teaching apprentices. It would have been a comparatively easy motterTo have invested the inspector ns registrar of apprentices, with sufficient powers to have prevented any abuses, and to have laid down a few approved rules for his guidance; also to have provided some appeal either to the Arbitration Court or some other tribunal in the probably very rare cases whether either employers or apprentices were dissatisfied with his ruling. Instead q£ this, an Act has been passed which not only ties down tho employer to an indenture system which has years since been obsolete, but appointing at the same time committees of very unstable coutsitution, and raising sideissues as to compulsory attendance at technical schools and other matters which tend to leave the employer uncertain whether he is teaching the boy his trade, or whether the technical schools are doiyg it; whether he or the Apprenticeship Committees are controlling the apprentice. The only point left clear is that tbe employer has to pay the wages and comply with the regal q,tions < and restrictions as may be made from time to time. Still more serious is the effect on the boy, who is quick to realise that the “ boss ” lias very limited control over him, cannot .dismiss him without considerable trouble, and tho boy is too often (under bad guidance) quick to take advantage of this. Hence the complaints about unsatisfactory behaviour of apprentices, and the reluctance of employers to take them on. In some parts of the world —America for instance—the apprenticeship system is dead. It will not take much to kill it in New Zealand, though this would lie a calamity, not only for the youth of the country, but for its industries. In the larger and more populous countries automatic and semi-automatic machinery rim by intelligent labourers, taught only to run one particular machine and paid according to output, is found to he more economically sound than the employment of apprentices, with the necessity of their strict and careful supervision, hut the industries in New Zealand are for the most part too small to warrant the heavy expenditure for up-to-date automatic machinery. The output is too limited, and in anv case the system does not ten / towards the training of artisans or the relief of unemployment.