THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21993, 30 June 1933, Page 2

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

By J. T. Paul.

NEWS AND NOTES

A lack of confidence based on a complete uncertainty about the world’s future is a psychological aspect of the present crisis that can hardly be given too much importance; for it, too, affects every country and- influences almost _ every individual in his ; economic habits and everyday business dealings, as well as in his attitude t> the wider problems of economic and political policy.—G. D. H. Cole. UNEMPLOYED TEACHERS. No fewer than 160 ex-students of the Christchurch Teachers’ Training _ College are still without any positions in their profession, and 13! others are occupying temporary positions under the Canterbury Education Board’s rationing scheme. _ Two ex-students who left the Training College in 1926 or earlier have not been able to secure permanent positions and are still available for employment. The number of other ex-students who have been waiting for more than two years are as follows: —Since 1927, 2; 1928, '2 : ; 1929, 6; 1930, 18. The total is gradually being reduced as a result of female exstudents getting married, and others drifting into different classes of employment. As the board cannot provide positions for all ex-students it is. unable to compel them to comply with the terms ,of the bond they enter into on leaving the college. At the last meeting of the board 14 immanent positions were dealt with. In eight cases Canterbury teachers from one position to another, in four others ex-students were selected for appointment, and two of the positions were given to senior teachers from districts outside of Canterbury. It has been proved that ex-students can secure positions in Southland and certain North Island districts more easily than in Canterbury. VALUE OF TRADE UNIONS. . The statement has often been made (remarks “Industrial Tramp” in the Auckland Star), that trade unions are of no use and awards are a dead letter. That such a statement is a pure assumption and not correct is proved by a recent experience of the Auckland. Carpenters’ Union. Some time ago it was reported to the union that a contractor in a northern township who had executed some cottage building contracts for the Public Wo rim Department had not paid award rates of wages to the men employed on those contracts. Inquiries were made into the matter by the union and by the Labour Department, and the union was advised by the Labour Department: “ That it was a condition of the contract that award wages should be paid, and as this had not been done,' the Public Works Department had refused to make a final settlement with the contractor until the conditions of the award bad been complied with.” The union bas since been informed by the Labour Department that arrears of wages amounting to £220 18s 2d have now been paid, and the addresses of several men who bad worked on the contracts are' required so that they can be paid the back wages due to them. The amount was, of course, spread over a considerable number of men. One received £l3 14s 9d. The point is (continues the writer) that had there been no union there would have been no award, in which case the employer -would have made his own terms with the men. But, there was a union, a real live union, and that union had obtained an award, and when a breach of that award was reported, steps were taken to have the provisions of the award observed, with the above results. Apart from the benefits to. the men, there is also tbe consideration that an award operating in the industry ensures that contractors all tender on the same basis of labour costs, and if some contractors get their labour at a lower cost they are competing on an unfair basis with other contractors, , , , The moral of the story (he concludes) is that both workers and employers should support tbe unions, each for their own protection. ; THE WORKING WEEK. The 44-hour week comes into operation in Queensland on July 1, but with that reduction in the working week there will ■be ho reduction in -wages, and the basic wage of £3 14s will stand. In that declaration which was made by the Full Bench of the Queensland Industrial Court ife the tangible outcome of recent Labour legislation, which completely remodelled the Industrial Conciliation .and Arbitration Act by making provision for the restoration of the 44-hour week. Ihe Queensland Labour Government is firmly convinced that the reduction in the number of working hours will pave the way towards the absorption in industry of the thousands of men at present unemployed. The Full Bench of the New South Wales Industrial Commission has fixed 44 hours as the standard working week for New South Wales. ... . In delivering the finding of the commission, Mr Justice Browne (chairman) said it would be some days before the commission could complete a full statement of the reasons for fixing 44 hours as the standard working week. The commission was of the opinion that the present announcement should not be delayed. The chairman added that in every case, after notice given by the registrar, an opportunity would be afforded anyone to -make an application that an industry or class of employees included in any list should he removed therefrom, or that any industry not included in any list should be added thereto. ’ It is anticipated that the hours will be worked on a periodical basis in order to give some elasticity to meet the needs of different industries. The judgment was received with satisfaction in trade union circles. Union officials declared that, having secured this decision, they would press on for still further reductions in the working week, A SOCIALIST PROGRAMME. In an editorial article upon the Socialist programme in Britain, as revealed in recent pamphlets, Tbe Times says:—lt is a little disquieting to observe that our prospective dictators, though not alarmed by the admitted difficulties of their task, will bring very little originality to it. Every one of their ideas down to the smallest detail is borrowed and (unless | it be assumed that they have been inI spired by Sir Oswald Mosley) borrowed j from abroad. Most of them hail from i Russia, including the idea of a politically j ruthless party caucus, possessing a monopoly of place, power and rights; but the tactics favoured appear to be copied from Herr Hitler. This is the more surprising because Mr Brailsford has written a companion pamphlet entitled “ The Nazi Terror,” commenting in very severe terms upon such matters (apart from personal i violence) to the dragooning of the press. I the manipulation of constitutional forms j and the political and economic intimida- ! tion of opponents. 1 But when the same measures are taken j in Russia, the Socialist intellectuals call ! them a great and interesting experiment, land incorporate many of them (though t not, of course, the use of physical vioi lence) in their policy for this country. 1 “ We cannot,” says Mr Cole, “ put limits ; to' the degree of dictatorial power which, i under stress of the emergency, our Sociallist Government may have to assume.” What, is Satanic in Germany would be “rallying the nation to the service of the work in a class ” if practised in this country, The differentiation of the verdict upon political systems according to the complexion of the party in power is the

last infirmity of distorted minds; and the picture of Great Britain under the- new Socialist dispensation would fully merit the description which Mr Brailsford gives of Germany—" a great country rattling back to barbarism.” PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIETY. Dr C. E. Beeby, lecturer in psychology at Canterbury College, receptly devoted some attention in a public address to industrial conditions. The institution of industry ran on the assumption that the working human being was a combination between a machine and a savings bank —that his chief or sole interest lay in working for money, and that the chief causes of discontent in industry were financial. The speaker was convinced that the principal cause of discontent lay in the lack of full expression of the personality. This wag especially true of mass production. _ The man who earned his living by screwing a particular nut into place on a motor car could take very little pride in his work, but ha might get real satisfaction in making, a coal scuttle at home. The first activity gave no scope for hig creative powers, while the second did. In the old days work was more of the craftsman type, and provided a certain amount of real gratification to the workman, but modern methods often denied the expression of self assertion, curiosity, and understanding. In illustration of this, he told of some workmen who were told by their employer to dig a hole six feet deep at a certain spot and then told to fill it up again. ' After this had happened two or three times they walked away in disgust. They would have taken an intelligent interest in their work, however, if only their employer had told them that he was looking for a water main, i As a contrast, the speaker mentioned that in the construction of machines to compete for the Schneider Cup, all parts involved were labelled “Schneider Cup,” with the result that workmen knew what their work entailed and did it particularly well. Experiments, conducted in large factories showed also that employees worked better if they were not in such a large crowd that their individuality was lost. . . The school system, too, gave practically no outlet for constructiveness and the spirit of adventure. Co-operation in the classroom was forbidden. It was only in the playing field that character was fully trained. And then, very often, the personality ag developed on the playing field wag of little use in modern industry. The family also provided less outlet than was necessary for full development. Since money had superseded land as the principal form of wealth and. the old patriarchal system was disappearing, families now tended to split apart more, and family life now provided a less complete optlet for developing instincts. “At the present time,” said th« speaker, “ man is not particularly well adapted to his environment; perhaps he never was; and perhaps it ig not desirable that he. ever should be completely so.” > UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. The Labour Government has. been in office in Queensland for 12 months. It was found necessary to' raise additional money for the.relief of unemployment and a recent official pronouncement contains the following points:— Under the old form of relief taxation a flat rate, at first of 3d in the f, increased later to 6d in the £, was imposed. This was altered by Labour as from July 29, 1932, to a rate graduated as follows: — Where the income does not exceed £lO4 per annum, 3d in the f. Where the income exceeds £lO4, but does not exceed £2OB, 6d in the £. Where the income exceeds £2OB, but does not exceed £499, 0d in the f. And where income exceeds £499, Is in the £. It will be seen by the foregoing that no alteration was made in the tax on incomes up to £2OB per annum to what it was previously, but from £2OB to £SOO, it was increased from 6d to 9d, and above £SOO Is in the £. For the previous year, ended June 30, 1932, the amount received from the relief tax amounted to £1,089,645. With the'increased rates it might be thought that the amount received for the current year would reach approximately this amount. However, that is not so. On account of the general reduced income of the community, ag represented in the ; taxpayers, it is now practically certain that pur income into the fund will not be more .than 50 per cent, greater than last year. It will amount this . year, to about £1,600,000. On the other hand,' with the extra demands upon the fund, our monthly expenditure out of it has mounted up. For the month of February ,it was over £150,000, and at present 'it looks as if the expenditure for the year will be between £1,700,000 ail'd £1,800,000. , It will be seen.'therefore, that starting with an overdraft of £108,500, adding an expenditure of, say, £1,740.000 and deducting an income of £1.600,000, the relief fund at June 30 will be overdrawn about £250,000. The tax, though increased, is not sufficient to meet all requirements, but, Respite this, the Government will maintain the present intermittent relief work, and pay also its present ration scale to those entitled thereto; it cannot, however, extend its operations out of the Relief Fund beyond those commitments.

Consequently, much as it is regretted, there is no option but to hold in , abeyance applications for additional expenditure on new works, etc., out of the Relief Fund.