THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22717, 1 November 1935, Page 2

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

NEWS AND NOTES By J. T. Paul. Democracy is not a device for counting heads, instead of breaking them, nor is it a scheme for enabling majorities to get their own way. It is true that in actual practice in an imperfect world we cannot wait for unanimity, and the minority must give way to the settled determination of the majority. But democracy is intended to ensure that the judgment of minorities shall be heard and weighed, and that minorities shall .have the opportunity of turning themselves into majorities by honest and open forms of propaganda. Democracy, likewise, imposes duties on minorities, or opposition parties. If minorities and oppositions oppose for the sake of opposing, if they are merely obstinate and obstructive, they abuse the privileges of democracy and help to undermine it. But the essence of democracy is the willingness to adjust your demands to the limitations of your fellows, wherever, at least, issues of ultimate moral principle are not involved. —Mr Herbert G. Wood, M-A. SHORTAGE OF FACTORY WORKERS. For the first time in seven years there is a shortage of girls for employment in Napier factories, according to one business man, who stated last week that he was experiencing the utmost difficulty in securing the services of sufficient girls to handle orders which were being received. " Usually there is no need to ask twice, one announcement that girl workers are required being sufficient to send a whole queue of applicants round to the factory," he said. " During the past few weeks, however, we have been unable to obtain <a sufficient staff of girls to cope with the orders we have received, and consequently have been unable to guarantee delivery in the time desired." This is by no means an isolated case, for all the factories in the district are working at high pressure to cope with the orders received, and many have increased their staffs and are working overtime. The position cannot be put down purely to the seasonal demand brought about by the spring. FARM LABOUR CONDITIONS. According to the views expressed at the last meeting of the Feilding branch of the Farmers' Union, the conditions under which hired labour is expected to work on farms are far from satisfactory, and to this is attributed the difficulty in securing labour for seasonal and routine farm work. The opinions expressed arose from an inquiry by the Unemployment Board for authentic information regarding the labour question in farming districts and the citing of specific instances where farmers had been unable to secure labour. The board said it had been contended that the reason for the difficulty in obtaining farm labour was that the workers preferred the conditions and wages payable under relief schemes. Mr W. G. Short said he did not blame the men who refused to accept farm jobs when they knew what the conditions were. Not only was it a matter of hours, but the living conditions on many farms were very unattractive, and this was- the cause of men and youths refusing to go on the land. He understood the women's organisation was taking the question up, as it was satisfied it was not right the boys should be invited to live and work under the conditions known to exist. _ Mr Short instanced the case of a girl who accepted a position to assist on a dairy farm at 10s a week. She was expected to assist with 90 cows, cart out mangolds, and spend the afternoon at housework. Members agreed that the situation revealed was a severe indictment of farmers. A NATIONAL PROBLEM. During the debate on the Budget in the Federal Parliament, the newly-ap-pointed Labour Leader, Mr Curtin, moved that the appropriation be reduced by £1 as a direction to the Government to arrange with the States for, legislative collaboration in the establishment of a national unemployment council to deal with unemployment, particularly among the youth of either sex, and to provide adequate relief and' training for those for whom employment, was not provided. Mr Curtin said that five years of depression conditions had shown that there was now a large volume of permanent unemployment in Australia. The country was now faced with the certainty that private industry could not adequately provide employment, that Government expenditure, however vast, could do no more thui give a penurious' existence to thousands of people on relief work, and that there was a definite volume of chronic unemployment. The-problem of maihtaniing consumptive capacity in a society in which the massas were being stripped of their earning ability must be faced. The earnings for sustenance workers were so low as to menace the whole standard of living. Labour was becoming an increasingly superfluous element ni production, while wages were being steadily lessened. The Government had called conferences of States to deal with wheat and meat and roads, but had not yet asked the States to co-operate legislatively in tackling the supreme major problem of civilisation —unemployment. Youths were being frustrated and denied reasonable opportunities for training in industry and citizenship, and unless a halt was called a crop of idleness and evil would be reaped which would menace the whole social fabric. The youth of Australia needed a decent chance. So. did the men and women. ANNUAL LEAVE. During the hearing of a case before the New South Wales Conciliation Commissioner at Sydney the industrial officer of the Sydney Trades and Labour Council (Mr O. Bryant) pointed out that Australia lagged behind other countries, regarded as less civilised, in the matter of annual leave for industrial workers. Producing copies of foreign statutes released by the International Labour Office, Mr Bryant was able to show that in China, in addition to public holidays, all employees received up to 30 days* annual leave. This was made compulsory by Act of Parliament. In other countries annual leave was granted as follows: Rumania, seven to 30 days; Russia, up to six weeks; South Africa, 12 to 14 days; Chile, seven days; Mexico, four to six days; Panama, one month after two years' service; Sweden, not less than four days; Switzerland, up to 12 days; and Jugoslavia, up to five weeks. Mr Bryant said that Australia was often cited as a country in the vanguard of industrial progress, but there were some things in which "he lagged far behind many foreign coun tries.

HOURS OP LABOUR AND COSTS. Before the Victorian State Parliamentary Select Committee, appointed to investigate the question of 6horter working hours, Mr A. R. Wallis, general secretary of the Clothing Trades Union, made some amazing revelations regarding the relatively small amount chargeable to labour in the production of clothing. He pointed out that so small was the proportion chargeable to labour that a lessening ox working hours would make only an infinitesimal difference to the ultimate selling price. While a shorter working week would not entirely cure the unemployment problem, it would have the effect of ameliorating it to a great extent, and would also benefit workers in the clothing industry from a health point of view. Mr Wallis said that with regard to the manufacture of trousers, operations that had cost Is 9d as recently as last February cost only 6Jd when conducted with machinery which had been introduced since then. Special-order tailored suits were now being produced in the same factories as ready-to-wear goods. Many of the machines for making clothing were operated by juveniles, one of whom could, with their aid, do a« much work in one day as had previously been done by 14 women. Before January it cost £3l to put hip-pockets in 4250 trousers. To dav the job could be done for £6 ss. In one dressmaking factory, the labour cost of making a woman's costume retailed 'it 69* 6d was "s 4d, despite the fact that the wage paid was 25 per cent, above the award rate. The growth of the chain stores selling drapery at low, fixed prices was responsible for the

growing up of a pernicious system of mass outdoor work, under which the goods were made at contract prices. A woman's black frock, sold at 2s 6d, cost only 8d to make. In America this method of production had been forbidden as being prejudicial to fair business competition and to the health of the workers. In that country, the clothing workers had a seven-hour day and a 36-hour week. Mr Wallis pointed out that in 1901 a total of 479 factories employed 1571 males and 11,629 females. In 1933 1024 factories employed 2612 males and 17,840 females. These figures showed that, in spite of the growth of manufacturing, the machine had kept the increase of employment down to figures out of all proportion to the increased output.