TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 1966, 29 October 1891, Page 35

TRADES AND LABOUR.

(Per Pbess Association.) London, October 21. Sir Charles Dilke, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, states that there is little hope of shortly carrying the Bight Hours Bill, even in an optional form ; and, therefore, it would be better for unionists to carry a resolution in favour of such enactment in dangerous and unhealthy trades. Sixty labour unions, representing 150,000 men, employed in the northern industries, met at Darlington and agreed to federate. Trades unions are protesting against the present riverside strike, at which the strikers are very excited. The stevedores have refused to go out on strike, and a split in the ranks of the labour party is imminent. Ihe Shipping Federation is discussing the crisis. The engineers and firemen have withdrawn from the strike. Oceober 22. Mr John > Burns, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, referring to the defeat or the Parkes Government, says it emphasises the determination of the workers as a class to use the State for their own interests, and that it is certain to exercise a healthy influence in the treatment of the eight hours question by English statesmen. Owing to several consignments of goods for Australia being blocked, the riverside strikers are enthusiastic, and have determined to continue the strike. Mr Burns, in his letter to the Daily Telegraph, urges unionists to cease striking, as it tends to defeat trades unionism, and to transfer the eight hours question to a field in which they can vastly outnumber their enemies and capture the political machine. October 23. Mr Gladstone will attend a conference which will meet in this city to consider the condition of farm labourers. October 24. The Tyne and Wear shipbuilders have discharged a number of their engineers who are members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers consequent on their meddling with the apprentices in the shops. The strike at Carron wharves has been reduced to 350 men, who have expressed their determination of fighting non-unionists to the bitter end. October 27. Sir John Gorst, speaking to his constituents, said that the crux of the labour question was to keep the people on the land, and, unless the present situation were amended, he felt that the end would be a revolt. Bight thousand nailmakers in the Midland Counties have struck against a reduction of 10 per cent, in their wages. §^The London Trades Council have resolved in favour of labour candidates being elected to the House of Commons, but rejected the proposal that a levy should be made on societies for the support of the candidates. Mr R. Cunningham Graham, M.P., declares that the defeat of the Parkes Government will give a mighty impulse to the eight b,ours question in England, where the questions of the day are economic, social not political, and Imperial federation. Pabis, October 21. French "models" engaged in Paris have struck as a protest against the employment of foreigners. Beblin, October 24. The printer? throughout Germany have decided to go out on Btrike in a fortnight, unless their demand for nine hours a day is conceded. Vienna, October 24. The agitation among printers in Germany for nine hours a day is spreading to Austria.

THE DISPUTE IN THE BOOT TRADE. Sir R. Stout writes to the New Zealand Times a column letter dealing with the bootmakers' dispute. He regrets that; the Labour Conciliation Bill was not passed last session, as the present difficulty shows the necessity for I something being done unless we are to have the i evils of sweating, tempered with occasional Btrikes. After quoting various clauses in the statement agreed to at the February conference, he declares that employers were in honour bound not to have attempted to have it varied until January 1893, unless the employes at another conference consented. Under the conference there were nine general conditions. There are 34 now, and all the new conditions added are against the men. Their prices have been reduced almost all round. He trusts that employers will reconsider the statement, and points out that the colony has made them large concessions, and they have a high protective duty to aid them in their manufacture. If the establishment of industries in this colony is going to lead to sweating and reducing wages to the pittance that this latter statement will do, he for one thought it would be better to have no boot manufacturers here at all. He declares that an agreement made in all faith has been wantonly thrown aside by the employers, and while disbelieving in strikes, saye: "If ever a strike was justified, a strike would be justified by the Bootmakers' Union." He urges that the public should have a say in the matter, and adds that by introducing a variable wage the manufacturers have made one of the factors by which they could calculate their profits less stable, and that in the end it will injure them. Our Wellington correspondent telegraphs last evening that Mr W. R. Hannah, secretary to the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association, has forwarded a reply to the New Zealand Times, from whioh he was privileged by the courtesy of the editor to send the following :— Mr Hannah having referred to the universal statement of wages of

last February, agreed upon between the bootmakers and boot manufacturers, says that the agreement was broken by the Federated Bootmakers' Union allowing their men to work for the manufacturers of Auckland under a local statement so far below the universal statement aa to make southern competition impossible. They were invited to attend a conference in September. Certain of the Auckland manufacturers declared they adhered to the local statement. During the strike the manufacturers of Auckland received no assistance from those of Wellington and the south, but the unions were assisted, inasmuch as work was found for the men who left Auckland on account of the strike, Mr Hannah himself manufacturing £4000 worth of surplus stock, and others did according to their ability. All this surplus stock will show a loss in competition with Auckland manufacturerers. As to the reduction spoke of by Sir R. Stout on the universal statement, the wages in Wellington were on the contrary advanced by that statement about 7 per cent. That Mr Hannah regards as the reason why the strike was lost in Auckland. The jump was too great for the Auckland manufacturers. The average wages in Wellington Mr Hannah places at from 50s to 70s per week. If men make less it is because they are not industrious. He asks if Sir R. I Stout has ascertained the hours worked. As to I classes of labour, there are but three — clicking, benching, and finishing. As to boys, the point is that the men will not make the small work, and yet they object to manufacturers engaging 1 bdys to do it. Such conduct he characterises as • Dog in the manger ' and hampering. As to the Board of Conciliation, that system has worked most satisfactorily in America for the last three years. The tariff protection Mr Hannah says was not asked for, and has net made the manufacturer rich by any means, and the successful men are those who combine the importing business. Re variable wages, Mr Hannah asks that ability should be recognised and work paid for according to quality. After referring to the conference at Christchurch, Mr Hannah concludes by announcing that the statement about to be presented by the Boot Manufacturers' Association is 12 and threequarters above the present Auckland statement which has been accepted by the federated unions. Chbistchubch, October 27. The conference on the bootmakers' difficulty was commenced this afternoon. The proceedings are being kept private. A very pleasing ceremony took plaoe last Saturday evening at the Pukeiviti Hotel,' the occasion being the presentation of a banner to the Allandale and Shag Point Miners' Association by Mr and Mrs Roberts. The brass band was in attendance, and rendered some excellent music. The banner was presented to the secretary of the two branches, Messrs M'Caffrey and Kidd, by Mrs Roberts with a few very appropriate remarks. An address of thanks in [ reply, on behalf of the members, which which was prepared by Mr A. Weston, was then read out by that gentleman. Afterwards a social gathering took place, the president of | the Allandale Miners' Association presiding, Mr Whittelson, of Shag Point, occupying the vice-chair. Some speeches and toasts, interspersed with vocal music, made up a very enjoyable evening.