TRADES AND LABOUR. (Per Press Association.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1967, 5 November 1891, Page 15

TRADES AND LABOUR. (Per Press Association.)

London, October 27. Cardiff unions, representing 51,000 men, have joined the federation. Mr H. H. Champion, writing to the Daily Telegraph, expresses the opinion that a majority of English workmen would favour the imposition of a tariff which would boycott the products of cheap labour. October 27. The Labour Commission have resumed their sittings at Northumberland. The coalpit owners are opposed to the Legislature fixing the hours of labour for miners. They stated that at a fair estimate their expenses amounted to three and a-half millions annually, and their revenue to four millions. Mr Robert Giffen, the statistician to the Board of Trade, gave evidence that the average earnings of the coalminers in England did not amount to more than £1 per week. October 20. Before the Labour Commission to-day the representatives of the Fifeshire and Kiniossshire miners gave evidence in favour of the eight hours' movement. The Mertbyr Tydvill miners declare that defects in the land laws have drafted unskilled labour from the towns, and they became miners, to the detriment of both employer and employe. They advocate a system of granting certificates to capable and qualified miners. October 31. The 'bus men in London are taking steps to form a 'bus company. Sir John Goret, addressing a meeting, urged that each industry should decide the hours to be worked by those engaged in it, and he advocated Government and municipal bodies experimenting on the eight hours Bystem. The Hon. W. A. E. West Erskin, M.L.O. for Gooliva, South Australia, writing to the Morning Post, expresses the opinion that the federation of the colonies would cure the labour difficulty, and he favours the Imperial Government working the Northern Territory. November 1. The Omnibus bnion declare that, the bus companies have discharged 1500 of the oldest bands since the strike. Mr John Burns admits the defeat of the Carron wharf strike. The Standard advocates that Sir J. Gorst's scheme with regard to labour should be tried as an experiment. The Times denounces his views. A lock-out of 20,000 bootmakers is threatened, The engineers ab Newcastle are striking owing to a difference about overtime, and 13,000 men threaten to go out. Sir John Gorst, speaking at Wolverhampton, said that if his proposals with regard to the eight hours' system resulted in failure the people would bear the burden by paying rates and taxes. In his speech at Wolverbampton, Sir John Gorst said he considered the State was justified in interfering with regard to the conditions of labour, and more especially in the case of employes of railway, gas, and other companies, which were practically huge monopolies. Burns has advised tbe strikers at Carron wharf to return to work unless the other maritime unions are prepared to join in the strike and come to the real issue with the Shipping Federation. November 2. Thirteen thousand engineers on the Tyne and Weir have struck. Mr Tom Mann has prepared plans for docks in London, to be submitted to the Labour Commission, by which a saving of 3s per ton in handling goods will be effected. Five thousand bootmakers in London have been locked out, the masters being unanimous in their determination not to give way to the demands of the men. Bbblin, October 27. The master printers'ftf Berlin have decided to strenuously resist the men's demands for nine hours a day. Besides asking for nine hours' work, the Get man printers are demanding one-third increase in wages. Several masters have conceded the demands, but others are determined to resist. New Yobk, November 1. For some time past miners working in the coal mines at Enoxville, a town in Tennessee, have raised objections to the employment of convicts in the mines. Failing to obtain redress from the owners, they banded together and took possession of the mines, liberating 300 convicts. Melbourne, October 30. At the intercolonial conference of builders and contractors a motion was carried affirming the desirableness of a contractors' lien Jaw for Australia. Freedom of contract is endorsed by the employers ; uniformity of hours; technical education of apprentices; and the abolition of the system of lodging deposits with tenders, except in the case of corporations and Government work. Sydney, November 3. Four hundred and fifty tailors have gone out on strike, demanding an increase of wages. Nine out of 40 employers have conceded their demands.