TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2167, 5 September 1895, Page 18

TRADES AND LABOUR.

London, September 1. The jute strikes in Dundee are collapsing. Melbourne, August 27.

At the annual meeting of the Pastoralists' Association the report stated that although the Shearers' Union had abandoned the fight for tbe present, tho executive had plainly stated its intention of resunilr>g hostilities when it was strong enough and wanted to do so. Agitators could only be frustrated and peaceful progress and work ensured by maintaining and increasing the membership of the association and cultivating amicable relations with the peaoeable section of the shearers.

BRISBANE), AugUßt 27.

At a meet-ing of boot manufacturers it was decided to re-engage aB many of the old bands as places could be found for, giving preference to married men. About half of the old hands have been re-engaged on the distinct understanding that freedom of contract is to be enforced, and that any annoyance given to the men who take the places of the strikers will be followed by dismissal. The meeting alao decided not to recognise the union in any way in the future, nor to allow the subscriptions of money for union purposes.

Adeliidb, August 31.

The directors of tho Wallaroo and Moonta mines, South Australia, have decided to increase wages 10 per cont. from October if the price of copper remains over L 45.

A Waimate teli-gram states that the executive of the New Zes-kud Workers' Union have parsed a resolution congratulating the Hon. W. P. Rfeve3 on his Wages Attachment Abolition Bill having passed its third reading. The opinion whs expressed that it was legislation in the right direction. The resolutious from the Wurkets' Political Committee of Otago protesting Agaiutt banking legislation tending to bolster \up private financial institutions were endorsed.

The Journal of the Department of Labour repcrts the state of tho labour market in Otago to be as follows :—": — " Building trader : Oamaru, slight improvement ; Dunedin, sti\l dull, some large contracts expected shortly to briog about a change ; Invercergitl, very slack, number idle. Engineering tnde : Oamaru, dull. Dunedin, rather dull, in some branches improved ; Invf roargill, very slack. Boot trade : Oamaru, fairly bn?y, very few regular hands idle ; Dunedin, much better than for some time past, attributed to rwe in price of leather ; Invercargill, quiet, but artisans mostly in employment. Clothing trades : Oamaru, fairly busy ; Dunedin, brisker than last month, but shirtmaking, dressmaking, tailoring, woollen milling are dull. Retail trades: Oamaru, very little doing; Dunedin, very fair business for season of y«ar ; Balclutba, at a standstill on account of bad weather; Invercargill, fairly busy. Unskilled labour : Oamuru, the very bad weather in the country has thrown a large number out of employment ; Dunedin, 26 men tent to Government and private works, and applications for employment not so numerous, owing to railway (7 relief) works started ; Ba'clufchs, a great many lecal mm idle and in very low circumstances ; Invercargil), a number out of emp'ojment, the ranjority single — 23 men, nearly »U married, sent to Gs-verament works, and 11 from Otautau.

" During July there were 1686 labourers employed on co-operative worts under the Survey department, of which 609 were in Wellington district, 375 in Auckland, 253 in Tar*naki, 67 in Otago, 119 in Southland, and 73 in Westland. Under the Putlic Works department 121 artisan* and 635 labourers were employed, of which 17 artisans and 179 labourers were on the Otago Central railway, and 2 artisans and 56 labourers on the Catlin's railway. Including the State farm, tho total number engaged on co-operative works during July was 2539."

* At Thursday night's meeting of the Dunedin As'em'ily of tbe Knights of Labour the following resolutions were carried: — "That thie Assembly protest against the continued endeavour of our Government fco bolster up the Bank of New Zealand by a further guarantee of £3,200,000 on the following grounds :— (1) That the bank is a standing menace to the prosperity of the colony ; (2) that under the proposed legislation the Government propose to find almost the whole capital of the b»uk to eriable it to drain the resources of the colony to the extent of £135,000 per annum ; (3) that the time is opportune fir establishing a Stato bank on & sound financial batis, so that the colony might obtain the profit that under the present arrangements go to the financial institutions. (2) Thxt this Assembly also strongly urge upon Parliament to demand that, instead of (he colony further guaranteeing the Bink of New Zealand the Government insist upon that institution going into liquidation as speedily as practicable, and steps being taken by tho Government to recover from the realised assiti the £2,000,000 already gunranteed, or any lesser amount that may be realised." It was also resolved that a copy of tbe resolutions bs sent to the city and suburban | members calling attention to their pledge at the election in 1893 in favour of a Stite bank.

Last week Mr Farnie selected 21 men for b»l lasting work on the C*tlius railway. The area of selection was necessarily limited, as tho meu f elected were required to have some knowledge of the nature of the work to ba undertaken. Sevan of the men were selected in Dunedin and 14 were selected from residents of the Catlins district.

The author of the co- operative works system as applied to Government buildings bas frequently made it clear that contractors are obnoxious to him. It was announced recently that it was intended to re-erect the asylum near Auckland by co-operative labour. The Auckland contractors, ft ho were probably none too busy at the time, thought they should be given an opportunity of competing for work. Th's could be eatiiy done by the schedule prices to be given for the work under co-operafive labour being estimated. Tho Government were accordingly communicated with. The Premier's reply was that the Government, after a trial extending over four years, had found the co-operative system to work w»ll in the erection of public building*, and could not entertain the suggestion of the Auckland Builders' Association to abandon the principle and return to the old system. This elicited a warm reply, in which it wa* printed out that the Government wera r.ot ffk'd to abandon the principle. All that w.i» a .ked was to be allowed to compete agaiust the c«i-optrat?vo system. After protecting agsirst the igrorirg of their right to ply their calling-, and urging that as tho revenue was raited from the general public all public worki should bs submitted to public competition, tha builders put forward reasons why they regarded the co-operative system as weak and impohtic, tending tqj incretso officialism in supervision and demoralising to workmen. This letter, which was sent through Mr Crowther, was not replied to, bat the matter has been freely

ventilated in the newspapers. Mr Pbilcox, in a letter in the Herald, after reviewing the short history of the Premier's panacea for the unemployed difficulty, say* he thinks Ministers have raised up a monster tint will suiely devour tho Ministry. In a subtequent letter Mr Philcox gives »n illustration from Wastern Au»lraii» trshow how excessive prices may bo put down ;;• the engineer's estimate. Tho case is llmt of the Coolgnrdie railway. The estiniata of lttv C. Y. O'Connor, well known as & enpabb engineer, -was £131,000 ; but the lowest tender was £64,000 below this estimate. If the work had been given to co-operators on the engiccer's estimate the railway would have coßt £67,000 more th»n it will now.

The Wellington bcot trade employes have given notice that after September 24 they will withdraw the preseut statement of wages and conditions of labour. The notice applits from Wellington to Invercwgill. Wki.mngton, August 30. The Trades and Labour Council have passed a resolution advers9 to tbe action of certain members on the Undesirable Immigrants and Fair Tenders Bills, and intimating tbafc the council are watching members, and intend to circulate among tho labour organisations of their constituencies the opeecho3 of those mom* beis who are opposing these measures, in view of tho next goat ral election ; also, that a letter be cent to tho Minister for Labour thanking him for hit uutiiing efforts on behalf of tho workers.