TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 17

TRADES AND LABOUR.

Sydney, May 2. The strike at Hudson Bros,' works practically fizzled out, and the men, with a few exception?, have returned to work. London, May 3. The builders' strike is assuming increasing proportions, and 10,000 men are now idle. A BOILDEES' STRIKE. London, April 80. Ten thousand men engaged in the city building trade have struck for higher wages. THE MINERS' STRIKE. Newcastle, April 28. The men in Sueddou'a two collieries have joined the strikers. The Greta miners have also given notice. These pits were worked by non-union labourers, but the men were induced to join the ranks of the unionists. A number of charters have already been cancelled, and the vessels are leaving port Several small pits which previously were unable to compete with the larger mines are reopening, but the output will be insignificant. Sydney, April 29. Mr Brown, proprietor of the New Limbton Colliery, offers to resume work at once and pay a hewing rate of 3a 6d. It is expected that hia offer will be accepted. This mine, working night and day, can employ 500 hands. The miners at Newcastle now insist on an additional increase to 3s 6d, and that the terms of the 1888 agreement regarding the standard height of seam, refuso, scale, &c. mußt be conceded them. May 2. Overtures to resume work at the New Lambton colliery proved futile. The strike is causing heavy demands on the southern miners to enable 3000 men to carry on the strike. Newcastle, May 4. A settlement has been arrived at in two of the collieries, and the men start work co-day at an advance. Coal has already risen 2s to 2s 6d, and there is a probability that it will go much higher. BOOTMAKERS' STRIKE. Sydney, April 28. Matters connected with the boot strike are so far much complicated owing to the union agreeing to accept either the written or verbal assurances of both associated and non-associated masters of their intention to adhere to the present statement as to wages. The strike is only partial, there being a few hundred men out. There is great want of unanimity among the masters to enforce the decision not to recognise the existing statement. April 29. Altogether between 800 and 900 boot bands of all classes are affected by the strike. Several masters are seceding from the association; others deny that the union statement provided that they should adhere to the statement on their employees being called oat. Altogether between 800 and 9QO boot

hands of all classes are affected by the strike. Several masters are seceding from the association ; others deny that the union statement provided that they should adhere to the statement on their employees being called out. r • m Mayl. Several flrms have seceded from the Boot Manufacturers' Association, and, having guaranteed to uphold the existing statement, their employees are returning to work. May 4. The boot manufacturers are gradually giving way, and the men are resuming work on the old terms.-. THE EFFECTS OP .THH COAL. STRIKE, Wellington, April 30. A private letter received, here by Mr S. Brown, a looad coal merchant, gi*&s some* idea of what the NewOAStle coal miners' strike really means. The letter, which is dated a few days , back, is from a firm in Newcastle, and states that charterers were offering 3i per ton above the market prite ior coal, and in the case of the Gainsborough, which left' Newcastle on the 24th with 1300 tons of coal 'consigned to Me Brown, his agents were approached to resell the cargo in the vessel's hold at th« advance indicated. The Qaiuaborough was the last vessel to load for New Zealand before the strike actually commenced, and consequently will be the only ship coming to the colony with coal from that quarter for some time at least. No lets than 70 vestals were waiting to load when the mail If ft, and many of the»e were preparing to go elsewhere rather than wait' for an indefinite period to secure a cargo. It may be stated that on account of the experience in past strike a qlause is now always inserted in the agreement made by the parties to the effect that should ai strike arise the oharter is to be cancelled. The Wyndham Herald contends that at present rabbi Mug should absorb all surplus labour. The price ruling for rabbits is 4d per pair at the depots, or 3|d at the roadside. An ordinary trapper can catch on an average 60 rabbits a day. That means 10s a day for dep6i deliveries, or Bs' 8d for roadside. The only outfit; necessary is a supply of trapi, whioh does not run into much money. At Cromwell, Mr S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., gave judgment in the case of Bella Wright v. Mtfcley, from which we make the following extracts from the Cromwell Argus :—": — " Thii is, a «ase in which the plaintiff, a domestic servant, seeks to recover from the defendant the turn of £11 14s, being damages whioh the plaintiff alleges she is entitled to by reason of her wrongful diamissal by the defendant. The plaintiff nan engaged as a domestic servant by the defbndaat at a weekly salary of 12s, for a period of three months. The agreement between the parties is in writing, ' and contains a proviso that either party may determine the agreement at any time by giving the other a week's notice. Shortly after the plaintiff entered the servioe of the defendant, who is a licensed publican, residing at Cromwell, the latter's wife comjnenced and continued, to thfe knowledge of the defendant, a course of conduct by which she referred to the plaintiff in the presence of men — the plaintiff herself likewise being present — in the most disgraceful and uncalled for language (I have bo need to repeat the language), and also from time to time made indecent to her under the same ciroumstances whioh clearly disclosed the fact that the defendant's wife is quite unfitted to have control of the domestic arrangements of any respeotable publichouao, and is further not to be trusted with the character of any modest girl who may have the misfortune to be engaged in domestic service subject to the control of suoh a mistress ; and if the plaintiff had taken the 1 matter, into her own hands and left the servioe of the defendant before the expiration of the three months, giving as a reason the treatment she had received at the 'hands of the defendant, the plaintiff would have been perfectly justified in so doing, aud would have been entitled to recover the full three -months' wages because the conduct of the defendant's wife rendered it impossible for the plaintiff, conihtgntly with any reputation for respectability one would imagine she would desire to possess, to continue in such ' a servioe, And a domestic servant is nob bound to continue in a service where her mistress, withoutthe faintest shadow of a foundation, is conttantly^in the presence of others, in the habit of referring to her as a common prostitute The pluintiff, however, continued in the service, occasionally remonstrating with the defendant's wife, on til the defendant, before the , three months bad expired, affected to determine the engagement by giving a week's notice of dismissal. The ques'.ion for determination is whether the defendant waß within his rights in so doing. lam of opinion that he was not. ... In the present case the true construction of the agreement is that it is a hiring for three months certain, and after the expiration of that period could be dett rmiued by either party giving oo£ week's notice. The defendant dismissed the plaintiff before the expiration of the three months, and is therefore liable in damages to the plaintiff — the true measure of the damages being the full three months' wages, together with such expenses a* the plaintiff may be pub to in reaching Dunedin from Cromwell. Judgment will be- for the plaintiff for £11 14s, being the arconnt claimed, together with cotts £3 fa, including the amount paid into court. A copy of the judgment I shall caqse to be sent to 'the clerk of the Witkatipu Licen»ing Committee. Arthur Garrick has been. committed for trial at Inyercargrll on a charge of criminally aistudting his stepdaughter. A survey party is about to commence- operations to survey about 11,000 acres from Dunsdale Gorge towards Mataura— ill bu«h. Herbert Spencer, defines evolution as a change from an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity to a definite, coherent heterogeneity by various integrations and differentiations. We don't know about that, but we are certain about the evolution of the wonderful new Water bury Watch called "The Tramp." Obtainable