TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2273, 23 September 1897, Page 13

TRADES AND LABOUR.

THE ENGINEERS' STRIKE.

Londow, SepUrabei' 16.

Mr Mather, of the SaKor«i Ironworks, has proposed that th*s Bonplojsrs' Federation should coccetfe '.he Jemend of U>« engineer* for ao eight .herds' day, and v«p#ct tb*} status of. the union? upon the latter nbaudocirg their ueta&nds with reaposi t-o the lirai'c&ticn "i machinn tools.

September 20.

The Engineer*' Association has exprersed Jts willingness to di«cu*« with the employers matters in ditpala in oonuectioa with the strike, bat the tttnployiro ocasider it impracticable. T'ae .Board of Trade 1 * Intervention In the engineers' strike proved frnitlfs>, iu> recommendations not being acceptable to either side.

The strike is now extending to Bristol and Ofcley.

Four thousand man are idle at Gray's thipyard at Hartltpool and a thousand &t D«nay'B at Dumbarton. Acute distress is bftitg t»xperieoced at Bolton.

The foods of the Amalgamated Union of Machine and General Libourora are exhausted. A COMPROMISE BY STRIKERS. New Yokk:, September 13. , The colliers on strike in Pittsburg, Ohio, Indiana, and Virginia have decided to resume work, a compromise regarding the hewing rate having been arrived at on the basis of 65c per ton. ( STRIKE RIOTS. New Yokk, September 14. A baud of colliery strikers at Pittsbur*?, Pennsylvania, headed by 50 women, many of whom bad babies in their arm?, came into collision with the sheriff's officers. The women were in a state of frenzy. Several of their number clubbed ,the officers. Four of the women were arrested. RAILWAY EMPLOYEES' WAGES. ' Mklboubne, September 20. Afc a meeting of members of the Dailypaid Bail way Employees' Union a resolution was adopted protesting against the scale of wages as insufficient, and urging the Commissioner (Mr Mathieson) to adopt the scale drawn up by the union. FURNITURE TRADE DISPUTE. Wellington, September 15. The Conciliation Board's award in the furnituie trade dispute is practically in favour of the masters. The proportion of apprentices is fixed at one to three men, and an extra boy is allowed in some branches of the trade. The board refused to abolish piecework, and fixed the minimum wage at 8s instead of 10s per day. A clause was inserted proyiding that musters shall not discriminate against members of the union, or in engaging or discharging handi, or in the conduct of their business do anything to injure the .union. The agreement has to be signed by both parties ia 14 days or the award will be noli. Messrs Colling and Fisher, the two labour representatives on the board, withdraw before fcht award was ImvUr

I »gr«*d upon, en they objected to the other j momlMrs' attitude towards piecework and in i 'At'.ng «hft minimum at 8". JURISDICTION OF CONCILIATION | . BOARDS. ! Wblunston, SepUnber 16. D^ririg *lw> bcir-iup ot the fnrnilurs diapnlo by tbe Conciliation Board the point «ra« whether tb«s ra'ployers of r,on*nnion h>.n:)s wsrc arfectfld ky the dispute bfit^esn thus nj.ioa and th«ir psrticulu? tea'le. The r.i)».ircs&a obtained the opiuioa uf &Ir Justice WiUi«st.<i *n.i JVlr Jußtioe Denr.istoa, r ho held thnfc the bo»r£ hi*d juricdiciioa in *ny diapate, eren thostgh th* mwwt and Boa-unioa »>en in bis aiccyloy. TUe Chairman, however, iu'jimated tb»t in future nuiont'mutl take care to hare it decided th»t ohtre w»s a dispute b«t'ore comiug to tha ho»rd.

■According to - thfi r&porta in the " Labour Journal" Auckland aud Chriatcburih aro ths only places where there are many unemployed at present. In. Wellington and Daaedia the number has much deerea*«d, and in taoai of ths othet town* th«re are very fv.r idle men. The Survey riepnriiuent employ* 1655 rann aud the Public Works 1087. During the monfch 214 unemployed were ttahtr.d by the LabrfQ« department.