TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2757, 16 January 1907, Page 57

TRADES AND LABOUR.

LONDON, January 10. The Independent Labour party's programme for the London County Council elections proposes the municipal ownership or control of electricity, docks, hospitals, some of the collieries, the milk farms, the means of transit, including motor omnibuses, and of the metropolitan and city police forces. IJanuaTy 13. The appeal in the case Steel v. the » South Wales Jliners' Association has been dismissed. The result justifies the trades union levies for the Parliamentary Fund. PARIS, January, 8. The policemen at Tours (France) have formed a union, and have placarded the walls with their grievances. The troops and gendarmes took possession of the central and other police stations, and 50 policemen have been dismissed. NEW YORK, January 10. The textile operatives, who are out on strike at Orizaba, rejected President Diaz's award, and rioted. They declined to disperse, w hereupon the troops fired, killing 30 and wounding many. [Orizaba, in Mexico, is a recognised seat of cotton manufacturers.] MELBOURNE, January 11. The building strike is ended, and the ! men resumed this morning. A conference k between the masters and men will shortly settle the points in dispute. Woik estimated to the value of £200,000 j was at a standstill through the strike, I while other estimates say that the men k>st £36,000 in wages, and that the union jiaid out about £10,000 of its funds in strike pay. SYDNEY, January 8. A letter has been received from some artisans who rushed from Australia to San Francisco in search of work. It leveals a deplorable condition of the labour market there, and warm others against coming. CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION. NAPIER, January 12. Judgment in the case in which the widow of Thomas Henry Morton, stevedore, claimed £400 from Mary Smith, damages for loss of her husband ac the result of an accident while working for defendant;, has just been received from the Arbitration Court. Judgment is given for the defendaut. with costs and disbursements. COMMONWEALTH LABOUR PARTY. WELLINGTON, January 8. It is understood that a party of the Labour representatives of the Commonwealth Parliament propose to tour New Zealand and visit the Exhibition. The local branch of the Independent Political Labour League has written to Mr Watson, the leader of the Federal Labour partv t with the object of making arrangements for the party's entertainment while in Wellington. The hope is expressed that the leader will be one of the party, and an effort is to be made to induce the members to give a series of lectures in the principal centres. COOKS AND STEWARDS' AWARD. WELLINGTON, January 9. It is reported that the proprietors of certain hotels in Wellington, being dissatisfied with the cooks and waiters' award, have had inquiries made in Sydney with a mow to securing the services of waitresses, who would be employed instead of men. AUCTIONEERS' ASSISTANTS. MASTERTON. January 11. In a case brought by the Inspector of Factories, the magistrate hold that auctK)iicor 3 who carried on a retail trade on thi-n promises could not eniplov assistants at *aks hold in pr^ate liousps on the half holiday. A fine of 20s and cots was inflicted. THE CLOTHING TRADE* At Wellington on Saturuav judgment was given in tho matter of thf> Now Zealand Clothing Manufacturers' Asocial ion and the New Zealand Fcdoiated Tailorosses and Other Clothing Trado Einnjovcps' Industrial Union of Workers, who tho applicants, and tho Auckland Clothing Manufacturers' Industrial Union of Employeis and the Auckland Tai!orc»Eeb' Industrial Union of Workers, who were the objectors. The object of the proceedings was to obtain an order ovtondmg the award made in Wellington, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland districts to tho northern district. The judgment Mated that the workers in the south had for voaib consistency urged upon the Conciliation Board and the court tho desirableness of lißMtig a set wage, whilst those in the north wore equally ursent in insist ing that their righ*e and interests could only bo prcperly coi. served by adhering to the irdusfrial agreement under which they earned piocewoi kcrs' wage* Tho main discussion in the ca^c had turned upon tlie allegations inado by the southern employers that the result of the award was to laiso the cost of production against them, and that the Auckland manufacturer* were already successfully competing against them. To throw light on this question (he court had called fo<- returns, and, having considered them, had como to the conclusion that it .should not interfere in the matter, and unon tho material before the court tho application mu<l be refused.

January 13.