WORLD OF LABOUR

Southland Times, Issue 17697, 8 July 1914, Page 6

WORLD OF LABOUR

BUILDING YARD STRIKE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright SYDNEY, July 7. Employees in the State shipbuilding "yard have struck owing to the Harbour Trust -refusing to recognise Union officials. Three hundred men are Idle. MAITLAND COAL-FIELD TROUBLE. SYDNEY. July 7. There has been a new development in The Maitland mines' afternoon shift trouble. A meeting of the Australian Union Federation decided to support the miners. There is a probability that the employers, as well as the men, will be prosecuted. Steps are being taken to prepare a case against the employers for locking oui. the day-shift men. WOOLWICH ARSENAL STRIKE. A WILD SCENE. LONDON. July G. There are twelve thousand on strike tt Woolwich arsenal the hands at the power station having joined. This has stopped all the machinery. A wild scene occurred when two thous•and unionists at the gate of the arsenal attacked two non-unionists who Were attempting to enter. The police rescued the non-unionists. DOCTORS ON STRIKE. BERLIN. July 7. Received July 7. 10.10 p.m. The insurance doctors at Medbarnim. rear Berlin, have struck for an increase in pay of 50 per cent. SCOTTISH COAL MINE LOCK-OUT THREATENED. LONDON, July 7. Received July 7, 10.40 p.m. The Scottish coalmasters have decided : to lock-out the miners whenever the Jour days a week proposal is carried •at. FEDERATION OF LABOUR. CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES. WELLINGTON, July 7. A conference of Unions convened by hhe United Federation of Labour, for the purpose of considering the solidifying of the forces of labour and affiliation with tne recently formed Australian fFederation of Labour, opened to-day. there being some seventy delegates present, The following is tfie official re- ’ port of the proceedings supplied to the press— J The conference met at ten o’clock this morning, seventy-four delegates being present. Further delegates will arrive ■to-day and to-morrow. bringing the total number, it is expected, up to about one hundred. Mr J. Dowgray. vice-president of the United Federation of Labour, welcomed „ the delegates. Mr J. Rigg. ex-M.L.C., jwas elected chairman and Mr D. I. Sullivan. representing the Canterbury Furniture Trades Union, deputy chairman. Mr P. H. Hickey was appointed secretary. Tt wa® decided that with the exception of the Maoriland Worker representative. the press be not admitted and the following were allotted a press com- '• mittee to furnish the official report— Messrs A. Rosser. J. Donnelly. C. Smith. J. Townsend and J. Read. The time for speakers was limited to five minutes each. Messrs M. Fagon, R. A. Himpson and G. Stone were appointed a crcden- - tials committee to examine the credenA Thais of all delegates to see that only liona fide representatives are present. Mr Rosser moved a hearty vote of welcome to The Labour M.Ps.. who were present on the platform. The members present were Messrs F. Webb. J. Payne. J. McCombs and J. Robertson. The vote was carried by acclamation and Mr • Robertson replied on behalf of the „ members. It was decided that the four members named, with the addition of Messrs W. A. Veitch and A. H. Hindmarsh be allowed to take part in the 1 deliberations of the conference. Mr J. X)owgray was appointed timekeeper. At the afternoon all the delejrates present wer* accepted members of the conference- and a fecial committee was set up to draft the recommendations. which are to be confined to an industrial form of organisation. The conference then adjourned. TIMBER WORKERS. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. WELLINGTON. July 7. At the conference of New Zealand Timber Workers' Federation to-day the following remits were adopted:— That the Government be urged to carry on a scheme of reafforestation on an enlarged basis. That the decisions of previous conferences which have not been given effect to be again reconfirmed, and that a deputation wait on the Government requesting that they be given effect to. That this conference. representing X 0.000 timber workers, protest against the cruel sentence inflicted upon Holland in connection with the strike, and demand his release. That the Government be urged to ex--peritnent in the direction of finding suitable timber to take the place of white pine for butter boxes. That the executive be fixed for the ensuing year at Ghristchurch. and-that the Easter conference be held there. WELLINGTON. July 7. The following additional remits were carried by the Timber Workers’ Conference: — That this conference takes into consideration the advisableness of being represented at the Australasian Timber Workers' Federation conference, to he h.eid in Melbourne at Easter, IP 15. That the conference strongly protests ngainst the action of the Government in assisting immigrants into the dominion while there are so many of our own workers not fully employed. That minimum wages in the sawmilling industry for adults be not less than 10s per day. and unions be advised to claim this in future awards. That on account of the depression of the timber industry and the number of unemployed, and the continued increase \ Into the dominion of foreign timber, manufactured or otherwise, the executive of the Federation take steps to assist sawmill owners and manufacturers in bringing forcibly before the Government the advisableness of curtailing a such large importation. ; That where the Arbitration Court makes an award for granting a. increase of wages to employees it shall not bo lawful for employers to raise the cost of commodities during the currency of such award, or until such time as the ’.Arbitration Court approves of same.