WORLD OF LABOUR

Southland Times, Issue 17698, 9 July 1914, Page 6

WORLD OF LABOUR

THE WOOI7WTCH STRIKE. AI EX JJESXIME WORK. j By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. | LOXDOX. July 7. ■ l”lic strike at the Woolwich arsenal has ended, the men having accepted an enquiry. Mr Asquith, in the House of Commons, announced that a court of five persons, with Sir George Askwith tts chairman, j Is enquiring in to th>- strike.. ! EXGIXKEP.S’ DISPUTE. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHUP-CiL July k. The '.’Jspure between tire A-mtUgamafecl Society cf Engineers and the employers came before the Con filiation Council today. The men asked for a forty-four- i hour week and increased, pay. The em- j. plovers would not agree to this, and,the t 6»se was referred to the court. CLUB WORKERS. WELLINGTON, July S. , Application was made by the Wellington Hot el-workers’ Union yesterday to - attach the Wellington clubs to the hotelworkers’ award, with a view to getting A stx-day week for club workers, the same as for hotel employees.’ There is, it appears, a doubt as to whether the Arbitration Court can legally bind clubs to any award, but in the event of an adverse decision tho Union are taking fTteps t ! secure an amendment of the Act. In effect, the legislation proposed is that only chartered clubs shall bo bound by awards and that each club shall have the option of giving np its charter or running its bar business under the same , labour conditions as licensed hotelkeepers are obliged to run theirs. I

PREMIERS BEPLIE3 TO DEPUTATION. WELLINGTON. Jnly 8. A deputation of the Federated Timber Workers’ Union waited upon the Prime Minister (Hon. W. P. Massey! to-day to lay before him, among other matters, an objection to the importation of foreißii Timber in smail sizes, which deprived loeal workers of a considerable amount of employment. The deputation asked tv.at a ditty be placed on all timbers under the sizs, 12 by 12. and assertod that it had been found that when wages were raised by the Court -I per cent, of the price of the commodity affected often went up to 17. per cent. it suggested an amendment to the Act so that e-npioyers could not raise prices unless they proved to the Court their claim to do so. Mr Massey, in replying. said that there was a certain amount of force in the request for an increased duty on small sized timbers, and he would give it his attention. The Government would gladly help stopping employers raising prices. The Forestry Department was experimenting with a variety of poplar as a substitute for whit-- pine for butter boxes. It was their intention to establish a State sawmill at Waipoua. forest. The difficulty witli regard to the carriage "f •'shorts" was that the railways must nay their way. It depended on the way Parliament got through its work whether it would deal with tin- Workers’ Compensation Act. As to the suggestions to put an export duty ou butter the ITime .Minister pointed out the serious danger of tampering with exports. They should encourage exports in every possible way. No doubt butter was too dear in Xew Zealand, and he was utterly opposed to any combination for putting up the prices, and prepared to introduce legislation to prevent it. As to a Union having liberty to spend its funds as it deemed fit. Mr Massey pointed out that the present law applied to the registration of a union only for the purposes of the Act and it seemed to him that a trades union was not intended to be a political association, and it was hardly fair to use the funds of tiit minority for purposes which it did pot approve. *'eheratm >x ou i.AEori; coxferE.VCK. WELLINGTON. July 8. At th* Labour conference this morning the following motion was carried —- “That '"he questions to be considered by me committee be —il) The best method of achieving national industrial organisation and. 12). the most effective means of consolidating the forces of Labour for tile general election of this yea r. It was further decided that the committee bring down its report on industrial questions first. It was decided to receive a deputation from Nations! Schools Defence League on Thursday morning and the c-onferenc c adjourned till to-morrow to enable the committee to bring down its report.