CURRENT TOPICS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 16, 15 July 1925, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

UNFAIR TREATMENT.

It is nob generally known that members of the Technical High School .Board of Managers living a't ; a distance from the place of meeting receive no allowance to. compensate them for the hotel travelling expenses incurred in attending the meetings of the Board. A remit, T has been, sent forward to the conference of. Boards in connection with this matter, which is one that merits’ consideration. Some of the members come fairly long distances, the chairman 'from Inglewood, and at least one father from well beyond Eltham, and it-is. obvipu? [tliat at least a pound is incurred by them every time they attend. It is understood that the question was recently brought before a. high official of the Department, who replied that the Board could be every bit as efficient were all the members Stratford residents. In view of the fact that outside local bodies are entitled to elect representatives to the Board, and naturally prefef'to'elGCt me'n With local knowledge that will enable them to more satisfactorily represent them, the statement of the aforementioned official is as ridiculous as it is surprising. Members of other local bodies such as Hospital Boards, County Councils and so forth, receive at any rate actual travelling expenses, and surely it is not unreasonable to expect that members of Technical High School Boards should he plated on the same footing?

TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.

From inquiries made from the Stratford Technical High School, authorities, it would appear that a certain amount of misunderstanding has arisen in connection with the matter of a resolution passed by the Council of Education regarding the transfer of the Technical School property from the control of the Taranaki Education Board to the Board of Governors of the Stratford Technical High School, a report of which appears on page 5. The resolution passed by the Council of Education refers to the Technical High School property, and there is nothing to show that the old Technical School is included. The Taranaki Education Board have been and are at present the body having nominal control over the Technical High School Buildings, and the result has been that that body has had: the right to approve or disapprove of any structural alterations or improvements which the local Board desired to carry out. The latter felt that as the control was merely a nominal one, there was no reason why it« should continue, and thought that they should hold the deeds to their own property. As previously stated, whether the proposed action on the part of the Minister will include the old Technical School or not is entirely a matter for the Department to decide.

INDUSTRIAL TROUBLE.

In a recent article announcing one of the large London conferences in connection with the organisation of the union alliance, the London “Daily Chronicle’’ gave the following list of ( tho organisations taking part, with their membership:—Miners.’ Federation 750,000, National Union of Raildaymen 330,000, Locomotive Engineers’ and Firemen’s Society 00,000, (Transport Workers’ Federation 450,<j 000, Amalgamated Engineering Unjion 250,000, Federation of Engineerjing and Shipbuilding Trades 250,000. 1 Although the proposal originated with the miners, the success or failure of the scheme rests almost, entirely with I the railwaymen, the Chronicle remarked. They alone can bring about a decisive national strike, and the hopes of miners and engineers arc centred in securing the railwaymen’s help in their labour trouble. Some Labor leaders believe, continued the , article, that a definite decision to organise the alliance would induce employers to alter their attitudes towards the several big labor disputes on hand. The stages of the principal disputes are as follows: Miners.— The minors want, more wages, hut have decided to postpone actual application for increases for a time. Meanwhile a committee representing miners

and coal owners are trying to find a way out. Unemployed miners number lot), GOO, and over 250,000 ■ aro working short time. There are large stocks of coal in the country, and it is generally admitted that a. minersstrike; alone would not stand any chance of success. Kailway men. Theii- national programme has been rejected and countered by demands for considerable reductions in wages and conditions. The dispute is being automatically dealt with by conciliation machinery., Moderate onion leaders believe that if th© railway companies press their claims the railwaymen will vote for the alliance. If agreement is reached between the men and the companies the railwaymen may l lose interest in the alliance. Engineers.—Their claim a year ago for an increase of £1 a, week has been rejected.) They have been promised; something “on account”— exactly what, the employers have, lot indica-ted—-if they surrender the 47-hour week and certain working conditions. Unemployment and lack of financial resources preclude an engineers’ strike alone. Shipbuilders.—A joint - committee of trade union leaders andb employers is investigating the state of the industry, especially in respect to foreign competition. It is , making good progress. ,