Trades and the Workers

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 641, 18 April 1929, Page 6

Trades and the Workers

By

"ARBITER"

UNION MEETING DATES

Thursday, April 18 (to-night) .. Monday, April 22 Monday, April 22 Tuesday, April 23 Tuesday, April 23 Wednesday, April 24 On Monday next the milk roundsmen will bring their case before the Arbitration Court. The application for a six-day week is their chief plea. During 1928 New Zealand industry lost 253 days’ work and £23.244 in wages on account of industrial disturbances. The disturbances, numbering 41. concerned mainly the coalmining (24) and shipping (15) industries, and involved just on 10,000 workers. Men on Public Works There ■were at the end of February 667 more men working on public works throughout New Zealand than at the end of last year, and 442 more than when the Coates Government vacated office in November. During the few intervening months, however, there was a heavy drop in public works employees. At the General Election in November 10,161 men were employed on jobs reaching from the Far North railway to Taieri Plain flood protection jobs, in December the number was 9,836, January 9,546, and in February 10,503. Since that date the RotoruaTaupo railway, carrying 165 labourers and 15 artisans, and the Palmerston North- Railway Deviation, employing 171 labourers and 34 artisans, have been stopped. Labour’s Municipal Ticket The Labour campaign in connection with the local body elections in Auckland has been responsible for putting about 2,000 names on the municipal roll. Here again Labour has failed in its wholehearted duties of citizenship. From 8,000 to 10,000 forms, were sent out by the committee, and only a meagre percentage of them was returned. Not only were the people given full instructions as to how to become enrolled, but all particulars about eligibility were explained in detail, and a form for every member of the household not on the roll was enclosed. The Labour ticket for the City Council embraces men with a sound knowledge of industrial affairs, and with a keen perception of what the worker should have—not necessarily what the worker wants. Painters’ Affairs Auckland was represented at the Painters’ Federation at Christchurch recently by Mr. Hugh Campbell. The conference he describes as being fairly successful, in that several progressive measures are to be advocated. The Workers’ Compensation Act so far as it relates to lead poisoning was discussed and alterations will be sought. An unemployment insurance scheme is favoured, and representations are to be made to have this effected next Parliament. The federation met the employers’ federation and discussed the registration of painters, an agreement being reached to approach the Legislature with a draft Bill for next session. The principle of a 40-hour week was adopted. Unions Not Assisting Trade union secretaries apparently aro not doing their bit to help the authorities to arrange a complete unemployment register. The Government .Statistician, Mr. Malcolm Fraser, in a report issued recently, says: “Despite the exclusion of those industries in which the work is (a) highly seasonal (e.g., freezing), (b) essentially permanent (e.g., tramway operation), (c) highly casual (e.g., watersiding, or (d) essentially part-time (e.g.. stage assistance), and although inquiries were not addressed to unions with fewer than a score of members, it has yet been found possible to secure returns covering just over one-half of the members of registered industrial unions throughout the Dominion.’’ Figures show that up to the end of last year there were 58 unions reporting from the Northern district, with a membership of 17,674, and 229 unions reporting throughout the Dominion, with a membership of 55,343. * *.* * Stonemasons Again The stonemasons’ award is being heard at the Arbitration Court to-day, when evidence of scientific, practical and medical bearing upon a longstanding dispute will be heard. Fifteen men have been out of work from the Auckland station job since December 17, and since that date they have spent most of their time in an obscure room in tho Trades Hall discussing how they could maintain their stand on the question of the machine they refused j to work. Well, this case, which involves the machines in dispute, will settle tho question for good, for the new award lias to embrace an interpretation of the clause over which the employers and men have been fighting. Apprentices in Review Delegates to the apprenticeship conference on Tuesday, May 7, will have a busy few days. There are proposals and L. V. Judd (Matangi), who were agreed to by both parties. Results of the voting were as follows: Messrs. L. V. Judd, 228 votes; H. S. lnnes Jones, 227; H. M. Hammond, 207; J. E. Page, 206; W. 11. Blakeway, 202; C. J. Brooke, 202; J. T. Reid, 200; R. W. Forster, 198; C. Clark, 197; C. G. Morris, 193; H. G. Sergei, 154; H. C. M. Norris, 150; Major Parker, 138; F. L. King, 135; F. H. Clapham. 134; C. Speight, 132; A. Woodward, 132; D. Hay, 129; R. Braithwaite, 116. ANTI-BISHOP PARTY WINS The first 10 who include all the eight candidates nominated by the anti-bishop party and the two country representatives, were declared elected. Mr. Hammond, in thanking the parishioners on behalf of himself and those associated with him for their support, appealed to them all to sink their differences and work wholeheartedly to place the parish finances on a better footing and to promote the work of the church. Bishop Cherrington congratulated St. Peter’s parish on being able to produce such a magnificent meeting. The parish records, he said, showed that a few years ago it was difficult to secure an attendance of 50, or sufficient nominees for the vestry. He would be only too pleased to assist the new chapter in any wav he could. Personally, said the bishop, he disclaimed any party business. He hated it aud could work with anyone. Mr. Hammond had struck the right note and the bishop hoped the people would support the chapter in its endeavour to put the parish finances on a satisfactory basis. Much required to be done. More clergy were wanted, but before they could be appointed the deficit should be wiped off. He hoped everyone in the room, whatever his ideas, would do his best in supporting the chapter that, had been elected. The bishop pronounced the benediction and the meeting closed.

Alliance of Labour Painters W.E.A. Stonemasons Freezing Workers Plumbers’ Educational for the members to discuss embracing free technical training for apprentices, attendance at technical classes within working hours, exemption of apprentices from military training providing technical classes are attended, and a periodical trade examination during the first two years of apprenticeship. If there be any trouble with an apprentice. it is proposed that the employer shall merely suspend the boy pending a meeting of the committee; members of apprenticeship committees, it is asked, should be only those engaged in a specific trade. Lf a firm goes out of business the apprentice should have the. first vacancy in that trade in any establishment. The payment of officials to supervise apprenticeship operations will he discussed, the general question of proportion of apprentices to journeymen,' and also a proposal for an annual conference. Who Sinned Most? Here is a convincing illustration of the manner in which the butter-fat producer—tho backbone of the country —supports the land which makes his living possible. (The illustration must be read with the fact in mind that this self same producer possesses the colossal impudence to cite his own efforts to keep the country together.) Mr. E. J. Phelan, secretary of the timber workers, has received this letter from a sawmiller in Plokianga—a miller, mind, and not a mill hand—in which he explains the situation there: “We have been forced to close our mill for an indefinite period, throwing out of employment a number of men. and as matters stand now we cannot see that we can give them any assistance till after the winter.

“We have commenced the manufacture of butter boxes to assist us for the slack season, but we find that the majority of dairy factories are booking up large quantities of boxes milled and manufactured by foreign labour. “Added to this —it is absolutely the truth —tho new factory at Moere-wa is being built entirely of foreign timber. I am appealing to you to do your best on behalf of the workers to urge the Government to stop the importation of foreign timbers and to give the New Zealand worker a chance to share in the profit gained from the principal product of our country—that of butter. ...” So much for the farmer, whose representative the Labour vote put into the House of Representatives at the Bay of Islands by-election last week. So~ much, too, for the Labour emissaries who hustled around on the last day and ensured the. vote for the farmers’ man. “Arbiter” knows, because he was there. Levy on Politicians Reports from Australia state that a stir was caused in the ranks of the Parliamentary Labour Party because of the decision of the recent A.L.P. conference to enforce a £ per cent, levy on the salaries of Labour members of Parliament for the fighting fund. Although the president of the A.L.P. (Mr. Graves) has ruled that payment of the levy will be optional, it is realised that Labour members will run grave risks by refusing to pay.. It is consequently expected that they will obey the instruction of the party, although it was decided at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party not to submit to the tax. Labour members pointed out that non-payment would probably be made an excuse by the A.L.P. executive to deprive members of selection at the next eelctions. Labour politicians will, no doubt, pay “under protest,” fearing that if they resist the many close supporters of the A.L.P. executive may secure selection in their stead.