LABOUR ITEMS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1777, 11 June 1895, Page 3

LABOUR ITEMS.

♦ Per Electric Telegraph — Copyright. Per Press Association. Washington. June 9. American trades have summoned a national conference for the purpose of organising military regiments, exclusive of unionists, to guard employers' property during strikes and prevent disorders. (By Telegraph.) DUNEDIN, June 10. The Otago Typographical Association have resolved that owing to the lavge number of unemployed compositors throughout the colony the Government and private employers be urged to abolish the system of overtime. Professor Blackmail, m the March number of the North American Review, mentions two successful instances of profit sharing. Proctor and Gamble, the great soap and candle makers of Ohio, pay to their workmen on their wages the same dividend they pay to the shareholders on their capital — viz., 12 per cent.— besides establishing a pension fund and employing a physician to look ofter the sick. The Nelson Manufacturing Company of St. Louis set aside onetenth of the profits for a reserve fund, one-tenth for a provident fund, and onetwentieth for an educational fund ; the balance being divided equally between employers and employes. The total amount of dividends paid to the wageearners averages 9 per cent, per annum on the wages paid. The Dunedin Assembly of the Knights of Labour passed the following resolution :— "That the action of the Government m reducing employment of poor labouring men on co-operative public works m order to make work for the unemployed is calculated to accentuate rather than to diminish poverty ; that the principle thus endorsed — viz., taking from the poor to feed the poor — is unjustifiable at any time, but more especially so m the middle of winter, when those affected have no chance but to submit ; that many of those employed upon co-operative public works m the country have families dependent upon them m the towns, and the cost of thus keeping two homes going is a severe straiu upon their slender resources ; that the men so employed are unable to remove their wives and young families to the vicinity of public works m the country owing to their inability to provide reasonable accommodation ; and that m view of these facts the Government be requested to reconsider the position."