TRADES AND LABOUR NOTES.

Observer, Volume XXVII, Issue 37, 1 June 1907, Page 18

TRADES AND LABOUR NOTES.

CROWDED OUT OF THE " STAR."

[By our Unindostrial Tramp.]

[Published without the permission of Arthur Rosser, Justice of the Peace and Member of the Conciliation Board.]

UNION Meetings for the week : Friday, May 24th : RatCatchers' Union. Also smoke concert in connection with the United Oyster Openers' Union. Saturday, May 25th : Bottle Washers' Union. Pork pie banquet of the Federated Pickle Bottle Gatherers' Union. Evening dress essential. Sunday, May 26th : Church parade of the Burglars' Union. For further particulars see paragraph low. Monday, May 27th : Window Cleaners' Union. Monster demonstration in aid of the United Coninmakers' Oyster Supper Fund. Tuesday, May 28th : Mushroom Gatherers' Union. Champagne supper in connection with the slaughtermen's Union. Tickets £5 5s each. Slaughtermen will kindly present their visiting cards at the door. Wednesday, May 29th : Scavengers' Union. Fancy dress ball in connection with the Hand-Cart Propellers' Union. Thursday, May 30th : Federated Union of Chimney Sweeps and Ice Cream Vendors. Milkmens' Union and Waterside Workers' Union, special meeting to consider the advisability ot federating. Secretary of all the above Unions, with the exception of the Burglars' Union : Arthur Rosser, Esq., J.P., Hepburn-street. Secretary of theBurglars' Union : Wiliam Sikes, Esq., His Majesty's Hotel, Mt. Eden. As notified above, the burglars' Union will hold a church parade on Sunday next. A collection will be taken up in aid of the fund ior defending impecunious burglars in criminal proceedings. " Each individual member of the Union will also take up a collection on his own account from any members of the public who may be present. All seats free. A hearty welcome to all. The public are requested to bring their watches and chains, ana to leave them with the secretary, Mr William Sikes, at the door ot the church. Mr Sikes, who has arranged to be let out on bail for this day only, wishes it to be distinctly understood with regard to valuables entrusted to his charge, that all care will be taken, but no responsibility. Mr Arthur Rosser was highly successful in conducting the case on behalf of the Bill Stickers' union before the Arbitration Court. While I am aware that Mr Rosser does not like his gpod deeds to be mentioned in the papers, I cannot refrain from exposing my admiration at the manner in wmch Mr Rosser, without hope of reward or recompense, stuck to the Bill Stickers. The new award provides that all Stickers shall be provided with goloshes and mittens in the winter time, and that the paste used shall be impregnated with not less than 95 per cent, of eau de Cologne. The secretary of the union is Arthur Rosser, Esq., J.P., Hepburn-street. The champagne supper in connection with the Slaughtermen's Union promises to be a great success. The tickets have been fixed at the low price of £5 ss, and are being rapialy disposed of. Mr John Payne, the brilliant society leader and pork sausage dilettante,, will take vie chair. No tradesmen will be admitted, as the sensitive feelings of the slaughtermen —to say nothing of those of Mr John Payne — would be greatly pained and shocked by such a proceeding. William Jones, President of "the Oyster Openers' Union, had the misfortune to cut his finger last Tuesday at about 10 a.m. The finger bled for quite two minutes. Great sympathy is felt for Mr Jones in his -• suffering. Mr Jones has entered a

claim for £1000 compensation against his employers. This sum appears to be absurdly small, in view of the fact that Mr Jones received a severe shock to his nervous system. It is high time to make employers understand that they cannot go cutting and stabbing and murdering their employees with impunity. It is very probable that a Labour Conference will be held in London shortly. I have been asked to suggest the name of a good man to represent Auckland. In my opinion, Mr Arthur Rosser is the only man who is fit to undertake the task. My opinion is quite unprejudiced, as I have not the honour of Mr Rosser's acquaintance. Mr Rosser, who is a J.P., lives in Hepburn-street, and persons desiring his assistance in forming unions should communicate with him. He is always only too pleased to hear of material for the lormation of unions, being naturally of a philanthropic disposition. Cash, postal notes or stamps snould accompany each order. The demands of the Stokers' Union were submitted to the employers last Tuesday. I understand that they were unfavourably received and the dispute is to be taken direct to the Arbitration Court. The refusal of the employers to grant the Union's demands is only another example of the grasmng avarice and tyranny of Capital. The demands are exceedingly modest. The Union asks for a three hours' day, ice cream to be served every fifteen minutes, a Turkish bath, shave, wash and brush-uo to be provided daily for every man, and a hair-cut when required. When ice cream is not required, beer is to be served in its place. There is to be a mimimum wage of £1 a day, with dou^ie pay, doctor, medicine and nurse for any man who is sick. Double pay for all holidays, and three months' holiday on double pay twice a "-ear. These are only a few of the demands, all of which are on a similarly modest scale. It is hard to understand the refusal of the employers to accept them. The Waterside Workers' Union and the Milkmens' Union will hold a conference^next week with a view to amalgamation. ' ' The Life and Times of Arthur Rosser" by James Regan, with an introduction by P. M. Hansen. can now be procured at any disreputable grocer's, and is given away to each purchaser of a pound of tea. The book is splendidly written, the choice of words showing that the author possesses a voluminous vocabulary. If proof were needed that the Arbitration Court is disgracefully prejudiced in favour of the employers, it may be found in the fact that the Court has refused to allow the demand of the Sausage-Makers' Union for free tobacco and fifteen minutes off in every hour for a " smoke-oh." Although all the other demands were granted, the fact that this, one of the most moderate, was refused, clearly proves that the Arbitration Act must be amended in order to provide the workers with more adequate protection agains^ the grasping avarice of capital. • Mr Arthur Rosser has contributed sixpence towards tiie _Milk Can "Washers' Union's Accident and Funeral Fund. Citizens are requested to make a good supply of bunting in order to celebrate the occasion. (This last sentence appears to have been accidentally transposed from some other part of the paper as it does not seem to have any relation to the rest of vue paragraph .—Ed .) The clothing factories are exceedingly busy, Mr J. T. Julian having ordered a complete new suit. It is

understood that he spoilt his last one in manipulating a motor car. In connection with the agreement lately arrived at between the Chemical Manure "Workers' and the employers, the Union has since added a new demand providing that scent is to be furnished to each worker. As the grasping employers are reluctant to grant this reasonable demand, tne entire schedule will now require to be submitted to the Arbitration Court. This is only another example of how the avaricious methods of capitalists are effecting a great waste of public money. The secretary of th? union is Arthur Rosser, Esq., Hepburn-street, whose philanthropy towards the down-trodden workers is beyond all praise. In the event of the workers desiring to elect a representative on the Arbitration Court in place of Mr Slater, all eyes will naturally turn towards Mr Arthur Rosser, the well-known champion of the workiug man. While " Unindustriai Tramp " has not the pleasure of knowing Mr Rosser personally . he knows that Mr Kosser — whose address, by the way, is Hepburn-street — is a highly-skilled tradesman himself, and has therefore gone through all the vicissitudes usually experienced by highly-skilled tradesmen. Mr Rosser would be just the man for the position, and his well-known powers of repartee, of which Mr T. Cotter, the great authority, siteaivs very highly, should stand him iii good stead. Mr Arthur Rosser , of Hepburnstreet, writes to say that he will be pleased to assist any workers to form Unions. As his time is very fully occupied in working at his trade, any workers desirous of forming - nions should communicate with him by letter only. A stamped auuressed envelope must be enclosed for reply.