THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4676, 21 June 1893, Page 1

THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

_ — «» Items of Interest to Workers, [Specially Compiled for "The Star."] WORKING MEN AND RAILWAY BEFORM. In view of the agitation for railway reform in New Zealand, it is well for the working classes to be fully informed as to the bearing of the Bubjeot upon their welfare. The farmers are already satisfied that a" change of policy is necessary that -will lead to the introduction of reasonable freight rates, but the industrial community Is hot aware of the benefits that a reduction of fares would confer upon them. The adoption of Mr Yaile's stage system would' undoubtedly be of immense advantage to work-people, who could obtain healthy residences in the country while continuing their occupations in town. There is no mere democratic body in existence than the London County Council, and that body thoroughly recognises the great advantage of cheap travelling to the working classes. This Council recently passed the following resolution :— " That the Council do reiterate the necessity for the uniform adoption by all metropolitan railways of the recommendations already put forward, and which in effect are as follows, viz. : (1) That workmen's tickets be made available for return by any train tarrying third class paseengers. (2) That the issue of quarterly or monthly third .Class ticketß be extended to all stations •within the limit of cheap train service. {3) That the conditions as to the issue of workmen's tickets, the fares, kind of tickets supplied, and trains by which, available, be published not only in the book ; of -time-tables of each Company, but be conspicuously advertised by means of at all stations served by workmen's trains. (4) That, except in the oase of quarterly or monthly third-clasß tickets, All -workmen's tickets be daily ones. (5) IFhat all third-class trains, whether on main or branoh lines, arriving at the London termini up to 8 a.m. be workmen's trains throughout the area of the cheap train service. (6) That all third-class trains from London termini up to 7.30 a.m. fte alao workmen's trains throughout the •same area. (7) That when insufficient third-class accommodation is provided in a workmen's train, the holder oE a workman's ticket be allowed to travel by a superior class without extra charge. (8) That the zone system of tariffs be adopted." The zone limit, the Committee thinks, should be that of the present limit of workmen's trains— twenty mileß. There should be three zones, at five, twelve, and twenty miles respectively $ and the return fares should not exceed l£d, 3&d, and 4Jd respectively. The mean zone tariff should be approximately one-fifth of a penny (0*200) per mile. The mean rate tor all .the lines at present is o*32d per mile, while the Great Eastern's minimum is 0 093 d, -and eeveral other Companies carry workmen at a lower rate than o'2ood per mile. Assuming that the number of passengerß would decrease as the zone iradiua lengthens, the actual returns on the proposed system are calculated to amount to a mean-rate of id per mile. The Committee's second recommendation, then, ia this :— " That the Council do approve the model zone system Buggeßtedin this report as one worthy of adoption, and a3 one which might fairly be made applicable to all future as well as present metropolitan railway undertakings, and that it be referred to the Parliamentary Committee to take such Bteps aa may be practicable to obtain the insertion in such of the Bills now in Parliament to whioh the same may be applicable of the clause appended to this report, or of a clause to a similar effect." {The proposed clause embodies the proposals above summarised). HOW TO POT AN «ND TO " BWSATING." - A new factory law has just been passed in California, making a strict regulation ■of tenement made clothing and cigars. The new Bill provides for the disinfection of all clothing made in unclean buildings or under unhealthful conditions. Goods made under such conditions mußt lie diaiinguifihed as Buch by a tag. The principal amendments to the original factory law areas follow:— "No room or apartment in any tenement or dwelling-houEe shall be used, except by the immediate members of the family living thereon, for the manufacture of coats, vests, trousers, knee pants, overalls, cloaks, hats, caps, suspenders, jerseys, blouses, waists, waist-bands, underwear, neckwear, furs, far trimmings, fur garments, shirts, purses, feathers, artificial flowers, cigarettes or cigars. No person, firm, or corporation shall hire or employ any person to work in any room or apartment in . any rear building or buildings in the Tear of a tenement or dwelling-house at making in whole or in any part any of the articles mentioned in this section, without first obtaining a written permit from the factory inspector, his assistant, or one of his deputies, stating tbe maximum number of persons employed therein." This permit is revokable by the factory inspector or his assistants if at any time the health of the community or of those employed may require it. A written register of the names and addreßseß of persons to whom such is given is ■ to be kept by the manufacturers, to be produced when demanded by the factory inspector. The following clans 3 then occurs :— "No person stall knowingly sail or expoae for ssle any of the articles mentioned in this section made in any dwelling or tenement house or rear building without a permit. All goods so nude shall be labelled 'Tenement made* on a tag. Unclean goods shall be labelled 'Unhealthy/ and the Board of Health shall be notified to remove and disinfect them.' J The penalties for violation of thia law are not less than 20dol nor more thansodol fine for the first offence; not less that ?50dol nor more than lOOdol for the second ; and for the third a fine of not less than 250d0l and not more than thirty diya ■imprisonment. A FJIMALK SHEARER. A paragraph has been going the rounde about a German woman who went stonebreaking at Newcastle, N.S.W., and made good wages, though the "Benevolent" Society ladieß tried to get the police to interfere with her, and prevent any suet "impropriety/ At the Education Board meeting at Blenheim the other day, Mi Duncan told a Btory of a female snearei that will bear repetition. A woman reai dent in the district came to him, and askec if he had room for a shearing hand, say -ing she waa a £>ane, and had been used t<

shearing in her native country. Mr Duncan wanted another hand, and saw no reason why be should not give her a chance, though it was somewhat of a novelty. He did so, and she made good wages. The tale was told to point a moral. He paid her at the same rate as the men, and ho could not see any reason why female teachers should not for equal woik receive the same pay as the males. FOUR AND SIX A DAY. During the recent Wanganui election, "A Worker" addressed the following letter to the Wanganui Herald : — "I wonder none of Mr Carson's opponents have referred to that gentleman'H extraordinary statement in the Oddfellows' Hall that the working men of New Zealand could not expect to get eight shillings a day much longer, and that ihey would have to bo satisfied with 43 6d instead, as the supply would exceed the demand. Had 'the 'unemployed difficulty' not been bo ably dealt with by the Liberal Government under the late Hon John Bal lance the labouring men of New Zealand would by this time have been paupers and glad to get even haif-a-crown a day, whioh wa3 the ruling rate of pay in Wanganui, when some of the Tory supporters of Mr Carson made their pile." FEMALE POST AMD TELEGRAPH. CLERKS. A movement ia on foot in the English Postal Telegraph Department to bring about a limitation of the employment of female labour. At a conference of the Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association, to be held at Cardiff, resolutions will be submitted declaring that in the interests of the public, the' department and male telegraph clerks, female labour where employed should bo limited' at most to one-fifth of the respective staffs. This is regarded as an attempt partly to close one of the few avenues of the public service at present open to women. The widespread interests at Btake are indicated by the fact that a year ago, thirty vacancies being open in the Telegraph Department, a thousand females competed for the appointments. Just now, there being fiftyfive vacancies, there are eight hundred candidates. The matter is being brought under the notice of members of the House of Commons with the object of obtaining an expression of opinion. UNHEALTHY OCCUPATIONS. The. report of the lead-poi&oning Inquiry Board was laid on the table of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly a few days ago by Mr Slattery, Minister for Mines and Agriculture. The subject ia treated in an exhaustive manner, and the various effects of lead-poisoning, with suggestions for remedying the evil, are -included in the report. The Board makes b, series of recommendations, which includes the' following: — 1. It should be illegal to employ females in any capacity at works where lead, lead- ores, or leadcompounds are mined, dressed, smelted, or manufactured. 2. It should be illegal to employ any boy below the age of sixteen years underground at any mine where lead-containing minerals are got; to employ any auch boy on the surface in any place where lead-ores, lead, or lead-com-tounds are bandied; to employ any boy below the age of fourteen years. 3. Every underground workman should be required to change his ordinary clothes for working clothes in the changing- rooms to be pro* vided for this purpose before descending to his work; and to change his working clothes for bis home clothes again on finishing his work and before leaving the mine. Surface workmen should have liberty to make the same change, and should be encouraged to do it. COMPULSORY TBETOTALIBM. Should railroad employers interfere with the personal habits of their employees ? This question has been handled by the Chicago Eock Island and Pacific Railway, of Illinois, which sometime since notified employees of the road that habits of drunkenness must be stopped under penalty of dismißgal. Not a great deal of attention was paid to the order, and three men caught in saloonß during business hours were promptly discharged. Next day twenty-four more were discharged, and the remaining five men in the yards struck. The yardß were deserted for several houra, but new men went to work, and cars were moved aa usual. The offioials cay they will not recede from the clause in the contract relating to habits of drunkenness, and that all men in their employ must remain sober and keep out of saloons while on duty; JOTTINGS. The British Glassworkers' Union has J630.000 ia its defence fund. • Night work is prohibited in France for women and girls and youths under eighteen. ' The Denver (Col.) Board of Trade demands that the State should operate coal mines. ■ ' . , Wages are low in Prussia. Only onetenth of the people poßsess an income of over J845 a year. Seventy per cent' of the people of Ceylon liyd by agriculture. The percentage in Britain is 15-44. Seamstreßseß on " slop" in Brisbane work out their joyleßß Hveß nine hours a day at prices that yield them 10s a week— if they are smart. The English Social Democrats secured six seats in the Municipal elections, and did excellent propaganda work wherever they put up candidates. The Brisbane Sun Bays :— James Power, the champion shearer of New Zealand, has been turning over 200 sheep a day off the Wolseley machines. The Paris Municipal elections have resulted in a big increase in the socialist vote polled for old members, and new men haveagone in with good majorities. No fewer than fifty-nine labour strikes occurred in Great Britain during the month of March. The majority were in the building and mining trades. Most of the Btrikes ended unfavourably for the strikers. In Germany last year wages remained stationary in 232 districts, fell in 72 and roae in 2 only, while prices in food products went up universally. Out of 806 cities 211 showed full employment/ 30 almost complete stoppage and the rest very clack indeed. In England the number of women employed as printers increases with every year; bat they are still more numerous in America, where about 3000 women are employed in printing offices. In London there are about 200 women compositors. The Australian Workman Bays:— "We have before us a list of nine firms who have dismissed within the laßt month two thousand one hundred hands, simply because their current account balances have been stolen by the Be-deßtruotion Banks." Fifty firemen and forty trimmers engaged for a steamer supposed to be running from Southampton to Chicago found themselves when six miles out atqea transferred to the Hamburg steamer frormania. As they considered themselves to be duped they refused to Bign German articles, and demanded an immediate return to England at the Company's expense. A syndicate is being formed at (Hull, in England, to acqure 5000 acres of land at Benmark, the South Australian irrigation colony on the Biver Murray, below Mildnra. A demonstration took plaoe the other day to mark the departure of. a number of people from Sydney to found the New Australia in Paraguay. There is a striking contrast in these two events. Probabilities are that the iron trade of Pennsylvania will witness this year one of the greatest strikes that has ever occurred in the country. Manufacturers look upon a reduction of wages as an, absolute necessity to keep their business, and the

Amalgamated Association will be asked to pass dowq the figures in the next year's Bcale with no unßtinted hand. A new and important question affeotiug coal mining was discussed at a meeting of the North Wales Miners' Federation at Wrezham. It was pointed out that while in other trades persons have to undergo a lengthy apprenticeship, in coal mining, which is a dangerous occupation requiring great oare and experience, persona are allowed to work without any apprenticeship whatever. It was resolved that Parliament be asked to insert a clauee in the Coal Miners' Amendment Bill making it compulsory for all persons to serve at least two years' apprenticeship to an expert miner before being allowed to work as a collier. A report describing the working of the Labour Bureau in New Zealand has been prepared by Mr Lewis, Local Government Officer in New South Wales, who visited this Colony last year. It shows (says the Sydney Morning Herald) that tbe Bureau ha 9 succeeded in New Zealand in moving labour where it is found in congoated or excessive quantities to districts where a natural. demand hns absorbed it, and by a co-operative system of contract, which is capable of considerable extonsion and development, is obtaining the construction of public works as effective and at lower prices than under tbo former system. Further, by the removal of many of these men from the habits of town or city life habits of thrift have been inculcated, which in many cases have led them to settle upon lands available for that purpose, a portion of the money thereby flowing back to tbe revenue of the Colony.