TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7070, 11 April 1901, Page 1

TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

[From Otjb Correspondent.] DUNEDIN, April 10. Very rapid headway is being made with the comprehensive Order Paper of the Trades and Labour Council Conference, and the probabilities point to their deliberations being concluded by Friday. Most of the proposals are of a Socialistic character. In the discussion as to bringing all Government employees under the provisions of the Arbitration Act, Mr Collins (Wellington), opposed the motion because he thought that Government employees should first be consulted as to whether they desired, to come under the Act. Mr Breen (Dunedin),;said that his Union, the Paint-. ers\ had a good deal of trouble with the men at Government Workshops, where' they worked for a shilling and eighteenpence a day less than men employed in the town. If the' motion were given effect to, they might be able to bring the workshops under the Union's award. The Chairman (Mr Betts), expressed 1 the opinion that the present so-called Liberal Government were the greatest sweaters in the colony, and said that the Conference and all Labour Unions should use their, influence to put an end to that kind of thing. They wanted to get as many men as possible to join, the unions, whether they were Government employees or not. There was considerable discussion in connection with the" Old Age Pensions Act. The Chairman led off by moving that this measure should be amended, in that in cases where persons are performing underground work for a period of ten years,, the age limit should be reduced to sixty years. He held that the Act at present was really of.no benefit to the underground workers at all. It was very rarely that a miner lived to the age of sixty years, consequently, though the age limit might be reduced it would not be of any great benefit to- the actual quartzminer, who had to earn his* living underground. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr Rusbridge (Christchurch), moved — " That the system of considering board and residence as income be abolished, and that the amount of pension be increased to 10s per week." The speaker pointed ouv that it was a very great hardship to old people that board and residence should ba considered as income. Mr Patz (Auckland), supported the first part of the motion, but thought that it was asking too much to have the pension increased to 10s. He was of opinion tfr'at 7s 6d was quite enough. Mr Hood (Dunedin), thought that .they should be the last to interfere with the Act which, as at present, was an excellent measure, and one of the best ever passed on humanitarian lines. The Chairman said •that 7s 6d was not enough for an old man to live on. If they were going to have a pension they should make a living pension. He knew of cases on the West Coast where men would have 'been better off without a pension. They could have got more from the Charitable Aid Board without outside assistance. It was (impossible for many of j them to get along on 7s 6d. Mr Rusbridge, in reply, expressed. his surprise- at a labour delegate opposing a demand such as the one contained in the motion. He was also astonished to hear Mr Hood saying that the Act worked perfectly. The motion was then caried with two dissentients. Mr Yomig" (Chiretchur&ti), moved— " That; the Conference le-affirm the principle of Old Age Pensions, being made universal;" If' pensions 'were made universal, it would do away with, the frequently-heard cry of charitable aid. Mr Hood said that to talk about making pensions universal was simply arriving at the ridiculous with a vengeance. They would simply -kill the whole Act. He contended that there was no cry of charitable aid in connection with old age pensions. The pension was a thing a person had a right to demand. It was a case of where many, were too proud to apply for a pension. (A voice: "No.") Mr Slater (Dunedin), said that there was the difficulty of finding the funds if t/he pensions were made universal. Mr Patz said that he would like to see pensions made universal, provided that they could find the money to do so. In Victoria they had found that they had not the money to pay 10s a week. He thought that they were rather premature in asking for 10s at this stage. The Chairman supported the motion, because it would remove the stigma of charity from old age pensions. The motion was carried by eight votes to three. There was considerable diversity of opinion in regard to a proposal by Mr Wilson (Christchurch) — " That the Government be requested to introduce a Minimum Wage Bill with a minimum of 10s a day for male workers." Mr Young seconded the motion, and mentioned that the Minimum Wage Bill in Victoria worked satisfactorily. Mr Naughton (Auckland), opposed the motion on the ground that workers could have the wage question fixed by the Arbitration Court. Mr Rusbridge pointed out that there were many workers who did not come under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr Slater thought that if they really wanted a Minimum Wage Bill introduced they should ask for something less than 10s. The motion was lost by five votes to four, three of the delegates not voting.