H.—6

V

Now that the Truck Act has been some years in force, its provisions should be as well known to the workman as to the master, and it is as great a moral wrong for the workman to allow the mulcting of his wages without complaint as it is for the employer to deduct for goods supplied. Practically, of course, the workman is the weaker, and does not like to complain to the authorities ; but it is his duty to do so, for the sake of others as well as himself. INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. It was found necessary last session to amend " The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1894," by lowering the minimum number of persons forming an industrial union of employers to five instead of seven. The provisions of the Act as to registration have been widely taken advantage of during the year by trade-unions of workmen, but employers have not availed themselves to any extent of the facilities offered for registration. The following list gives the names of trade-unions and other societies registered under the Act. They appear in the order of their registration ; — List of Industbial Unions registered undeb " The Industrial Conciliation and Abbitbation Act, 1894." Wellington Operative Bakers. Christchurch Amalgamated Society of Engineers. Wellington Tailors. Lyttelton Casual Wharf Labourers. Wellington Tailoresses. Winton Branch New Zealand Workers. Southland Trades and Labour. Dannevirke Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway Theatrical Employes' Association of New Zealand. Servants. New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association. Midland Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway SerDunedin Boot Machinists and Fitters. vants. Wellington Carriers. Wellington Shipwrights. Invercargill Bootmakers. Dunedin Operative Bootmakers. Federated Seamen. Oamaru Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway SerChristchurch Tailoresses and Pressers. vants. Boilermakers' and Iron Shipbuilders' Society, Christ- New Plymouth Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway church. ' Servants. New Zealand Bookbinders and Paper-rulers. Canterbury Carpenters and Joiners. Wellington Operative Bootmakers. Dunedin Branch Amalgamated Society o Engineers. Wellington Typographical. Christchurch Branch New Zealand Workers. Thames Miners. Wellington Branch Amalgamated Society of Carpenters Napier Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. and Joiners. Wanganui Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway Ser- Tapanui Branch New Zealand Workers. vants. Dermisfcon Coal-miners. United Employes' Society of Boilermakers and Iron Ship- Dunedin Tailoresses. builders. Auckland Operative Bootmakers. Christchurch Branch Amalgamated Society of Carpenters Dunedin Operative Tailors. and Joiners. Mokihinui Coal-miners. Hawke's Bay Operative Bootmakers. Wellington Branch Amalgamated Society of Engineers. Picton Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. Wellington Branch New Zealand Workers. Whangarei „ „ „ Waimate Branch New Zealand Workers." Otago , „ „ Wellington Branch Federated Seamen's Union of New Auckland „ Zealand. Nelson , „ „ Auckland Tailors. Canterbury „ „ „ Timaru Branch New Zealand Workers. Invercargill „ „ „ Wellington Plumbers. Wellington „ „ „ Invercargill Women Workers. Palmerston N. „ „ „ Dunedin Operative Stonemasons. Kawakawa „ „ „ Wellington District Australasian Institute of Marine Canterbury Typographical Association. Engineers. Westport Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway Ser- Auckland Tailoresses. vants. Wellington Operative Carpenters. Timaru Branch Amalgamated Society of Railway Ser- Wellington Building Trades Labourers. vants. Wellington United Furniture Trade. Christchurch Operative Bootmakers' Society. Otago Typographical. Pressers and other Clothing Factories Operatives of Dunedin Branch Amalgamated Society of Carpenters Dunedin. and Joiners. Wellington Painters. Grey Valley Union. Christchurch Plumbers and Gasfitters. List of Industbial Associations registered undeb "The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1894." Canterbury Trades and Labour Council. Wellington Trades Council. New Zealand Federated Boot-trade Association. Otago Trades and Labour (Association), Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. Strong representations have been made by delegates of unions not affiliated to trade councils as to their having been allowed no voice in the nominations of the Court of Arbitration. On its being pointed out that provision was made in the Act for their voting by associations or groups of unions, they explained that the Act had not been understood properly when nominations for the Court were made, but that, even if understood, some powerful unions could not have taken advantage of the existing law. The engineers, for instance, have to take orders from their headquarters in London, and would not be able to join a group having rules and by-laws as a separate association. Several of the large trade-unions, such as federated seamen, engineers, tailoresses, &c, considered that they should have direct voting-power without having to affiliate with any other society. Dissatisfaction has also been expressed as to equal voting or nominating power being given to unions without consideration of their strength. At present all unions are on the same ground if registered, but the large societies do not believe that the voice of some small union cf fourteen or fifteen members should have equal weight with that of a powerful organization having a thousand or two thousand persons on its roll, There should be some approach to " adult suffrage " being the rule in such matters.