Labour Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 41, 29 July 1892, Page 2

Labour Notes.

THE strike'at Broken Hill has been undertaken as much almost in defence of Unionism as in resistance against the competitive contract systMn. The intention of the directors to break up the unions has been apparent all along.

The Most Rev Dr Dunne, Bishop of Wilcannia, has taken an active part in trying to bring matters to a satisfactory settlement. The Bishop is pronounced in his condemnation of the breach of agreement made by the directors. Speaking at a meeting of the citizens htld on the Bth inst, His Lordship insisted on the binding nature of this agreement, which was made in 1890, and by which all disputes were to be referred to arbitration. "There mast be some bond of union," he said, " between labour and capital, whose interests, strictly speaking, are not antagonistic. I therefore put it to you this evening, that this agreement thus entered into is final and binding on both parties ; and I hope that, even at this late hour of strife, as it were the arbitration clauses will be acted upon (hear, hear) and that these clauses will give once more prosperity to this community. We welcomed it when made ; many thanked God that at least in one place — on the Barrier— a solution of the labour difficulty had been arrived at. All that is lacking now is the wish on the part of the mineowners to carry the clauses into effect n (applause).

The excuse for the breach of agreement given in the South Australian Legislative Council, by the Hon &. C. Baker, one of the directors, was rather striking. He aimitted that there was a clause in the agreement to the effect that no change should be made without a reference to arbitration, " But," hs explained, " the Mineowners Association found out that the time had come when they could not afford to pay the wages, and therefore rescinded the agreement altogether." This explanation in itself, we should say, fully justifies the action of the miners. A more shameless piece of bullying it would be hard to rind.

Two members of the Victorian Parliament who were on a visit to Broken Hill and who were particularly well qualified to pass judgment in the matter, have spoken strongly in favour of the miners. Both are Members for Ballarat constituencies and one 's besides a Mayor of that town. They condemn the breach of agreement without reservation. They also, as practical miners, condemn the manner in which the mines have been worked. MNo wonder the mines are unstable 1 " they exclaim. " Seeing the way tbey have been managed nothing else could be expected. The system of timbering and of opening up the mines generally has been wrocg, and the sooner the shareholders recognise it the better." The gentlemen in question are Messrs Dunn and Yale.

A great deal was done to spread abroad the belief that the strikers were engaged in violence. A reinforcement of 50 police was sent from Sydney to take part in the fray, but their excursion proved to be a mere holiday trip, A resolution passed by the Be? J. Watts, a Protestant minister, at the meeting of which we have spoken, shows the true staie of things :—": — " That this meetiDg, whilst condemning any imprudent or illegal acts which have been occaBioned directly or indirectly by the system of picketing the mines, Btrongly affirms that the reports in connectiou with the matter have been grossly eaaggerated, feels confident that this strike at Broken

Hill will be marked (like the two preceding ones) by no serious violation of the law or order, and believes tha presence of a military force unnecesiary and undesirable."

The Melbourne Trades Hall Council has passed a resolution of sympathy with the miners :— " Mr Hancock said that the arbitration scheme between the miners and the owners agreed to in 1890 had been heralded by the entire Press as a way out of the difficulty when the dispute arose between the employers and the employed ; but the directors' action now showed that they wished to break down the strength of the A.M.A. He moved, ' That the council grants its thorough sympathy with the miners, and wishes them success, and promises them any financial support that can be given.' " The proposer of this motion, as we see, agrees substantially with the views expressed at Broken Hill by the Most Rev Dr Dunne.

The Barrier Miner's special correspondent has made careful inquiry amongst the Ballarat n.iners and finds that they generally sympathise with the strikers. Many of them feel, with the limited information they have, that, as far as the contract system is concerned, the strikers, had unanimity prevailed among them, might have adjusted matters so as to have secured fair play ; but in any case the mineowners are utterly condemned for breaking the agreement. There is a very strong feeling amongst the miners here against the contract system, which is declared to be iniquitous in its operation, productive of slatternly work, and highly dangerous to life and limb.

They are begging for small mercies in Belgium :— " The Belgian trades unions are demanding that the hours of work be limited to nine, with a complete rest on Sundays."

There is a general feeling that the mine owners of Broken Hill will employ free labour at the end of the month; The strike presents a loss in wages to the men of £45,000 up to date.

The leaders of the Idaho strikers are making their escape. Eighty of the strikers will shortly be arrested on a charge of conspiring to murder 39 mine owners. It is reported that a number of free labourers who were captured were burned to death.

The Pittsburg strikers have decided that a deputation consisting of men from their ranks shall wait on Mr Carnegie in Scotland. A gigantic strike of cokemen, aiming at 'the defeat or ruin of the Carnegie Company, is imminent.

Intimation has been received at Oamaru that married men who are out of employment will be drafted to tha Maerewbenua-Ben-Lomond road, and the eingle men to the Otago Central railway works.

A deputation of printers waited on the Hon A. J. Cadman on Saturday and submitted to him the following memoranda : — The Board of Management of the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Typographical Society, acting on behalf of the " piece chapel " of the Government printing office, ask for a committee to consider the advisableness of abolishing piecework in that department, either wholly or in part ; or otherwise (1) to ascertain and remove the cause which prevents competent tradesmen earning fair wages, (2) to classify the men employed, (3) to provide how and by whom extra hands shall be engaged and discharged. Mr Cadman promised to consider the suggestions.

The following resolutions have been carried unanimously at a representative meeting of railway employees in Christchurch : — "(1) The Civil Service Bill, as framed, is altogether unsuitable for railway employees, and does not provide adequate provision for them. (2) This meeting ia strongly of opinion that the proposals for the insurance of railway employees already presented to the Government provide the only suitable and acceptable scheme. (3) That the chairman forward the resolutions to the Railway Commissioners, with a request that tbey present them to the Government and do their utmost in the interests of their employees to hare effect given to them."

A committee of the United States Congress reports that since the M'Kinley tariff came into force articles of consumption in daily life have been sold over 3 per cent lower, while products have averaged 18 per cent higher, and wages are 77 per cent above the British standard.

In the scale for work in the ensuing year, issued by the Carnegie Steel Company towards the middle of June, wages in the open hearth furnaces were reduced by nineteen per cent, and in the armour plate department by twenty per cent. In the plate mill there was a general reduction of from fifteen to fifty per cent. It is easy therefore to perceive how the strike occurred.

Secretary Rusk, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has issued a report on the wages of farm labour. These wages are higher in America than in any of the other countries compared. They are calculated for the year as follows :— Great Britain, ISOdols ; France

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125d015; Holland, lOOdols ; Germany, 90dols ; ltussia, 60dols ; Italy 50dols ; India, 30dola ; United States, 282dols.— The report also shows that industrial development has the effect of raising the wages of the farm labourer. It increases the demand for labour, and, by providing the farmer with a market more nearly at hand, enables him to pay the higher rate.

The Legislatures of the States have lately occupied themselves a good deal with the condition cf the labouring classes, and have placed on their statute-books several measures for its amendment. In Massachusetts the hours in factories for women and young people under age have been reduced from sixty to fifty-eight per week.— ln New York enactments have also been passed for the protection of women and children. A law aimed at the sweating system provides tbat not lees than 250 cubic feet of air shall be allowed for each person in a workroom during the day, and not less than 400 cubic feet at night. The manufacture or sale of clothing in unhealthy places ii also forbidden. Another law regulates the hours of work for engineers, firemen, and conductors on railways. A law, nevertheless, which, like this, permits of a man's working continuously for twentyfoor hours, seems still to leave room for improvement. The employee who renders twenty-four hours' continuous service, however, is to eDJoy an interval of at leaßt eight hours' lest. On the whole, the legislation on behalf of the American working clashes is suggestive of pretty hard work still remaining for them.

Sir Samuel Griffith evidently holds the exploded axiom of certain economists, including John S. Mill— that the money expended on wages is a fixed sum. In speaking at a banquet the other night in Brisbane, he committed himself as follows :— Referring to the labour party he spoke as follows :— " He would not blame men," he said, •• for keeping up a high standard of wages. Many of them thought that thug they were helping their fellow-workers, but really they were reducing the general wages. Such a state of things could not continue. He did not know how long it would be before this matter was solved, but no doubt it would come out right in time." Sir Samuel spoke very strongly as to the character of the party calling in question his course of action. " The attitude of some of these persons," said he, " was analagous to that of the Russian Nihilists, who desired not to amend, but to destroy, the existing order of things. He could uaderstand this in a despotic country like Russia, but not uDder our free form of Government, This class of people should never be allowed to come into power in Queensland. It was the duty of the Government to couuteract the evils of the teaching and dissemination of, such doctrines by the people referred to. There were, unfortunately, too many of such individuals in our midst, but he had no fear of the future for the colony." We may legitimately doub', nevertheless, as to whether a determination to cut down wages and to set the workiogmen at defiance, is the method by which a Government may counteract the evils of which Sir Samuel Griffith speaks

" Mr Pick, manager of Mr Carnegie's mills, has beao. shot by a Russian Jew. He received four wounds, and lies in a critical condition. Many of the strikers express approval of the crime." — But Carnegie is one of those chit fly accountable for the introduction of foreign labonr, with the design of lowering wages.— '• Mr Carnegie offered to reinstate the men on strike on condition that they would resign their connection with the union. Four thousand refused, and were replaced by non-unionists. A boycott is being organised. The Daily News' correspondent wires that the strike will develop into a life and death struggle."

The Hon Mr Hoyle, Postmaster-General cf New South Wales, in addressing his conslituents the other day, condemned the action of the Broken Hill directors. He said : "If the directors had exercised good judgment and heard the men over the agreement which was solemnly entered into, there would have been no strike. The directors would like to fjree the Government to send military on to the field and all that sort of humbug, but the men were too law-abiding to require anything of the kiud— The Minister for Mines also Bpoke, and said he and his colleague were there with the entire concurrence of the Cabinet."

The strikers are about to establish camps, in which they believe they can hold out for six months. Everything predicts an obstinate struggle.

The Broken Hill Socialist League calls on the Government to nationalise the mining industry.

It is rumoured that the Victorian Paatoralist Association have notified their intention to employ only non-union shearers duriDg the present season. It ia also stated tbat the president of the Shearers' Union has issued a circular to the members urging them to be firm in opposing any obvious attempt to crush the Shearers' Union,

The secretary of the Dunedin Bootmakers' Union (says the Brisbane Worker of July 16) sends a letter to Secretary Strickland,

Queensland Bootmakers' Union, with the true 18 -carat ring in it* He says New Zealand workers are closely watching Queensland affairs and feel sure that all the attempts at crushing unionism will result in closer organisation and success in labour-ia-politics.

Broken Hill (says the Barrier Miner of July 16) ha 3in the course of five years had but two public burnings of effigies — one nearly fiva years a^o ; the othsr list nigV. Oa the first occasion. the "cremate 1 " thing was supposed to personify the Hon Francis Abigail, M. P. for West Sydney, an 1 Minister for Mines, who, while we famished for water, shut the Hatbole tank against us— for reasons which the Miner ie not very sure now wore not thoroughly sound. The second burning took place last night, at about 8 30 o'clock ; and at that very moment the man whose effigy wps burned nearly five years ago was arrested in Sydney, and, being removed to tbe cells, was refused bail. If the subject (the Mining Manager of Block 14) of last night's demonstration is at all superstitious, he will of all things dread the burning of a third effigy in the Hill.

The charge upon which the Hon Francis Abigail has been arrested is "that he did concur in making a false entry in the monthly returns in the books of the Australian Banking Company with intent to defraud and deceive John Mahony and other shareholders."