TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 39, 15 February 1905, Page 10

TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

(By Industrial Tramp,) The building trade throughout the Auckland district is rather dull. Shipwrighting. -which has been busy for some time past, has fallen ofl coasidera bly. The furniture making frade throughout the colony is anything but brisk. The timber milling industry, both in city and country, is still good. The Westfleld Chemical Manure Workers' agreement, which was settled by t-onferenc-p. came into force on the Ist inst. Tbe adjourned annual meeting of the Flour Millers' Union took place on Saturday evening last. There Avas a splendid attendance of members. The plection of officers resulted in Mr. E. Avery being elected president and Mr. A. Rosser secretary. The question of a federated working statement for the ■whole of the colony was gone into. It was decided to issue ballot, papers to the ■whole of the members to vote on the question. The Auckland Butchers" Union hold their annual picnic on the first of March. Chinese workmen are paid a halfpenny an hour for a day of 12 hours' work. People who sell papers in the streets of Moscow are compelled to appear in uniform. When Mr. Andrew Carnegie first went out into the world to make money his wages amounted to 5/ per week. Fifteen cars a day for five years, or a total of 23,47 a, is the order placed by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company with the Canada Car Company of Montreal. In most German factories the girls are forbidden to wear corsets during working hours. The annual meeting of the Auckland Gum Workers' Union was held on Monday evening last in the Tailoressea , Hall. Mr. J. Culhane occupied the chair, and there was a splendid attendance of me.niDe.r3. After an amount of routine business had been transacted, the animal report and balauce-sheefc were read 3nd adopted. The balancesheet showed the union to be in a sound financial position, and, notwithstanding the fact that the expenses of getting an award of the Arbitration Court had increased the expenditure of the uniorj more, than usual, the accounts showed a good credit balaiiee. The election of officers resulted: President, Mr. J. Culhane (re-eleetedl ; vice-presfident, Mr. H. Jonesj secretary. Mr. R, Taylor; treasurer, Mr. D. Woods; corresponding secretary, Mr. A. Rosser; trustees, Messrs. Smith and Cummings; committee, MessTS. J. Mc-Arthur. F. CoTles. M. Symon, J. Curnraings. A. r'agan. -B. x Heath, T. 8. Wilson. W. Austin, and L. W. Eaton; auditors, Messrs. Dodgson and Doherty. A hearty vote of thanks ■was accorded to the officers for their sen-ices during the past year, and in consideration of his services to the union Mr. A. Rosspt was unanimously elected a life member. The annual meeting of 1 he Auckland Furniture Trades Union took place on Friday evening last. The balance-sheet showed the union to be in a very healthy state financially. The election of officers resulted in the following being re-elected unanimously: Mr. A. Davis president; Mr. P. 8. Homan. secretary; Mr. H. Smith, treasurer; Mr. P. Wo'lfseh, vice-president. At llford (England.), as the result of the district council's tramway enterprise, a sum of £7000 ha? accumulated as profits. It has been decided to put by half the profits year by year and devote tbe other half to the general rate, which course will help to meet the additional cost of education. There are now BOiOOO women bonded together in the Women's Trade Union League of Britain. The eotion trade unions in England contain 96,000 women and 69.000 men members. Tbe Colonial Sugar Refining Company cm ,P lovs ' about 13,000 .people on their Fiji plantations, most of them being Indians, the men getting 9d per day and the -women 6d. It is asserted that as a result of the shipping combine about 20 vessels are laid up or are to be laid up immediately throughout the CommonvrealtJi. A lot. more, men will thus be thrown idle. Cycle and motor trade employees in Sydney have formed a union. At the preliminary meeting it was stated that M some establishments the average wage of skilled mechanics was only 35/ per week. By means of the union' they hope to alter this state of things and bring such employers into line with those who pay a reasonable wage, and observe fair conditions of labour. The January circular of Emigrants' Information Office of the United Kingdom contains interesting references to the position of labour in the various colonies. Of our own colony this circular says: "In New Zealand this is the busy time of the year, and employ•raent is good; skilled mechanics in the building, engineering, boot, clothing and other trades, farm labourers, and female servants .should have little difficulty in securing %york, but they should have a few pounds with them on land- ♦ ing." The emigrant is very often an undesirable character. In this connection an amusing story was recently told by Mr Preston, the Canadian Emigration Commissioner, who says that he is besieged by anxious parents and other friends who have received extraordinary letters from "stranded" emigrants. "A.B.V father brought along his son's letter, saying he was almost starving, and had tramped miles in search of employment. A cabled instruction to look up the youngster was answered next day with the information that he had selected the best hotel in his town, had for three weeks paid 3 dollars a day there, and was having a. very good tiino. In his quarterly report thf secretary of the Sydney Labour Council says: "it behoved the unions to watch vigilantly the serious attempts f.'int vere made by the employers to destroy the Arbitration Act. and the privileges it conferred upon the organised workers, in securing a jurtioitil :md rational tpadjustment of Iheir economic and industrial claims, whi-ri, stripped of tne apparently unavoidable delay, was preferable to the barbarous system of strikes." Ex-Governor Beaucnaiiui isn't half a bad sort, considering his bringing up. says the "Queensland Woikor." , He is a shareholder in one of the h'm mines on the Rand, and recently mcived a divvr of 90 per cent. Conitnentine on the a f /l£ l ... fl . t a Public meeting in Worcester (Eng.) he ueclared that he would rat.hei- have a lovrer return and the nivSment « t * W^mdfl fin S* , «°d»W dividend wrung rromthe labour of Kaffirs and Chinese. A little speech like that ought to E0 \ - On l Way to wi P c ou s ™* "Inrtnstams , grudge against Beauehamp. concludes the "Worker." v