THE EYE OF LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 January 1909, Page 5

THE EYE OF LABOUR.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. D.NTLARENj "■,■■:: ;..;-' y' m.p.. .::' ".'-. '-, HIS- AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS.' Having just returned from a visit to Aus-' 'tralia,;. Mr. David M'Laren, M.P., in the course of an interview, with-, a -Dominion. reporter, expressed an opinion on the state of Labour matters on the other side, and. also; referred to topics which areoccupying the ininds of local .'workers..: ' v .•;•■'.«■ :'/■ '; !,. ■: '•■;. ;\-'- : The State of Trade. . ; ■ In, the first place, Mr. M'Laren pointed out-that his visit to Australia was for holi- : day purposes,, but. rnost of, his time away was spent in acquiring information' with re-', spect to conditions of, trade, and the general movements of the Labour societies and La-: bour ■parties of the Commonwealth. - ,'T found/ , ; said-Mr.; M'Laren, "that the state , 'of trade in New .South "Wales was rather good, .and. from the information I 'could ■gather,- the -conditions of land settlement : and industry in (Jueenslandwere most active., ■ In. Victoria..-things. appeared to/be good, although in some , , localities there 'was a slight depression, due mainly to the working out of mines and the ■stoppage of : particular works. .: In the few weeks I'had to sparc/I visited Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat, and Newcastle,- and-a number •of -the smal-; ler towns of. both New South' Wales and /Victoria'. '/In regard, to municipal works,; I noted, a growing disposition on the part of communities to-, apply the system of rating on,the:unimproved values of land.":/ ■. '■',-'>■.-..:.'.: The Labour Movement; /■/■' v :■ Going on to speak of Labour matters, Mr.. M'Laren'remarked that he had come in contact. .with most of: the Labour, bodies of Aus-' : tralia, ;'and' he" had' found the.. trades union! movement; a: good deal more active there : than- it' had ' yet become in New Zealand. The- Sydney and Melbourne, Trades Councils ;he'. found'to. be particularly Motive bodies; though! Melbourne possessed the finest trades hall, lthe : Sydney Council evinced. more activity,,.and'expressed .a, stronger/spirit of comrades Hip. -.:,"In; Sydney," ; went, on the Labour ■representative,- "I met Mr.' M'Gowari ■ ■'; members' of the /' State Labour', party!' 'They were most hopeful. of, increasing their [ strength 'until they, should become , the gov-erning-party, of .the Stated 'During the:time I-.was'.in , . Victoria;, the' election was Ming held,'.but: the public did'notfseenrto be very ;deeply''ihtefested•. thd' lack of-. interest: was ?" rdbably" due:to the'.coming : of the-hblidays. , 'ho-generaliview'was that a change of Goy--1 eminent'-,was absolutely'necessary, but there seeined; to_,be .considerable-vagueness as 'to: the , direction' the: change; of, ..policy should take:; ;'The;]an'dque'stion. was .the ;m6st;.important --subject ; under,/ consideration by ,State,and Federal politician's; and all.I; met were; anxious/, to. have -the. fullest particularsregarding; the '.land legislation' of/ : New Zea'landi. ;-'. The -people Jqf' Australia-are .very .much -interested-in :the/politics of. New -Zea-. land,Vbut. L,noticed a/lack, of anything like ;accurate.detailed^knowledge.of our' laws.' 'I spent'a good/deal of' time .with the, present Federal Ministers; and also, with Mr.- J., G. .Watson/, "the ■,;late'/leader:, of: -the ':■ Federal LaboW,;party.' Altogether >the. Federal, politicians impressed, me as haying a very: com-; : prehensive; knowledge, of' the lines -of 'policy' : jyhich'Kadbeen. followed up in New Zealandand /;•' in ■ •.-.other '.-';; countries.' ; ...The ; ' pre--;sent.:-; Prime,,■-, Minister,,', Mr.- , : ./Fisuer,-. appeared.ito. ine; to/,be: a man of; considerable character,-;wh6se ability;, is/, mere likely |.to.; ba. .shown /in carrying,; out ..good' administrative work than-in introducing leg-' islative-proposals.'■ I^was-struck-by. the simple mahner-.of..living'pursued .by.Mr. Fisher, and his ; ,Ther,e.;'seemed- to; be " ; a\: fixed, determination.ifo'aypid;niere social parade,and .'.to, deyote...the, most.' painstaking attention to v. the. needs -of .'the)-State.' ; .- Among: people in commercial and professional circles/ I.'heard- the Labour Government -spoken' of a's being exceptionally-clean in.character and very, hardworking in. the matter: of attending to/; the , needs of /their/several Departments. Speculation.; is , rife all..over: the. country as ■'■wilKbe' ftble .to' , carry I' could: judge;'confidence: in , .the. present .Government is .spreading, quickly: among .'the, people."'■.-'., ; I v/iWatersldeiiWorkers-r A, Federation..; '/,/:,: : t Turning : to "Waterside Workers'. ..Union's',' Mr;; M'Lareii stated that, these organisations •m ■• Australia , : .were in.' , a' very active •'. and healthyVcbnditibri.',. In .many respects they' were in ofuvhat yet existed' in the Dominion. /.The/policy ■ of the ' Waterside: Workiprs'-'Fede'ration of,Australia.was,based on'sepuring all .possible., .industrial peace,-and; on avoidjrig'strife'-on every .possible"occasion. l A .conference had /been held ■ between.-the shipowners', and representatives of■ 'WKM;/ Hughes,vM.P.y Mr;.' J. 'Morris' , and others—just before Alr.vM'Laren. arrived , ; in • Melbourne, ■' 'and .'a ; large' - number of.■ industrial'. matters'. were'. settled, which affected, seven ..or .eight ports in Queensland,' New.South , Wales; and Victoria'.-'-' , The , : Aus--tralian'Waterside; Workers-'. Federation" show.ed'Mr.M Lareri; every courtesy and kindness, , and,, mconjuhctioh.; with-Mr. Hughes- and the torms:.of an agreed merit, which ,-wil] practically provide for: an Australasian/Federation.: :,Mr. -M'Laren;:said i:that-;he'found the leaders ..of the 'Australian ; Waterside Workers had beeii keeping in very dose touch with:the/International. Transport Workers'- Association, but the.general movemerit of'-.combination was- looked upon as riecessaryy: more for mutual;defence purposes than for-;,the- allowing ,of any. acts oi -a"-' gressiori'.;..;•.,:;■ .-■ ,' .'...:. ..;■',- • ■ , °-> imachineryvof the?:Politicar Labour' -movement;'both in: New-Soijth'Wales and Victoria: receivod.Mf. M'Laren's attention. He found: that, ; the; workers' organisations'.were m a flourishing, statein all centres, and was adyisfed-wherein the fornv of orgsnisation-had ■been proved, to act poorly.'''-.' ■ ' :.' .".-'' '. i : Labour/'Press. : ' >- : . ; ';:.' ; - : : .;-: . :; :• Among,:the'.r'ank-and. file ; of the workers there' strong' determination to ■ have representation',in- the -field of public dpiniori .tbrbugh the-medium of a Labourpress. The unions ■ at ;the.. present■ :time : :were' taking 'a ballot as ■>. to, the advisability of /establishing' ajLabour , daily, and Mr. M'Laren believed from; what. he;.saw';of. their present Labour journals; '■ that .they - would ;be just, as'-able , daily' newspaper ;as : 'they,had -been with.the Sydnoy " Worker.' , : : ■.•',-;. -.. ".-■-.',. : -. ;,V J Broken Hill Miners, v .'.'lt : amused, me on; my return," continued :Mr. "to lengthy cablegrams about the Broken Hill trouble, all of which matter'l: had .perused: in_ the Sydney -papers before-;!" left, there, While in Australia I made it, my business to urge upon the Labour bodies the need for closer-fellowship and more regular and , prompt communication between them and. the workers of New Zea land.r> It vis;: evident, however; ■ that ■ this prompt communication requires not only .the'attention of the Labour- bodies if the public, are to be reasonably weir informed.', .With regard, to-the Broken Hill matter,, it appeared to me: likely that an amicable settlement would be arrived at The leading representatives of Labour were using every endeavour in that direction/and the other side-appeared''to 'be inclined to move in the same way, but they were more anxious about the retention of their die nity;: The public did not appear to . be greatly perturbed about the industrial dispute,'and* were simply awaiting one 'or two moves which were expected to bring, about a settlement of. the ■■trouble." . : . ~ •;'•;■,■•.'..''■, Our Own Mining Trouble. :. ■ -'"I" returned," said-Mr. M'Laren, "to find in the' Dominion a more serious mining trouble,' and I- endorse entirely' the attitude 'taken up by the miner's, as: it appeirs to mo that, the claim., of the mining companies—

" practically that tho. men shall undergo medical : examinationand ■ risk losing, their cm-~ ploymentr-ie an extreme demand. The present position is a positive proof of the fact • (which Twas censured for, affirming some ■ time ago) that much.of our'industrial legislation'is pushed through the House, without being properly understood by those who are the'law-makers.- V A doubt exists, in my mind whether the present trouble may not.bo due ••• to'much deeper causes than are apparent at ; first -- sight. . The. state 'of trado throughout the" Dominion is .anything but satisfactory, \K ■". ..'.■••■ •■•■ ■■■■ ■ ■' : " -. '■ \ .■ :

and I fear that tho employing classes, having to curtail somewhere, are moro disposed to press down on thoso 'in their employment than in any other direction. It would pay all classes—employers and workers alike —to give a great deal more attention to the question of how wo can increase and de- , v'elop the trade of our country, so that there may be greater demand for our products : and moro employment for pur people. The ! miners at the present time aro justified in / urging that tho mines should be opened up as quickly as possible, and if the country is going to meet any indemnity risk on tho assurance, of. the Prime Minister, then the mineowners ought to be compelled to open . the mines, or the leases for working theso properties should bo again taken by tho Government. In any case, if the Government is practically going to pay part of the insurance on account of industrial disease or industrial accidents, the/country niust recoup by the. imposition of hghor mining royalties, unless ,wo are prepared to depart from tho principle of, the Compensation for Accidents .Act, that the industries. shall bear, the/charge, of such accidents and place , . the burden of all/such risks on the general taxpayers. ■/■.HaViitgJ u ?t returned, I have not been able' to/iget into full' communicatipn' with'the niiiiers', officers,'.but I have wired Sir. Sempldf president of the Miners' : Federation,: offering 'him the best services Lean render."/ri ■" , .'■-. ; i ./ ;: ; ; : No Work. ; Asked; for- a word ■or two pn the matte:. . of : immigration, : Mi - .; M'Laren replied that this was; the one question/which, had been put to him in all the places he-had visited. He had had to admit that ho could, not pos-. sibly see how the country was going to absorb the fresh population , ;in , -a-'healthy way, as -..-no adequate, provision, was being made arid the development.of our:resources for em-:. ploying men was,'being neglected. "Since I nave' cpriie backj"- said ;he, ; "it strikes me-' that we are . facing a most. vicious state of affairs.... I have been simply inundated by applications for assistance from, men out ot work—most'of them married 'men with fam- '■ ilies dependent' upon them. There must be a change, or we shall have; serious conditions to face during the coming winter.;. I have been infprmed-that owing to the stoppago 'or the .Main Trunk; railway, works andone or. ;two other .large contracts,.: a.-- considerable number of men have been thrown out of employment,, arid the.absorption of t.hese seems to have been taking'place veryslowly."