A VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 15

A VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.

I ' LABOUR MATTERS. b THE BEST SEASON ON RECORD. (By Tclecraph.—Special Obrrtaponrtont.i it ' • • ChriStChurch, September 10; ' ,0 Mr. P. F. Darcy, tho secretary' ,of the e.- rccently-formed N.Z. Shearers . and .. Other . Pastoral Workers' Union,,has returned .from d a'.visit.tp Sydnoy, wbither:ho went to ascers tain: the methods of administration adopted ;.' ;by 'tlo';Australian: 'Workers' ' TOiori. " Thfe S officers'..of ; that body, placed, before him -i'/.e tl. information, he' required,, arid in', addition b offered; financial and moral -■-. assistance "in c ' furthering-tho objects of tho New Zealand r' Union. •'•■lf .necessary,, tboy would also send i] officers over to New Zealand -to help, thee union. • ■'.: a At present, Mr, Darcy told a'"Press''-re- . porter, it is-not .intended to have the New 3 Zealand. .Union'connccted or affiliated, to the . Australian Workers'' Union, but ultimately it i is hopctl to havo it'recognised as a branch 3 of tJie A.W.U. If this is given ..effect i.o, . membership of one ,of tho .unipns will carry t with it membership of tio ,other. The'A.W;U:, j which has jurisdiction over tho whole of the f Commonwealth, has a membership of 44,000. j The. labour bodies In Australia are as much i political in, their nature as—industrial, and j nave .been, -more successful ; in; the;'" field .'of j pblitics : ;tjian in their industrial objects.' They .i nave, noiv evidently determined'.to pay .mora > attention to,industrial:matters. -Tho Labour i party in the ; New South Wales Parliament .;■ ,13 ; pledged to tho'A.W.U., and maintains its ■ separate 'existence in. Parliament, 'and ; it'is , evidently -intended ■to continue that policy. , Tho'New South :Wales Arbitration Act'is, ; -Mr.^Darcy-stated)- working very successfully, fln 'its . earlier stages strong' : objection' . was , taken to thjs'-'Act'by.- the Sydney Labour Couhcil owing to .preference to unionists hot bejfig included m' its provisions;,, Finding .that statutory .preference , could not be got; , the ;..counoil'decided"to,'tnako the best of,matters. Sixty-three- trades in Sydney, all • tho organised.- trades, havo '.taken! advantage, of the. Act.'Sinco it .piim'o; into •. oporation ' about eighteen months'; ago ■ -in only' ;' three ; .oases - was tho aid of the Arbitration - Court i /needed,,. In the pothers the ; awards of; the • Wages. Boards- (which are somewhat similar' in." constitution to tho. Now 1 Zealand Concilia-' tion •' Councils) - was . accepted by both , sides. ' In New v South' Wales • there aro ;; 'no; 7 industrial ; V districts.' Tho State'constitutes orio ■ industrial - -district, consequently ; an'award . made in respoot to any trade in Sydney operates, in the' same trade .throughout tho State. The Shearers'. .Union is ,the;only ono;that'is working under 'an award, of jtbfv-Foderal Arbitration r Ck)urt,: which;,:; operates Ytbrftughout ?t!}6 "wealth. are •ftow /I b'cforfr t tho 4 ' Federal Court asking for an award for the ■ whole Commonwealth. . ' v,;; ; ; Generally, ' Mr." ;Darcy'. found "that everything in New South \Va!cs had tho appearance of prosperity. To the casual, observer, it might appear that, there.was -Vgrtat. deal, of unemployment, . but from . inquiries, borate at the various unions' offices lie learned that trade wris brisk,, and .especially so in tho building trades!' This was no doubt duo to tho 'good ' seasons experienced during'recent years/ The present season stood out as.tlio 'best;of all. Ho visited several country -disr .triets,' ; and went as far; as Forbes,. and tho pastoralists wore 1 his authority ■ for-the statement,tfiat tho/present', season .was the best th'ev had ever experienced. ,' /'