TIMBER WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 654, 3 November 1909, Page 3

TIMBER WORKERS.

CONFERENCE'CONCLUDED,

.': '■ VK;,£iO3LiLisTic: REsoiluTioNs. ■ ;;>• ;?;■ ;^^ 'The Sawmill Yard Workers' Cbft : >-'i leronce. concluded yesterdny, Mr. , J. 'Alsweilei: , (Southland) prosidjng. • ■■-.•: ■^-VX Mr. D.,M'Laran," M.P..",'.visited! the , ebnfav .. .: enco during ,tho'morning, Riid was welcomed W>. v< ™awmßn; In' reply, the Independent Lab-t.i' ■• our M.P. Kiioke in favour of a .complete feder-" i' ! atien of all the; labour unions.in New Zealand,' •■'.. ;' fje congratulated tho conference on the step - i it had taken in tliis direction, nnd oxpressod ' " ' j Pleasure m seeing that the tinions.in bther .:;;'; trades .were.,doing likowjfee. It: had been, sug-.V.i.; 1 gested by some that Cilice ho liad' become 'j a" " . ;i member of ■.Parliament he 1 ought ,, to withdraw'.:.; 4 irom active .participation in; Labour organisa- ■ '■:■'-. ■til' ■ l n0 »>l* nt;i ''n of doing anything : v>: , : of the sort, as it would be injurious to' the in>\ Vi : ,terests, of. Labour. He Sosirod to keep always .;'" m the closest possible touch with -organised ;'"i ; labour. (Applause)' •■ : ' ;■• .-■ - : - ' .■, ' r^?:

i ' State Sawmills!- '■'i,-: i^: '\ Mr '.'Er O'Byrne; (Southland) moved in far, otir of the establishment of State sawmills an<H<;,: timber yards. He said the Governmout should.' , ': open sawmills, in , each province, whbro- thoro , -' , -' was milling timber, and timber yards in each i >'i cm- to regulate prices. - There' should also bo a duty on Oregon to protect the industry. Tho "i - ; Government"ought to , have reserved 'timber/ '&. areas along the railway routcß.arid by not dping so they had allowed private individuals to !v.' get the advantages that wore duo to.the put' '. - lie. The proposals made would'also check thq :" v monopolies which were so powerful in the timi , ■■■''• ber trade, and which ennbled -the morchanW V to niako proEts by the high price of-timber.:: ■ ■ '.phi. Mr.Phelan (Auckland) said ,that tho mills m the A ucklnnd province wero controlled ' 1 ' by combine?, and the small sawmillers had no' , ''■' option but to .sell'to them. ■■'- .!■-... ..,'. ~:?;■ ' Mr. O'Byrnij.said it was monstrous tho way >. : v-j .some of the Bush had been given away to mill'vv'lv rcrs.-in the south; He quoted a case in'which 't: a. miller 'had-.'paid oiily -a , -JBI2. royalty to' the , -. ■"• ;("■' Government,' while ,-a 'JBJS royalty. had been vex- -.-'X acted by the Government from.a man who-wae- 'ii squaring timber.with his axe. ; That .was,, 0n1y , ;.;, one instance of; many ( nnoraalics that,had come -: ' *:.'i under .his.rjotice;-'.-.. : H ' "' : «-- : --.'\-,. : - ■•:.:•'•'•■••i .- Tho motion'was-carried uria'ni|nously, : '■ .. :v

\ r ,■ ■■'■ Compensation for Accidents.'"••.:!.,- ; > V;j . ! Mr..Tuffen l ;(Otaß6)\"ihbv^--Ib i; urgc'qn' i -th» ; -- : '':y. i i Goveniroont\the;tlesi«ability of. amending i'the' ' . ■; workers' .Compensation Act so, that a jnari •'■•■*; capacitated by nccicipiit.should receive hill pay; ,''? from the date oi.accident:.' ,'■■■■■■.'■ : i -■ ■ '-.. '.'.;;;::,,? -Mr. P. Jvvl>yoiis;(Wcllin"ton). seconded thfc ■; '■&!;■- Mr. T. O'Byriie .(Southland), niovcd s.as.> amendments in .'favour, .of-half-pay ■ diiringjii-- K'-'V' cabacitation, tft'4)egiujrpmttlis'dato'of. thoaci:/.;.', 1 ; oident. ■—•At"-present half-pay was given, but:did {■"';'£': iibt begiiv,;tintil;-j\ . wcek. vi had passed.: It 1 yss.i ■,;,":<' hardly'WandiiabU.-to,, osk for, fuU.pay., -Tlieirr-V ,«';;; . opponents, would say it would V ; •rj; iug. ,■; ;• ':''■'.v'.!N7., : ;-' v'-. , '■•> \ ; N ■ -^r- , .^;' Mr. Phclaii ■(Alic!iland).j in-supporting'. .this,)■".;;;.•; slid that tho. proposal..,in ■ tho : i ,-inotion» {.ify'Uv adopted, would .mean thousands,., of ■.'. pounds; : )•:$• which^would■, ultimately: Oie,-drawn .from ...thOf ■■'&:] worker. ',':'/■ : \ ,'' > ."' : \,'';j,''. •- ~ 'fi,' , ' "After' further ■■'discussion , ',:-it'was i rosolvett ..to..' J\-ll ask; the. Government; to atfioutl'the Act;-so : full pay shouldM>b/,gi,veiy during tho first <fqur-..f.';_;.; weeks' ana ■■'lialf-paT r ani''ing!- , t!ie'-fcint>.iiid^r- ; of, 1 ) vy, tho period;;'fhc'-pi)s;ineiTts:-;Kr'be' made'.Weekly^',':•!: or on the':.or I diiVory : !pa'ydn! , s |i -of'-'th'e':cmplo'yei , j.. , who 'shall' alf;p"' > bi!;:liabl!> i ,fci(:' : first- ;•: aid audV: , /'?;' medical espcnScs/'/-. . ■:■'•■' '-.yfy-- '■■:~- : ' : ; v '--i?4- ; ( i j .v'.!,lib-Encourage ■;.'::''^;,rf; 1 ,'ij;j Mr. T. O!Byrne,-iii;i<i:>yimV "Tfhat" tho Got." ' ;;'.vj .ernmen.t bo urged to nbtiyn.'alf rriilway sleepers rv'.Si in thV, JJ.ommioii,'';' saidf;jtliat several .lmlls' in."'''.'p. ! :i •the', south' Mad' had\;So;':-r.ioso'''dbin!7-owing ! to x 'li.'P,', tho sleepers.' , -' •;!"!••:'.;" *' Tho moHoit was carried, , ; '■'' ~ ; \' t : . ••'/•' : '- ; . ; i - -.Mr; Garbiit tvnmpht \x lirged 'tb imp'ort : duty, = :''"'f;i on all timber.under the 12' x 12 6r its l% '■•.!¥,■•.] •,cquivalb"ht. wifli a'spc6inl,.dutj - on.rU , drassi'd' ."J.-;: ■or manufactured .titiflwr- , iiHfo'rt_etli' : 'ati3r.'- timber ' /;: :used for 'packing oi, !doors pr .sashes,'if drissedi-.V i'»/i to be charged .f\i!l,-duty." •; i '~,'",.'.-^',:?}'■ ~'.?.'s';':•■ . The.competition' of. iniportod oliairs $■•,',: fii,rnitut« was;,spoken of -'(taring tho;discussiou., vtf-' nsa«ry serious. for New Zealand workera... TJic motion was carried.' s:^'' : ''i^-v^.;.vv/;-i

First Aid It wis resohed —"Ilht all <innills <Lβ . equipped, with \ stntcher, medicine client, splints lud landttge*, Hid \ p-inled cird of instruction's for dealing with accidents" Speakeis pointed out that tpme of the nnllii i wore SO, GO, ind 70 miles doctor -m<! , *. that; the cousequcncpi of were lllblo to be much moro serious' Mr "want of medical ipplnnces, ulnrh wore eutirelj lacking, o\cn in mills thoio Ind been man) Ecnouti , ' ' 11 Daylight Saving ~j'' Mr Phelih (Auckland) mo\cd —"That all ', clocks in sawmills m the Dominion he k«pt cA , mean tune" The spe-ikei "snid he was « to the di\light scheme Somo of the j docks in the bush siurnulls in thf Auckland district wtrr put on is much as three hours. * The inard fixed 730 am is tho hinc of starting work but work was sfuted "i somo mills t il 610 the clock hoini; put on ' Mt O'Bvrne said that in Southland thn clocks h xl to be put on so tint the men could sharpen. ,, their ! jaws bv'dii-lipht 'iftcr ceas'ng , work Ho would oppose the motion The motion \ as earned ' To Ask the Govtrnmont, k It «as rosoKed '-'lint tho Arbitration Act ' be aiipndcd to pro\Td° tint the Council of ' Cnncilntnn to nnko an agreement into in ninrd without appealing to the Vlbitrahon Court" i Legislatinu to pte\«nl the sale of coupons by balers and other tradesmen was demanded in ' , another resolution It was pointed out that the purc'iasfri of the coupons liad no guarantes that tho goods \\ould be delnored to. them The ndoption s>! tfi* Parlinmoiitirv franchise for elections: of local bodies wr< urged bj resohition, and tho desirabilit\ of the elections of different loci! bpcijes being held on tho same dnj wxs al«o affinned by tho conference It ins rc=ol\od s — "That (he Go\eininent be urged to filolid their coal depots, and to dtfviso ' meins of cirr,ung their ovu coij 1} sea" i ACCOMMODATION FOR WORKERS. Mi O'Bune mj)\ed "That the ' bs uiged to piowdo foi country oi biwli mvnulls an \ct wheicln miller* t would be, comiiolled to proude piopcr and MifTcienl icromniodntion foi thp workois" The mo\er -.aid Hint the arconimoddtinu was, in mnm ci«es wretched Men were camped in (he dimp sunloss bush the whole jot lound in trnls, iml women ind childien with * i tlnni in. souk , ensi", «ns dctriincmnl lo heiUh In tn\clling thiougli the Southhlid saumilling tltKliicts !'<> l>nd i seon saivmill woikers , nhiies ilongiide of mines with tho "riuiij" from the , mines lunuing undei them ind making them unheilthj Sawmill hinds Ind a rough life, and did not ioadilj com> fllnin but on this subject the) Ind been complaining bitter); Mr Ljons 6aid the conference in 1592 hi>d urged tho Government to give attention to this subicet He knew places ' m the north wheie tho whores were built bclon tho giound level, and wcie old, smnkobldekejied, and d-rtf Tho samo'ounkslind been iL«eri bv different norkeis foi without ■ fumigating, and it was leall) liealthiei *o take one's blankets and sleep on the'tilmhne ' ifi Phelan confirmed these stntemenls The w hires in man) eases weie 'built on and m wet weathei if one jumped on the flooi, the water oozed up between the boards He ,did not see whj son null woikeis should > not reocive as much colisi.iention as. -.heaieie 'Hie motion was parried State Activity Demandod: i The confeience lesohcd to urge the Go>ern. ment to establish Stat* labour buicinx ) Speakers to the motion mado it clear that tiej looked to State icgistration without fees to convpletoh oust tho pri\ite iCßistr\ offices The desirabihh of nationnlisihon of the hnd and the means of production, disti ibution and excliange wis upon Mr T O'Bjrue drew itlcnhon to Clause U of'the Inbpection of Mnchinor) \ct which men who hd\o suffered the lose of a hand or a foot from driving a locomo- , tivo, or winding engine, and is lotrospective in its notion He asked tho conference to affirm that the clause should have no iptrospcctivo foice A resolution to that effect was car. Ned \ The v as Employer ' Mr Lyons moved to isk the Government when cmplojin? labour to pnj iwird wages, and/ to give proferen.ee to unionists Aβ metanccs m which thceo conditions had not been complied with, he mentioned the local post offico foundations He also made reference to the carpentrj work at Ponrua Hen*al Ho?, pital Mr JacLson (Grcvmouth) tho wharf labourers hnl had. to fight the Government oa J.ho oMstion v of paying Award Wages nt Gic). mouth Tho motion was carried Other Resolutions Tho Government was urged by resolution to open up hnd near bush sawmills for settlement, Riving preference to tho titubei woikeia living in. the district , Tho conference pissed a resolution, similar to that of tho Trades Councils' Conference ard otliei 'bodies, protesting ngamsl tho lemaiks in which Mr Kettle, SM, was held to hive loflcotoo , epon trades union eectolarics It was rosoH«d to seek aa appomtthent wi'.h L tTio-Prune Minister fer. a «toftatx9u. '