AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 846, 18 June 1910, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

MINERS AND WAGES BOARDS. Sydney, June 8. Reports from Newcastle (N.S.W.), dated June 7, state that it is becoming daily more apparent that the colliery industry throughout the Newcastle aud Mnitlaud districts is still in a.state of unrest With the-resumption of work after the strike, it was thought that operations would be placed on a sufficiently sound basis to obviate all anxiety on the part of the proprietors, at all events for some years. It comes, therefore, as a shock to the. community to find that already difficulties between the management and the men are cropping up in various parts of the field, and that the Wages Board is being roundly condemned by the men on every hand. A fortnight ago 250 men struck at South Scahain, and wore only induced to return to work by the earnest solicitations of the officers of the Colliery Employees' 'Federation. To-day the miners at Back Creek atid Duekenfield are on the verge of a similar revolt. 'Tho' trouble at these two mines has already been referred to at considerable length before the Wages Board, and after four days spent in consultation with representatives of the owners and the men, the board made an award which, unfortunately, seems to havo done little to settle the trouble. The fact is (states the Sydney "Daily Telegraph'), that the miners are afraid of the general award for the.district, which the board will ultimately draw up. In the interim award made for the Stockton Borehole colliery, a'few weeks a«o, the board, to all intents and purposes, laid it down that a man who filled coal after the machines was entitled to remuneration only as an unskilled labourer; yet there are thousands of men throughout the district who, although skilled miners, aro doing this work. And their number is rapidly increasing, as everywhere the . pick is being displaced by the mechanical coal-cutter. At present these men, according to evidence given before tho Wages Board,'are earning wages amounting iu many instances to more than £1 per day. Naturally, they view with lively apprehension - the attitude that the board seems to have adopted. In the interim award for Back Creek and Duekenfield the board merely decided what wero the conditions prevailing prior to tho strike; but even in this case tho men declare the'board has made an award that is all in favour of the proprietors.

EMPLOYERS AS LABOUR M.P.'b. Considerable discussion took place at tut; annual conference* of the Political Labour Council of Victoria on June 6 on tho question as to whether employers should bp debarred from standing as Labour candidates for Parliament and other public positions. A recommendation was miiiJc by the Agricultural Implement Makers' Union, and. the Fire-, wood, Hay,- aud Corn Trades Union? to 1 the effect that no person should bo eligible to hold office or be selected as a candidate, for auy public position if he employed any person in any business or occupation from which he derived any portion, of his income. The Clerks' Union and the Agricultural Implement Makers' Union also desired to see the incorporation of a new rule regarding tho membership of the council as follows:— Qualification of wage-earner: A seller of labour, one whose income is at least three-fourths derived.from manual or mental services, or from • self or co-opfcrative employment, has given no ovidence of his intention' to employ others unless in hacvosling or home help under union- certified conditious, and is not diselassed by the social circle. The central executivo to be the arbiter if called upon. The Operative Bakers' Union had a further proposal on the agenda.'paper to tho effect that the employers in the organisation be ineligible as candidates for Labour for any. public body except the Legislative Council. The principal arguments advanced in favour of the proposal were that'the employers were out of sympathy with the aims and objects of the party, and that they were likely to use it for the purpose of serving their ends. These views, however, did not find favour with a large majority of the members, and the proposal was-defeated by 93 votes to 38. ■

MB. WADE'S LAKD POLICY. 11l Ms presessional address at Chatswood on June 7, the New South Wales Premier (Sir. Wade) made an interesting announcement on the subject of the resumption of private, estates for closer settlement. He said: . The machinery, shortly, is as, follows:—When any private owner has land for sale suitable for agricultural purposes, 'he may make Hat fact known through the press to all yonld-be settlers. The land can then bs inspected; the price is known; the terms are stated. If any body of men can como into association as purchasers, atd come to sonio general agreement with Hfe vendor that they are willing to purchase, each.individually, a certain area of land, then they can approach the Government Jxivmgs Bank, state their case, mejition the contract, and allow the bank to take ■such action as (hey think tit to finance them. The bank will then make an inspeotion of the land to' ascertain its value, and. assure themselves that flio men are Jjona-fide settlers. The bank wilL then be empowered to finance these men by advancing to them and paying over to tho vendor the. prico which the bank fixed as tho true value of the land. Thus as far as the vendor is concerned it wjll be a rash transaction. The la.nd then will become the property of tho Crown, and will be made available under ]ust tko same conditions us land which is now resinned compulsory , from private owners. The terms of "payment will bo easy, extending over a large number of years, and conditions must be observed' which are encumlicnt upon purchasers under the Closer Settlement Act. There is a mortgage as between tho purchaser and the bank, thereby he is under obligation to nrake good the payments which nave been the basis of the purchase money paid to the vendor. In eo far as the- Govtnimwit Savings Bank is financing these purchasers under this system, tlie State must stand behind tho bank and guaranleo them against any loss that may result. This, however, involves no' new departure, because, although the words are not expressed in black and white, the Slate Government is practically already the guarantor of the Government Savings Bank. This simple system of financing will encourage private land owners to throw their properties open to <\H comers, as they, will not have to wait long years, as at present, for the purchase money.

INSURANCE AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT. Keplying to a deputation from Hie Anglican Social Questions Committee on the subject of ■ possible cures for unemployment, the Commonwealth Prime Minister (Mr. Fisher)'said that compulsory insurance against unemployment was a big step. It meant that the' man working ouly a portion, of liis time must pet living wages /or the whole of his time. A fair distribution of wealth would give each worker a fair and reasonable wage, the insurance proposal would support the workers during transition from ono job to another, and the men had the risrht to be tided over that period. He would not bo. satisfied until ho reached the unemployable l also. There ought to bo no unemployables. That was. one result of putting boys into blind alley occupation*. Insurance.would only bo a temporary expedient. But it was a from! thing in ilsolf, and he did not doubt that it was financially workable. If energies and iniiuls were properly applied to the countries' resources there would h c )j||| e unemployment. The proposition would have the full of the Cabinet. At 'present the records of unemployment were insufficient, aiul steps would be taken at once to remedy this defect. ■