LABOUR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1913, Page 12

LABOUR NOTES

(By "Unionist.") ITEMS OF INTEREST. The ballot for the selection of Labour candidates for the coining civic elections ia now proceeding. Thei*o are roughly 2300 members in affiliation with the local District Council, and entitled to vote at the plebiscite now on. Secretary L. Rearden, in charge of the movement for the promotion of a poll on the Saturday half-holiday, reports that the week's canvassing has already r.esulted in the obtaining of 1000 signatures to the petition. To make the petition effective, at least 3000 names will need to be attached. The council hopes to present a list of 4000 signatures, and to so guard against irregularities. The two unions most affected by the proposal — Grocers' and Drapers' — have set up a joint committee to further the movement. Opponents of the Saturday holiday have also commenced organisation. The opinion in council quarters is that, with method and organisation, the .week-end supporters will win. As on the previous occasion the proposal is favoured by many of the local shopkeepers. The Unity Congress Committee of the recent. Labour Conference has 4 circularised all the Dominion Labour Unions submitting the programme for unity decided on by that conference. Tho circular, after mentioning the decision to hold the July conference, states: — "For tho earnest and impartial consideration of your organisation this programme is submitted. We ask you to consider it as the earnest effort of earnest men, representing every school of working-class thought in New Zealand, striving to reach a basis of common understanding. We believe that these proposals will be tho means of ending internecine war in the Labour movement of New Zealand, and bo the clarion call that will rally Labour together in glorious solidarity, and lead ultimately to complete economic^ emancipation. From time .to tim 6 during the months and weeks intervening between now and July your organisatioh will be circularised in ref erence > to the campaign. You are asked to weigh carefully the matter contained therein, and to give it as wide publicity as possible. you are urged to givo your most [^earnest consideration to tho question of 'unity — to weigh these proposals as they should be weighed— to recognise that by earnest effort at this time there can be established in this fair land of ours a Labour movement that will be impregnable. A dotailed scheme will be later submitted you. In the meantime the Unity Committee would gladly supply to any organisation, or person any further information desired." Six Labour candidates for the local council will be nominated by the Hastings branch of the United Labour Party. The council has a membership of nine. The new rules of the Dunediti Trades and Labour Council, which are drafted to make the constitution of that body comply with the United Labour Party's requirements, have not been accepted by the Labour Department. The registrar takes exception to the changes from the old constitution which provide for political action. The council has decided to carry on under its old rules for the present. In the meantime those Dunedin Unions which have entered into affiliation with the United Labour Party have formed up a district council, and will conduct a campaign for Labour representation on the local city council. Mr. Andrew Parlane, elected secretary of the Drivers' Union at Wednesday's meeting, has long been prominent in the Wellington Labour t movement. He ha« held office as President of the Labour Council and Chairman of the Labour Representation Committee. Mr. Parlane has ( been a live member of the Drivers' Union for many years. He has been on the executive continuously for twelve years,_ and is a past president of the organisation, having been five times elected to that office. The final figures for the Tnsmanian elections are .not yet available, but it is practically certain that the position of Earties in the new House will be-— iberals 16, Labour 14. .The Hobart Post, the_ State Labour daily, expresses gratification with the results of the polling. Summing up the voting it eaye;-— "The aggregate vote on Thursday was 67,150, compared with 73,876 in April of last year. In this connection the comparisons are wholly in favour of Labour. _ In the aggregate figures of 1912 the Liberals had a clear majority Of 6643 on the aggregate vote; on Thursday last the Liberals had a clear majority of _ only 5123; thus, in eight months, in spite of all Labour's (disadvantages, the Liberal clear aggregate majority is reduced by 1493. To put it another 1 way, that gives equally satisfactory and encouraging' result*, the decreased aggregate of the poll of 1913, as compared with that of 1912, is 6736. Of this loss 4113 has to be borne by the Liberals, as against only 2623 by Labour. Railway employees in the Australian States number 77,830, and are distributed as follow:— NeV South Wales, 28,961; Victoria, 22,357 ; Queensland, 9035 ; South Australia, 8569; West Australia, 7569; Tasmania. 1346. The award of the board constituted to deal with the industry of picture frame makers in New South Wales, excluding the County of Yancowinna, is published in tho Government Gazette of 23rd January. Hours of work aro 48 per week for males and 44- for females. Minimum wage rates for men are : —Cutters, 48s; cutters j (saw), overmantel workers, and compo 1 workers. 525 ; fitters-up, 50s ; mount cutters joiners, and gildera, 60s. Women, where engaged in certain specified branches of work, are to be paid eleventwelfths of thoee payable to men. The award affecting ship painters and decorators of No. 9 Board of the Tirades Group under the New South Wales Industrial Arbitration Act is published in the Government Gazette (New South Wales) of 15th January. It covers the industry throughout the State, with the exception that employes on Government ferry boats, tugs> and dredges are not affected, and that members of other_ ships' crews are not prevented from doing such painting work as their employers had, up to the issue of the award, been accustomed to employ them to do. Hours are fixed at 4-8 per week, and minmum rates of pay for casual employes at Is 7d per hour. Permanent employes are to have £3 3s j per week. Overtime up to midnight is to be paid at half above ordinary rates, and between midnight and usual starting time at double rates. Preference to unionists is provided for and piecework is prohibited. The award is to endure until 13th December, 1914. An amended award governing the labour conditions of bakers and pastrycooks in Brisbane has just been delivered. Amongst the main clauses are the following:— Day work will extend from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and night work from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tho ordinary working hours Bhall not exceed forty-eight a week, and they may be worked by day or night at the option of tho employer. No more than ten hours shall be worked in any one day, while the maximum number of ordinary working hours shall not exceed eleven hours in a double day of twelve hours in a treble day. The classification is as follows: — (1) Foreman in charge ofi four or more men. (2) Foreman in charge of three or lobs men; ((3) Single hand workers; (4) Ovensmen; (5) Boardhands; (6) Doughmen; (7) Jobbers. Tho wage 3 shall be as follows:— (1) £3 10s for night work, and £3 5s for day work ; (2) £3 5s and £3 ; (3) £3 5s and £3; (4) £3 5s and £3; (5) £3 and £2 15s; (6) and (7) £2 15s and £2 10s. Other provisions relate to overtime, which ranges from Is 9d nor hour to Is 6d per hour.