WORK AND WAGES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2047, 6 April 1907, Page 1

WORK AND WAGES.

Press Association DUNEDIN, yesterday. The Hon. Mr. Miller gives a flat denial to the report that an officer of the Labor Department is to be sent Home to bring out laboring men towing to the scarcity of skilled and unskilled labor. The .Minister says the policy of the Government', determined some time ago, is to give assisted passages to domestic servants and agricultural laborers only. The Trades and Labor Conference met again this afternoon. On the motion of Mr. Thorn (Canterbury), it was. resolved that whereas all financial benefits accruing from labor legislation in the past had been nullified by the action of the capitalist class in raising prices out of proportion to the increase in wages, and whereas the reason for this lies in the uncurbed power of the capitalists this conference strongly urges the people of New Zealand to make a stand and demand legislation that

will initiate a system of producing the necessaries of life and of supplying them to the people at cost. A letter was received from Mr. MacDonald, of the 'Vyiiji-e Australia movement, sent to ascertain the feeling of the conference with regard to he competition of prison labor in general trade articles. The conference unanimously resolved that our prisons should be removed from centres of population, and the inmates generally employed in reafforestation and agricultural pursuits, and that those enable to engage in such employment should bo 'restricted to the manufacture of articles required in connection with the prisons. It was resolved that ilaxmill and sawmill employes and agricultural laborers bo provided with similar accommodation to that provided for shearers. Several delegates spoke of the revolting conditions under which flaxmill hands were required to live.

The following, resolution was carried at a meeting of tlio Seamen’s Union last evening: “That the Dunedin section of the Australasian Foiioratef] Seameids Uniotl_ express its regret at the epithets applied to Mr. Miller and Dr. Findlay at tho Trades Council Conference with respect to the recent strike of slaughtermen. While expressing sympathy with the slaughtermen ip t! le i r fort to improve their conditions, -we consider the references to Ministers entirely unwarranted, and should be deprecated by trade unionists generally.”