Annals of Toil

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 55, 29 March 1912, Page 7

Annals of Toil

Trado unions in Gerniany boast a menibcrsliip of over L,500,000. * * *

The N.S.W 1 . ;State. metal quarries yielded a. profit <ii JL'lBOl for six ruonths. . * * * Tho A.W.U., Queensland, at its recent conference, unanimously decided to spend, £100 por annum upon t.lic purchase of .jndu«tria,l litoraturo foi circulation, among its m.cnib'oi's.

» ■ ■• , # t At a confe-renre , in Halla'rat (Vic.)..of tlio. Ajiijilgainated Mijwj Kiuployees' Association ■ of/Victoria and Tasmania, atAyliieh the ■recent, wines' award was .discussed,, dissatisfaction was expressed at tho terms of Hie award, an.d .one s,pvak.(;r described tlie present conditions as "dajneablc slavery and damnable starvation.' .

* * # In giving, evidence. Ijeforo tlie N.S. Wales Wharf Stores Hoard,, a .witness stated that l<3 as ,t young married maai,: Ik> hvod comfortably and brought up a family, op. a Avago of £2 in. Now he was a head storoman, working (30 l.iours. a week, and oa.ni.iiis ;C2 Bs. 110 had two soiis living >yii.li him who helped him in t])e honie a,iul earned for themselves, aiul he .still found it dif-ficult-to make ends, u-n-L-i,..-' . Ilouscs wore very scarce, .ami lie had to pjiy l.Gs. a w-oek rent for a iious«< in a w<irkinpMiiin's suburb.. Food and clothing were particularly diar.

The owners of |>i;iinatioiiß in I'apua intend to import .iuyanen";. labor, owing to the insufficient, qiinniaty of native labor od'oriug.

Mr. Beehy, tl,f N.S.W. Minister of Public Works, has, antKmuwd tihat hjis Ciovftniuic'iit, having foiiiicl.tliat.it could jiot construct')H:n^ii,;»ry.railways, under the preset <:on<litions of tlw? labor market, .Las. decided: to--iiUjHwt. 2090 English uavvius mvi bridge <;wpe,iiber;«.

Fifteen thousand carpenters at Chicago have voted to st.jil-:t' on April 1 unless nn increase ol' wag--:- \>o granted in the meantime.

A profit of from £\n\\{) t<. > £2000 a yoar was ■aliened at the Conciliation Court last w< , ck to lip made out of a iiirnituro ir> Chrislchuroli ouit j)lo,viiiL'; only V 2 jouMioynu-n. Tlio cmp'oyr'rs' n v ])rrspiii.iit!V<'s ,sc<iHVd at tlirt idea, and said that it uould moan a prolit pi.T man of <jv<'i- £3 por werk, whereas the. average )>n.-i'it jut day was Is. per man.; Tlw; L'imoji'm rt'picseii-t-ativo porsistoil in lils staloinont, and }?n,vc the Connnissinncr tlio nflino. of the iirn/, slating that Mr. hiid power to so through the btiuks to verify the statement. The (.'omniisMoner was sceptie.al, but jn'omiKcf! to p;o tJirougli tlie books, remarking thai if the profits were so groat ;<.« ivi in alleged, )ie would embark in the furniture trade himself.

The furniture makers' dispute came before the CoiK-ilia l-ion Court in Oliristchurc-h last week, li was agreed that.tho should be ts.-4.Jd. per hour, a week's work to be 1-1 hours. The Union asked that improvers should l>o abolished, but ail-er discission it was derided that improvers should be allowed for one year after the apprenticeship term ended, the w.-iges to be Is. ljd. for the first six months and Is. 3d. for the second six months.

The trouble with the Bluff watorsidei'M has settled, an agreement bearrived at on the basis of the Duivoditt award, divine increased wanes.

At tho annual meeting of xho "Wellington Trades aiwl Labor C-puneil, the foliowing ofuco.it) were tileeted for the o.nailing year:—President, ]\fr. M. J. 110.-mlon ; vice-jircsident, Air. P. L. Muir; secretary (re-clectcd.), JTr. F. Jtoylinij;; treasurer, Mr. F. D. Cornwell; trustees, Messrs. W. W'aterworth and M. J. H<';:idon; auditor, Mr. M. Ford; m.'inn.gement coirnnilteo, Massrs. W. c. Noot, W. Naiighton, D. Donovan, "W. Cooper and. J. Qtiiun ; minute secretary, Air. 11. Thoinppoii; librarian, Mr. P. L. Muir. Messrs. Ke-ardon, Nuup;hton, Muir, and l>. McLaren were appointed di to tho annual conference, which is to be opened in Wellington on April C The balanceshe.p.b of tho Labor Hay picnic was adopted. It sl;ow(<l a balance of £108 18s. 7d.