INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17687, 26 July 1919, Page 14

INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

Bi TJM Hew. J. T. Paul, M.L.C.

J NEWS AND NOTES.

THE "HABTMOAP" BUREAU. ki the struggle for eristeDco the physicallv unfit labour is under & continuous disadvantage. It 13 one of tho saddest experiences in We to realise how difficult itisto ,~aoe such workers in anything- like a secure and settled occupation. Government ©mploy is usually out of the question, and a private employer finds difficulty in placing disabled men. An attempt is now being msde m America to help this unfortunate class. It® United States Employment Service has evened a branch that is commonly a ? ♦ handicap bureau," whose work is to, fand jobs fo deaf people, blind people, people who are lame and halt, people who old and broken down. It was found in Onicago, where a number of philanthropic men had studied, the matter, that most of the cnscards in the labour market had been rejected beconse of a single fact-fthej had passed middle life. American industry Kryj made up its mind that it preferred to erap'oy strenuous youth. The rejection of a man or woman with grey hair was automatic wnen any vacancies were being filled. Mr Victor T. J. Gannon, of Chicago, who has been given charge of the "handicap bureau, argued that a man of 60 had acquired knowledge and skill with his years, and that he was likely to be of special value somewhere, if the proper nicho for him could be discovered. The elderly employee, ' he urged, -tras terribly in earnest, and "free from the diverting 1 interests of youth." It took two years to convert Chicago to the idea, Mr Gannon's work extended to men who bad been orippled and injured. - A blind person, he pointed out, had more sensitive fingers than those —who could see; a deaf man could work amidst clamour without the shghtest confusion. And so the movement on behalf of the "handicaps" extended until it has now been placed on a national basis. CO-OPERATION AND STRIKES. A correspondent (" J. 8.") writes me condemning strikes and favouring co-operation as; a remedy for economic ills. I am compelled to summarise my correspondent's letter cm account of its length. After a reference to the maritime strike of 1890 and its results, ho contends that the unions should use their savings and not waste therm on ( strikes. "They should," says "J. 8.," "fight the capitalist with his own weapons— save their money, buy land, grow food, and have their own ships, all of which is legitimate and possible; but unions would have to'fight hard to attain success. At the same time they should work politically, and if they proved successful in tie first part—i.e., co-operation—they were instructing themselves for a share in the government of the country and entitling themselves by ; proof; of capability to take their share, even to be the Ministers of the Crown. Well, they have not done so; even worse, for every effort towards co-operation here has failed, and as they have shown they aro not fit to 'run the cotftitry.' Those who are doing {hat now have their faults and failings, big ones too; but as a doctor once eaid to me: 'Better the devil you know than the one you do not know.' So I wait the proof of ability by works done, as indicated above." "I have come to the conclusion," adds my correspondent, "that profiteering should be made a crime and punished accordingly, but-on the other hand strikes should also be a crime and treated accordingly. A striker practically says ho won't produce his (and for those depending on him) food, and so should work or starve. Why, the results from actions of strikers are often morally no better than our late enemies, the Germans." THE MUSTERS' HOUSING CONDITIONS. Speaking at a public meeting in Wellington last week, Mr R. Semple, M.P., who has worked as a miner in several of our coal mines, and was for some years miners' agent and check inspector, said:— " I want to reply to a statement made by Sir James Allen that he thought that for some reason or other the housing conditions at ths mines were exaggerated. As a representative of the Labour Party I am prepared to challenge Sir James Allen to go' with a representative of the Labour Party, and a member of the press, and a camera, into the minefields of this country; and further than that we are prepared to challenge Sir James Allen to take his coat off and go down into the mines where the

men work, and have a look at tliem. It is not fair to p;uss judgment upon men unless iind until you aro acquainted with tho circumstancessurrounding them We say to Sir Jantca Allen, wo do not "wish to exaggerate tho position one single inch. Wo are not anxious to interfere, or to cause antagonism or strife between the mining section of .the community and any other section. We ana particularly anxious tliat everyone should nave a lire for winter nights. At tho same time we aro anxious, too, that -the blame should be placed upon the sho&lders of thoso responsible for tho business."

I only spcalc with a limited firstband knowledge of the housing conditions on the mining fields. I know cases where families are living under conditions which aro everything they ought not to be. As regards the interior of son>9 of these houses they are insanitary and unhealthy, and the yards and general conveniences are deplorable. At the recent town-planning conference there was illustrated proof of this, and the recent Board of Trade report on tho mining industry is still further condemnatory proof of_ the present unsatisfactory housing conditions in the majority of our mining townships.

THE dOAL SUPPLY. The experiment of the Christchuxeh Uity Council as coal distributor is interesting, 'and I gather some facts from the Sun's Labour column, which is conducted by Or D. G. Sullivan. Cr Sullivan points out that one class of the council' 6 critics must be wrong, for this reason that whilst one side argues that the council is making a loss the other side alleges that the council is exploiting tho public Incidentally, Cr Sullivan says: "The people are really getting coal, which hundreds of them have not had for weeks and months, and for this they are most grateful. It is a fact too, despite statements to the contrary, that tJie coal which the council is bringing to the city is an extra supply. Men have been put on hewing coaJ at Reefton who have recently been following other occupations, and it is their work that is augmenting th« supply. In_ view of this, if the Government deprived the city of the results of its enterprise by taking from it an amount equivalent to that being imported by the City Council, _ it would be a high-handed and autocratic action that would only add to the Government's burden of 6in against the_ people and increase the intensity of their discontent against it. "If tho critics can find it in their hearts to withhold their oriticism until the first interim balance sheet is produced, they will bo given all the facts. Their impetuosity, however, bespeaks a desire to discredit the venture before it is properly launched—a fate, I suppose, that awaits every attempt to preserve the interests of the many at tho expense of the interested few. The ' people are being given coal: good coal and cheap coal, and the indications, are that the council will suffer no financial loss thereby. For this the council deserves, and is_ getting, the thanks of the people. Tho critics may as well make up .their minds to accept the position. "It is contended by the merchants that the council should make the same allowance for overhead charges as thoso set down by the private dealers. This would be a sound contention if the expenses which the charges represent were really being incurred, but if the expenses are not being incurred the contention is absurd. If a business man can devise cheaper and more economical methods than his competitors he does so, and if he gives the public the benefit of these economies who would deny his right to do so? If the council is fortunate enough to get the use of a siding free of cost and can eliminate unnecessary supervision and office expenses, it is on perfectly right ground in giving the advantage to its citizens whom it is trying to help m a very difficult position. That the council is making the effort is entirely to its credit."

I have received a copy of the first issue of the Democrat, a looal monthly journal of " Labour, Art, and Literature." It consists of 20 pages, and is printed on good paper. I understand the Democrat is the venture _of ja few enthusiasts who believe that it is impossible to over-estimate the effect of the modern press on the life of the modern man." They are men with ®'message, and in accord with their beliefs they have founded a press to spread th« message. The contents of the first number are diversified, and topics of current interest are dealt with. These include such questions as "The Trust Menace," "The Profiteers," "The Bank of New Zealand and tho Industrial Outlook." a short story, and several features which will doubtlosa become regular. Altogether the Democrat promises to be a live wire in monthly journalism.