LABOUR MATTERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 34

LABOUR MATTERS.

AUSTRALIAN METHODS. (Frox Oub Own Cobrespondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 9. Mr P. F. Darcy, secretary of the re-cently-formed New Zealand Shearers and Other Pastoral Workers' Union, has just returned from a visit to Sydney, whither he went to ascertain the methods- of ad- . ministration adopted by the Australian. Workers' Union. The officers of that body placed before him the information he required, and in addition offered financial and moral a. K «istajice in furthering the objects of the New Zealand Union. If necessary, they uill ateo send officers over to , New Zealand to help the union. ' At present, Mr Daicy told a Press reporter, it is not intended to have the New , Zealand Union connected or affiliated to , the Australian Workers' Union, but idti- ; mately it is hoped to have it recognised as '• a branch of the Australian Workers' ! Union. If this is given effect to membership of one of the unions will carry witli iit membership of the other. Tlie I tialian Union, which has jurisdiction over , the whole of the Commonwealth, has a i membership of 44,C00, and its official organ (the Worker) has a circulation of about 60,000 weekly. The Worker is regarded as a necees&ry part of the union's organisation. The Labour bodies in Austialia are as much political in their nature as industrial, and have been more success- . ful in the field of politics than in their i industrial objects. They have now evi- | dently determined to pay more attention. Ito industrial matters. The Labour party 1 in the New South Wales Parliament is. | pledged to tlie Australian Workers' I Union, but it maintains a separate existence in Parliament, and it is evidently intended to continue that policy. The* New South Wales Arbitration Act is, Mr Darcy slated, working very successfully. , In its earlier stages strong objection was ' taken to the act by the Sydney Labour ' Council owing to preference to unionists • not being included in its provisions, but finding that statutory preference could jot ■ ! be got the council! "decided to make the j br>^ of 'mattci-s. Sixty-three trades in f.ydney — practically all the organised trad-ee-— have taken advantage of the act since it tame -into operation, about 18 months ago. In only three cases was the i aid of the Arbitration Court noeded. In the others the awards of the Wagea Boards (which are somewhat similar in. constitution to the New Zealand Conciliation Councils) was a€ce2>red by both sides. In New fcsoutn Wales there are no industrial di.-triets. the State constituting one indusir.-ial district, consequently an award made in respect to any trade m Sydney operates in the same trade throughout the State. The Shcirers" Union is the only one that is working under an award of tho Federal Arbitration Court which j operate.-: throughout the Commonwealth. '1 he bootmakers are now bef<rre the Federal Court asking' for an award for the whole Commonwealth. Generally Mr Darcy found that everything in New South 'Wales had the ap-j-?arance of prosperity. To the casual'observer it might appear that there was a> ' great deal of unemployment, but from i inquiries he made at the various unions* j offices he learned that trade was brifik, c-pecia'ly v o in the building trade. Ths* wa? no doubt due to the good seasons experienced during recent years. The pre<~rnt season stood out as the beet of all. ' He visited several country districts, and* went as far as Forbes, raid the pastoralists ' were his authority for the statement that the. present seaf-on was the le«t they had ever e:rperiencod.

Residents of Taihape, a town on the Main Trunk railway, and right in the heart of the bush, find it cheaper to us* coal than wood for fuel, though the coal has to be hauled bj rail 200 miles.

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