The Labour World.

Southland Times, Issue 18828, 22 May 1920, Page 10

The Labour World.

(Conducted by D. Scot (J. Washing and Workers. —The cause of lit of our labour troubles in the past ha been the fact that the employers hat e show >.Kliflorenoo to the wants of the worker; t ml it has only been through the effort ( t the unions that reforms have been etTer led. It lias been stated by employers lira it was not much use in putting in facilitie !or washing, etc., as the men did not tak advantage of thorn. Therefore, when on trip to the West Coast, I was rather struc! with the manner the miners at the Star mine took advantage of the splendid bat! house provided by the Department. I.eav tag Grey mouth by an early train, we stop ped at Runanga, where a large number o lie miners live. :• good number of met ,toning on the train. There was anothc ! top at Dunrdlie, and. then on to Urwanui ■vheve ihe State mines are located. Th - ine from Dunollie to Rewnnui is througi •very rough country, necessitating the use o i centre re.il. The miners, on getting of ho train, enter a larg- bui! ling titled m with li;ek--rs. and what is more importan m wet we it her. long rods attached P> rope and pulleys on which I lie men hang Unci clothes, the building F-ing limited wiri ; team. I'n. coming oui ct the mine atte Their day's work they find. tP.-ir elmhe.- dram! w urn, Du the completion of then work the men. who go in pairs niter ; small ••uiucle in I hr- bath house where ther< is a plentiful simply of hot and cold water They' bath and’ champ' rln-ir elnihes. On whole operation taking about twenty nun utc-g and to ' those men getting off tin train after th. -ir day's work, clean am tidy, .-peaks volumes for the manner it which tine department has tried to help tin men. Speaking to the manager as to how the men appreciated "he fm-iliries provid--.! he .-.udi th'.-.r the nil.-- .nmereing th-' bath Rouse wera n.-.vr omk- m me! ,hj::» they intended to enlarge the Fnlum-r. Tn-'^ Cl.-e but go WP ; eFani at '-T ami m mg that mmki" m k-; ' . mm: and ' -dy. p mi 'p t> '-o- m a ,m _ v.a ml. tout t ••'.!•. a: -a inn I in- f wmrv any l.mr- than i- I, V o op, i-ii. ;p- ■ ■ p being "!-■■ ’mil tive wo-o | ,o p-l-y in e • i" vi •, g mi the of A ■ ; p dm -A X, w A m. !.m-l-mi. of m - ■ s’A - -v-r Amndcd : in-.-- l-e ■ m , V ; 'V k a; 1 A- i.-ph A.-AmU'-s' the A.m- . ■ i, : - - i km ioe. i a ntrV.ke* f,. •; : a - a : I h- ■■ e -•■■ ho wan! a : , - y . hj, io. Tim Um i nr; id.. r c : y -"'Vo -1 !; ■ c- mo-:! ; ■. ,G--ocm-cAke pmums-i p; 'l -ocmi Imire! m' p. ,i y. and m ' hj ' vpp-y ;-;d v.iifnl .-dfrisp. I :.e .-iai a >n I ■ - i i v.-e ilthy men r-SPee;i moi -i'-dpa.- ! ..die.-' who ; - : .,y m.!.' ir. m-.-i-r ;i-iamiaby The A .--a i " mm it is tap. a cf arnrs: bur m- wh-d-- of ;hd- ,rre-i-im; work is .'.'pi-pf pep upon volm-mry ■’ b-m-ip-tio;:-. Tim rum- b -S poms fm- -1 ft’ms r r-*- , - a:: ~f ■; > W.E.A. Tim (!■ ■ vf‘rii"i:"ir, tit-- I hmesekp-e. id- !‘r -a and t.-any r"pi--s,o■ - p ;p, :p. - r : h.-ir sea! upon i;m w-rk .1 i hj“ A--peiat ion, and he:i'-a;Vi-war 1 rde-im m ir tr-.u* :I vddi the iimpe t a i ;i, F.-k si real, will gbs- ai l parTha Aims cf tho W.E.A.- -Th" A-sm-ia-tie,p. d-fiuir -lv tuis-eetarian, nmi-’ ohri-al. end d- The W.K.A. aims at ;-.vo tiding.-: 1 1 1 T. in training an charmed y.-r.i-v. on! i 2 to .-rand for tin- bigh-e-r ideal-- »! .hum mi-1.-i in ‘-due;! lon. Its id- Is art- v. di ! in th" words of it.r, -mru! -P-m.irv, Mr G. M. Maet.id-b: ‘hiass. under ih<« existing .-tale of society, tm- poii'riry : r:‘ w ;g"-earnars. c: neat’;, n i.sis! give :h."n -, knowledge mid imd-T----standing of rhp- s-'.-i .1 and eronomic forces Tam mould and mar their lie 's. Only throug’n a fuller knowledge and a clearer vuderstuniliiig of ihes- ; . can die worker att tin. to eronomic and social ir--’il"i:i. Further. since the experiences of the ptr-T ages ary embodied in bi-tor.-. .-cten"->. art, p.nd lito-r:r’ire-. eductitc-’i nu:-: r.p■;p the work-ing-alas.s t- .-hare in it- ,-mia! iiei'O Pgp, I h;.-edcuc-atimid id- al must provide f..- - peopte who ;. r e iTltco-nr. in natiotiu! c..pp'.-t;rion, sfrrng in. titirio-ia! ildh-ima. yet free in thought, syer-ee, action, and g .v.-nripur. havp.ig udtitu : ve. i'ltdii.g nae. .---if-rrlitiiice, t-di'oit-cipiiuc. i sp-rii-g oth'-.-s a- ;h<-y respect. iln-insdv-'s." Can tire workers in an m.!u.-!ry turn our mor ; - vairi: atn; ixitcr if tlmy control that industry will aa-w.-r-.i p-, tii.- near future if die Guild -v.-rem is adopted. Below A BUILDING GUILD. The s.-hf-me may tie i;-s-c.-tbed bfii-tly as the forniarimi r--pp of rl>.-- m-ttp-’e.-s of the Operative Bri'-k!ay.--r.-' Society of a Building Guild (.mru in it tee. This eoiniuii ice. with the Consent, and aj proval of th-' local branches of the Bricklayers’ Society, has already niade a tentative offer to the Manchester City Council to build k’OOl) artisan houses or workers’ dweiling-. The bricklayers, in 00-operation vrdh other organi-e.d workers in the building industry, claim that they can build fjmeker and better under conditions fr-'e from prmiracrieg, and that under th'-ir own democratic control they will work in an atmosphere of goodwill anti -an" tiiscipli',:- that will indue- com! and speedy workman.-hip. CONSTiTFTb )N OF t .1 did >. 'While tlm immediatr purpose is to build hou-es and ;-o relieve the present, congestion, the ultimate aim is n National Building G-n’d. 1 c,e {■'■'■ -ent intentiou -s to cuntoe mem;ags-p.p m the Guild Committee m the -i:pl!.-i number con.-i,-tp’nr with repre- ■mmmn upon i: of ail the trades concern'd. ‘•’rohuiJ.y ten or a dozen for Man-cna-mr wuiiM suftice. As (he movement, exr-nds to «th'*r towns and did riots iimilnr m:'ii:i:.|,p would be formed, but. ii, is la ; linked up wit!: the parent, body, and ad-id.-b-iration carmnon to all being desirsiif not n;ce---pry. (in this committee, in addition to the trc.de representatives, would ,-i: o:p> representative from the administration and one from the technical, architectural, and survey. A National Guild, of course, would com] rise every function, manual and imra-manual, and it is sought to make the Budding Guild Committee a iiCr.mviii of the n vtinuul organisation. In rcgpid to the technical services, steps have fir.-udy been taken to secure the best talent. No -ori’ractor coul-i obtain better men than those u<ready uppronched by the Guild

POINTS OF THE NATIONAL SCHEME. The main points of the scheme for n National Guild may be briefly summarised: — (1) All plant and material and other tangible property shall be vested in three trustees. (2) After two yours, if the building industry as a whole shall decide to form a National Guild, but provided such National Guild shall include all and every grade in the industry, the trustees shall transfer ail property vested in them to the properly-eon-'.iiurod Guild authority. All disputes shall be referred to the chairman for the time being of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress, or his nominee. and the Minister of Labour, or his nominee. But why, it may be asked, drag in the Minister of Labour? The answer is that the State is directly interested. It is sound Guild doctrine that the State shall own all material and assets, holding them in trust both for the community and the guilds. The peculiar propirty of (he National Guild is the organised monopoly of its own labour-power. Property is rightly vested in the State, control with the guilds. This is the fundamental difference between the National Guildsmen and the Syndicalists. (.’s l If after two years a National Building Guild shall bo constructed, the Building Guild Committee shall transfer to it all existing contracts, and cither be dissolved rr absorbed into the national organisation.