Trades and the Workers

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 404, 12 July 1928, Page 11

Trades and the Workers

By

“ARBITER"

UNION MEETING DATES

Thursday, July 12 (To-night) .. . Friday, July 13 Saturday, July 14 Monday, July 16 Monday. July 16 Wednesday, July 18 New Agreement The Auckland Gas Company’s Clerical Union, after protracted negotiations with the company, has signed an agreement under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act for two years. The new agreement is substantially on the lines of that operating previously. This is one of the few clerical unions, in this city, such organisations being the exception rather than the rule in professions of this nature. * * * Prosperous Hawke’s Bay Approximately 60 men are employed on the new Auckland Railway Station site, and it is anticipated that about 200 will be working there shortly. It is an interesting aside that labourers who are on local body relief work in Hawke’s Bay are, according to Mr. J. Sutherland, of Auckland, receiving union rates of pay. Sunny and prosperous Napier! No such luck in Auckland. Three Kings Industrialists in Auckland are wondering when some action on the part of the Government is going to show up in respect of the labour laws revision. Reference was made in the Speech from the Throne to the Government’s intention to set right the anomalies revealed at the recent conference, and as the session is to be short and sharp, there is no time like the present for getting busy. Particularly is it expected that something will be done to execute tho three unanimous decisions of the conference —the revision of the Workers’ Compensation law, the tightening of the Immigration law, and the provision of some precaution against recurring acute unemployment. Up to Normal As a result of his visit to Napier to represent the case for the Hawke’s Bay General Labourers, Mr. J. Sutherland, of Auckland, gives the encouraging report that he was instrumental in bringing the wage of the labourer in the Bay province from Is lOd up to 2s Id. This is on a parity with the best labourers’ conditions in the Dominion, and it is good to see Mr. Sutherland’s fight attended with such splendid results. The new award for the Hawke’s Bay men will run for two years from July 20. * * * Mr. Jordan’s Trip It is good to hear of Mr. W. J. Jordan’s prospective trip to Canada to represent this Dominion at the Empire Parliamentary Conference. It is hard luck that he should have to leave his electorate with an election so close, but he has wisely placed the choice upon the voice of his constituents. Mr. Jordan is one of the most popular members in Parliament, and in the execution of his duties of office, as well as the fulfilment of his social obligations, and his courtesy to members of the Press gallery, he is marked as one of those politicians who, even in stress, never forget to be gentlemen. He should learn much for his party and for New Zealand from his trip abroad. Too Advanced! That the time has arrived when county roadmen should be given a half-holiday on full pay, so as to make them happy and contented and check the flock to the towns, was the opinion expressed by Cr. P. Pedersen (Tailiape) at a recent meeting of the Rangitikei County Council. He received little support, however, although he pointed out that a Southern council had taken this step, and even his motion that the men get a half day a month could not raise a seconder. “It may cost us £ 250 a year,” he said, “but the money would be well spent. There is no shadow of doubt that the roadman would be happier and more content if he had a half-holiday on full pay. Who wouldn’t? This idea, however, is about 25 years too advanced for most of our count:/ councillors.

Farm Workers The English Liberal Party, believing that insufficient provision is made for the agricultural labourer who seeks to buy and stock his own small farm, has intimated its intention to introduce a measure to secure that a short credit system shall be available for tho agricultural labourer who is in a position to take a piece of land and start for himself. If the English farmers are of similar temperament to the New Zealand settler, the Party will not get far with its Bill. Pulling Wages Down The wages crisis in the cotton industry in England has entered on a serious phase now that the General Committee of the Federation of Master Cotton Spinners’ Associations has decided to take a ballot of its members on the question of seeking a reduction of wages, and, if necessary, closing the

• .. •. Plumbers’ Educational . .. Brickworkers Fellmongers . .. .. Hairdressers .. Furniture Trades Plasterers mill's to enforce the demand. The reduction which the committee proposes to apply for is one of 25 per cent, on the standard piece price lists (equivalent roughly to 12i per cent, on wages). * * * Question of Right Tho right of the individual to work after a certain hour was discussed in the Arbitration Court at Melbourne recently. The Melbourne branch of the Waterside Workers had decided that on and after Monday, June 4, members of the union who have been working during the day would not come back to work for half-nights while other members were available. The secretary of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Association, Mr. H. Adams, complained that the decision of the waterside workers constituted direct action, and was a deliberate flouting of the court. Judge Beeby said, however, that by an interim award any attempt to enforce a system of distributing work collectively would be a breach of the award. Individual men had the right to refuse work at 5 p.m.

Cases of Relief Two unsatisfactory cases of men on relief work were brought before “Arbiter” during the week, and the names and addresses left if required. One was that of a man 26 years of age, who got a job at 9s a day tree planting at Riverhead, through the Forestry Department. He went up on Thursday with several others, but found that the conditions were heavy—swamp, scrub and hills —so lie returned with four others. Two of those whom he went up with stayed on the job. The Labour Bureau told him to go to the Forestry Department but they would not issue another job ticket on the grounds that if a job is turned down, no other can be given, The man is single and has his mother and her three younger children to look after. He has been out of regular employment for six months. The other man, aged 21, served three months at Mercer under the relief scheme. For two weeks he received 12 shillings a day as expected and was then put on contract at 8s 4d a day for the same work. The contract has just expired and he went to the bureau for another job. He was told there was a vacancy at Ohura, near Taumarunui, but he thought it would not be economical to go considering the heavy expenses which would be taken from his wages. He expressed his willingness to wait several days for a position nearer Auckland, but was told if he did not like the offer, he could look around for a job. These cases depend largely upon just how far a man is prepared to go to work for his family. In the case of the younger, it was quite unfair to reduce the rate —the man was either worth 12s or not worth a job. But at the same time the State has a point of view, and the work has to be done.

Island of Industry A ranch in Texas that contained a million acres used to be cited as the superlative example of extensive landed proprietorship. It is far exceeded by the case of Anticosti Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Anticosti, the private property of the newly organised Anticosti Corporation of Canada, contains 3.300 square miles, or more than 2,000,000 acres. It :Ls larger than the whole Province of Prince Edward Island. Anticosti is described as a sportsman’s paradise where sportsmen cannot go;* a tourists’ heaven where tourists cannot tour. For under the ownership of the Holt-Gundy interests the uses of Anticosti have been turned along the paths of heard-headed industry. Anticosti, long the playground of a French millionaire, is now the hajid-maiden of the - St. Maurice Valley Corporation, the Wayagamach Pulp and Paper Company, the Port Alfred Paper Company, and other HoltGundy industries. For the most part its job is to supply pulpwood to make newsprint paper for United States newspapers. # At a Disadvantage The brickworkers are to meet tomorrow evening to discuss the report of a committee on their proposals for a new award. The xisting award has been in force for three years—an unusually long term for a straight-out award —and during the greater part of that time the workers have been suffering the disadvantage of Id an hour less than the wage enjoyed by other trades. Shortly after their award was issued, the Court raised all trades union wages by Id an hour, but the brickworkers, having signed their agreement were obliged to carry on without the increase. This Id probably will be made up when the conditions are reviewed shortly. __