Trades and the Workers

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 482, 11 October 1928, Page 7

Trades and the Workers

By

“ARBITER"

UNION MEETING DATES Thursday, October 11 (To-night) Boilermakers Thursday, October 11 (To-night) Plumbers’ Educational Friday, October 12 .. Brickworkers Friday, October 12 Curriers Saturday, October 13 .Fellmongers’ Committee Monday, October 15 Hairdressers Monday, October 15 Butchers Monday, October 15 Furniture Trades Wednesday, October 17 Plasterers Wednesday, October 17 Carpenters

It'is announced from Wellington that the fighting fund of the Labour Party lias reached £2,504. Of this amount over £250 was collected in a week. The list of subscribing unions and individuals is published in the official organ of the party. One or two jobs have loomed on the horizon for furniture workers, but they are too far off to make any difference to the situation immediately. It depends who gets the contract for the Waitomo Hostel as to whether the workers at this end are affected. Two new theatres are contemplated—one at Civic Square and the other at Ponsonby. Neither have started yet, and as the furniture workers are pretty well the last in the building, this work is some time away. Painters Improving Painters are in a little better position than last week, the number on the books having been reduced by half. There are now 16 registered at, the union as being out of work. At this time of the year it is usual for every available man to be in work, for most of the renovation \vork is going at this time, and there is generally a fair number of houses going up. This is not the case this year, however, as very small rations of work have been given the men on the waiting list. Freezing- Prospects About the first week in November will see the freezing works begin their operations, and it is anticipated that by Christmas time, about 700 men will be absorbed from this industrial district of freezing workers. This will be the peak period, which continues till about Alarch, and then the decline commences, reaching rock bottom about the middle of the year, when the works close down for the offseason. Australian Visitor The Hon. S. Hickey, a member of the Upper House in New South Wales, who has been through Auckland talking on the licensing question from the workers’ viewpoint, left here on Monday evening for the King Country. After he has spoken there, he will go over to the East Coast, and then cross to the West Coast to finish off his tour. Air. Hickey was Speaker in the New South Wales House during the Labour regime, and was a member of Parliament in this party’s interests for 11 years. Incidentally Air. Hickey voted for the abolition of the Legislative Council after he was elevated to a seat in that House. He leaves New Zealand at the end of the month. Wage Reduction Sought Some of the employers are getting hard. The Poverty Bay Alaster Butchers’ have cited the Auckland Butchers’ Union as a party to an industrial dispute, the bosses claiming a reduction in wages. They are ambitious, and seek a general reduction amounting to something like 5s all round, though in one instance the reduction asked for reaches 7s Cd weeklj'. The dispute will be heard in conciliation at Gisborne on Thursday of next week, October 18. Incidentally the men are quite optimistic about the prospect of retaining their

present standard. Whatever is done, it would be a drastic move to drag down the wages of butchers at the moment. Migrant Farmers We have with us at the moment an emissary from Britain who suggests the settlement of something like 31,000 miners in agricultural pursuits in this country and among the colonies. It is doubtful whether he will get away with any scheme of migration in New Zealand unless it is thoroughly sound fundamentally, however, because even Reform candidates on the hustings are fighting their campaign upon the “no more immigration” issue. They can see where the blunders of the past have been made, and while they admit that there ever will be a slight surplus of labour in order to establish adequate progress, they realise also that migration on any scale just now rfiight create serious difficulties. If our owri people would go on the land, it would be better to experiment with them instead Of getting miners from the Old Country. It is doubtful, however, if a move in this direction would be successful. Certain it is that much of the money which is now being handed to local authorities as a gift for relief work could be better used—and should be used—in breaking in some of the land which the authorities say can be settled. We cannot build a scheme in a night, but we at least can start a scheme on the right lines. Futile Methods Further evidence of the collossal futility of prolongation of the watersiders’ strike comes daily from Australia. The methods of the strikers in dealing with the situation are anything but commendable, and probably will inflict incalculable harm to the Labour movement when sensible people are asked to vote at the elections in November. Anyone with a sense of the worker’s right will support him in reasopable methods for securing a continuance of his conditions,. but the bombing tactics of the Adelaide men has nothing to commend it to anyone with wavering political tendencies. Not content with starving their own women and children with pigheaded and ignorant refusal to work or negotiate, they are using explosives for the physical destruction of the women and children of those who are willing to carry on the shipping and commercial industries. The Australian watersiders have overstepped the mark this time, and, as usual, their lack of complete organisation has let them down from attaining their objective by decent procedure. Had they been completely organised, there might have been a different tale to tell. * * * Prospect of Timber Another sawmill has closed in the south, and a large number of men has been thrown out of work, and many families forced to poverty. The timber industry will not be appreciably improved until the grading system, which was instituted some time ago by the Government, is given a fair try-out universally. It is hopeless to tinker with the thing. The Government made a genuine endeavour to assist the industry, but it omitted the

vital factor in not making the grading scheme compulsory. The good faith of the millers is all right only up to a point. For the effective operation of the scheme the local bodies must be called upon to do their part, and assist in the use of local woods. The present catch-as-catch-can method Will not go far to place New Zealand timber back on its feet. If this were adopted, so long as the price of our timber remained reasonable —and there is nothing to prevent this if it were being used extensively—many hundreds of men would be employed, and many thousands of pounds profitably circulated. * 9 9 Auckland Imposed Upon It was reported this week that unemployment in Auckland is worse than was the case during mid-winter, official figures being quoted to substantiate this assertion. Whether or not this is the case in actual experience, it is obvious that the position remains acute. “Arbiter” considers it well past time when Auckland should cry out loudly and insistently against the weight of its burden in carrying the unemployed lrom other centres, and from the country districts. This city has done more than any other place in the Dominion —rightly so, of course, on account of its population—and proportionately its record of relief is greater than other districts. The city has been shockingly imposed upon—largely through the failure of local bodies to meet their obligations to their own unemployed — and it is time an organised move was made to see that some of the smaller places come to light with some tangible effort. Auckland has been the scapegoat up to now. This reminds one that Christchurcn people have not been so anxious this year to assist their unemployed. it was reported recently that the income of the unemployment fund there was well down. The chairman said that unless subscriptions came in more freely there would be no chance of increasing the number of men on relief works. At this time last year the committee had been about £3,000 better ofl: than it was at present. Socialist Views Change The outlook of the European Socialist is changing and, according to a Home paper, becoming more responsible. This journal, in its comment upon the congress of the Labour and Socialist International at Brussels in August, says: “The congress was chiefly notable for its revelation of the way in which, in almost every department of policy. European Socialists aro coming to put their trust in the League of Nations, and are finding in it the means for the realisation of their desires for international peace. This involves a change in outlook, an increasing tendency for policy to become more practical and (now that Socialist participation in Governments is more common) more responsible. On the great issues of disarmament, the control in the public interest of monopolies, and the protection of the native races the Congress gave an important lead which progressive opinion everywhere will welcome.