Labor Matters

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 184, 3 February 1914, Page 5

Labor Matters

DUBLIN STRIKE ENDS. MEN RETURNING TO WORK. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright London, February 1 Two thousand builders' laborers ;i Dublin will resume work on Monday <;." the terms existing prior to September The union undertakes not to allo.v members to join the Transport Union nor support a sympathetic strike. POSITION' IN MELBOURNE. CASUALS WANTED. Melbourne, February i. Mr. Xortbcote. r.airman of the Commonwealth Steamship Federation, replying: lo Mr. Hughes-' criticism of bis reason for refusing tl..> demand-, for higher pay, said that.if Mr. Hughes' argument were sound 'it must apply not only to the shipowner but to every employer oi labor ■ throughout Australia. The pastoralists must, irrespective of season, provide a living wage for all those required at any time by them if they should have an extraordinary season. The master builder must do the same to meet the emergencies of a brisk building trade. Bootmakers, agricultural implement makers and every manufacturer must do likewise. Oertainly it was a new doctrine, and one which shipowners, with a knowledge of what it means to them in the first in.stance, and to the public of Australia, finally, are not prepared to accept. livery penny per hour increase grant'-d to wharf laborers means to the interState companies alone not less Giau £(io,ooO,per annum. THE FIGHTING FUND LEVY. Sydney, February 2. The Labor Conference rejected by three votes a resolution that all members of the Parliamentary Labor Party be requested -to give 10 per cent, per annum from their salaries to the tight- ' ing funds of the League. The conference carried a resolution | that at the next State election a vote i be taken on the nationalisation of the ! liquor traffic. j STATE PRICES URGED. \ i London, Februray 1. j At the Labor Conference, the Leeds ' delegates urged the Parliamentary Party I to report to the unions respecting Start regulation of the prices of commodities, j Mr. Ramsay ;MacDonald stated that the price of certain commodities was ■ fixed in Australia by the State. Irresolution was adopted. Lord Robert Cecil, commenting un j the building dispute, said that the masters had locked out th? men. yet lh? unemployment bene'fit was not allowel. The Government had no right to compel the men to pay for unemployment bene- ' fit when such a grave blot oil the ad- I ministration of the benefit existed. -

SOME FIERY :■;: HECHES. ] VISCOUNT GLADSTONE ATTACKED, j Received 2, 10.20 p.m. London, February 2. Mr. G. If. Roberta, M.P., speaking at , Oldham, emphasised the importance of not neglecting political means for trade ■ union action. He argued that if the workers left Parliament to the employerrand declared a general strike as was done in South Africa, some Botha in Britain would immediately declare martial law and assume control of the community. While sympliathising with South African workers, they constitutionally were not entitled to interfere with a self-governing dominion. It *- was lamentable that Botha, who so gallantly led troops in the cause of the workers, should now be destroying tin; citizens' liberty. Mr. W. J. M.P., at a building trade in Trafalgar . Square, said Gladstone in Jir!y made a blunder, bigger one, ami the greatest perpetrated nipon the liberties of Government dared they would prevent the deported workers being landed. A resolution demanding Viscount Gladstone's recall was unanimously carried. .SPEECH BY RAMSAY MACDONALD. THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOCIALISM.

Received 3, 12.40 a.m. London, February i. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, speaking at Glasgow, said the recent conference showed for the first time in the history of the Labor movement in Britain that they had now united the various sections of the party. What they wanted was to change the whole mental af- * of the nation toward* Socialism, that standpoint direct trade unionists' action. Unless big things •were ahead they must maintain the .civil liberty of the men engaged in in- ] dustrial disputes. Direct action was •nnable to do that, as was proved throughout the world in the past 12 ' months. The Labor movement must he i, f£r more careful in the future about ■ • getting themselves mixed up with unauthorised strikes than heretofore. Holden, the prospective National and Labor candidate for Accrington, .announced the formation of a National party with headquarters at Manchester The programme was to secure a less I minimum of 30s for all adult men and women in the provinces and 35s a week in London, 48 hours, also pay during holidays, sickness and unemployment, besides an old-age pension at 00. This was the only immediately practical proposal preventing strikes, and ajlaytng a&feL.. the profitem «■

VuiJXc SUKKEXDEUS. WJL. SERVE 'THREE MOM'ilS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Monday. The appeal by W. T. Young against liis conviction by .Mr. W. G. Riddel], S.M.. on a charge of inciting to resist t'no police, was dismissed by tlio Chief Justice, with costs.

Mr. Young, addressing a meeting in I lie Basin Reserve on October 20, said: ''lf a police constable uses his baton to yon, give him one back, and if one won't do make it a double header." Appellant's counsel contended there was no incitement, as no particular person Mag urged to resist. Tlio words meant only those unlawfully assaulted could retaliate.

His Hoiit held iin,| to construe tlio I statute as asked would be lo add words : limiting Ihe meaning 0 f ;,„.,>, ~„,, to say the:-.- enuld be no in.-'temeiit to resist an arrest or some other act by a eonsl-ble miles, (he arrest or -act were ju.-! abonf to (ake place. . He could not so cons! rue the statute. Regarding lb., ■.intention that retaliation to the unlawful as unit ilone was urged, the Chief Justice ...lid that in putting down riots force might be u>ed. There had been riots, and the police, were, it was said, to be called in to suppress such breaches of the peace. Tlie words were that if the police used batons they were to be assaulted. The appeal was made to men to interfere with the police in the execution of their duly, and they wore incited to do SO. Force was to be used, for appellant was to bring 111,001) to 10.00 armed men to assist the authorities in maintaining peace. The magistrate was justified in his finding. The conviction was affirmed. The effect of (be decision is that Young will have to undergo a sentence of three months' imprisonment. Wellington, Yesterday. Young has surrendered to the police, and has been taken to gaol to serve his sentence of three months, which dates from to-day. TIMBER. WORKERS' DISPUTE,. ]

BIG INCREASE ASKED FOR.

Auckland, Last Night.

j The Conciliation Council under the Presidency of Commissioner T. Harle j Giles, to-day considered an industrial ! dispute in which a good deal of inter■l est is being manifested. The parties hw-e the. Timber Workers' Union I (which has a membership of 1300) and j the sawmillers of the province, about 150 of whom were cited by the Union, j which in its demands asked for sub- - stantial increases in wages averaging 1 well over 2s per day and amounting in I some cases to 3s a. day for a 44-hour j week, and for preference to unionists. J The employers in counter-claims stip- : ulated for, if anything, a reduction in ! the rates prevailing in the present j award, for longer working hours than j at present prescribed, and strongly opI posed the proposal for preference. It j was eventually decided that before ncJ tually proceeding with the dispute iti self, the council should visit some of j the leading timber centres in the proj viuce and take evidence concerning local conditions.