LABOUR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2272, 27 October 1891, Page 4

LABOUR.

London, Oct. 22. Mr John Burns, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, referring to the defeat of Sir Henry Parkes’ Government in New South Wales, says that it emphasies the determination of the workers as a class to use the State-for their own interests, and that it is certain to exercise a healthy influence in the treatment of the Bight Hours question by English statesmen. Owing to several consignments of goods for Australia being blocked, the riverside strikers are enthusiastic and have determined to continue the strike. Mr Burns, in his letter to the Daily Telegraph, urges the unionists to cease sulking, as it tends to defeat trade unionism, and to transfer the eight hours question to the field in which they can vastly outnumber their enemies and capture the political machine. Berlin, Oct. 24. The printers throughout Germany have decided to go out on strike in a fortnight unless their demand-for nine hours’ a day is conceded. : The agitation is spreading to Austria. Sydney, Oct. 23. The Trades Council - have adopted the suggestion of the Labor Electoral League recommending that the Government be urged to appoint labor representatives to the Legislative Council. Wellington, Oct. 23. Sir R. Stout writes to the Times a column letter dealing with the bootmakers dispute. He regrets that the Labor Conciliation Bill was not passed last session, as the present difficulty shows the necessity for something being done, unless we are to have the evils of sweating tempered with occasional strikes. After quoting various clauses in the statement agreed to r at the .February conference, he declares that the employers were in honor, bound not to attempt to have it varied until January 1893, unless employes at another conference consented. Under the conference statement there, were nine general conditions ; there are 14 now, and dll the new conditions added are against the men, and their prices are reduced almost; all round. He trusts the employers will reconsider the statement, a id points out that the colony has made them large concessiops,. and , they have ft high protective duty in favor of then 1 manufactures. If the establishment of industries in this colony is going to lead t) sweating and reducing wages to the pittance that this latter statement will do, he for one thought it would be better to have no boot manufactories here at all. He declares the agreement made in all faith has been thrown aside by the employers, and, while disbelieving in strikes says, “ If 'ever a strike was justified, a strike would be Justified by the bootmakers union.” He urges that the public should have a say in the matter, and adds that’by introducing a variable wage the manufacturers have made one of the factors by which they could calculate their profits less stable, and that in the end it w 11 injure them. Oct. 24. Mr Hannah, Secretary to the New Zealand Boot Manufactures’ Association, replies to Sir Robert Stout, contending that the Federated Bootmakers’ Union, having allowed members to work for the Auckland manufacturers under the local statement, so very much below the “ universal statement,” the manufacturers of .Wellington and the South had no chance of competing against Auckland. As to the aid given to manufacturers by the high protective duty, he says he was not aware the manufacturers ever asked for protection, spd challenges Sir R. Stout to name half a dozen successful boot manufacturers . in New Zealand. He Ilia I

colony has made the same progress as boot manufacturing, none has been so unremunerative or turned out so disastrously to those engaged in it. Yet iu every case the men were paid their wages. The only sweating he knows, is practised by the men after leaving their work at the factories, a “ sweating in their own, houses and thereby depriving small masters of an honest living-” If a strike results the manufacturers will ignore being the cause of it, as the Federated Union accepted the Auckland statement without consulting the southern manufacturers, contrary to the rules and conditions of agreement, whereas at the time of drawing up the universal statement, it was distinctly understood that the Auck-land-manufacturers would be compelled to work-under, it, or it should cease to be binding on the, rest. He concludes that the statement about to be presented by the Boot Manufacturers’ Association is 12f per cent, above that accepted by the Federated. Union in Auckland.