LABOUR NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2526, 12 June 1909, Page 7

LABOUR NOTES.

{By Unionist.) Messrs T. O’Byrne and G. Alswieler, •will again represent the Soutlilahd Trades and Labor Council, at the forth‘coming annual conference of the New Zealand Councils. The Westland Council is sending Mr Jno. Jackson. The 'delegate for the local council will he Mr J. S. Hall. As a result of the Hon. J. T. Paul’s V- visit- to Auckland, on behalf of the —■v. Tailoresses’ Federation, ' the employees in the clothing 'industry of that city are now better organised than formerly. A new union of workers employedin the cutting and trimming departments has been formed, and the two other unions in the trade, Tailors’ and Tailoresses, .are giving consideration to the question of joining the proposed federation of all the unions in the trade 'in New Zealand. For paying less than the minimum wage •to three carpenters, a Sydney contractor was' recently fined in one case £SO, in default three months’’ imprisonment, and in the case of two other workmen he was fined ten (guineas each, with the alternative of one month’s imprisonment. In each case seven guineas costs were awarded—-'twenty-one guineas in all. Two of the carpenters were also fined 5s and 20s 'respectively, with the alternative of "twenty-four hours’ imprisonment, for accepting less than the minimum wage. A reduction of six hours in the working week has been secured by the Auckland Bakers’ Union. The old award provided for . a 54-hours’ 'week. The court on this occasion granted the demands of the union for a week’s work of 48 hours. This year the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners in Australasia will be choosing a delegate to represent the members on this side of the world at the General Council of Amalgamated Carpenters and Joiners at Homo. There are sixteen already ’nominated, ten from Australia and six from New Zealand. Holding a pro'minent place amtong New Zealand’s six is Mr Brown, the recently appointed •organising secretary of the Dunedin ’branch. Mr Brown has been appointed organising secretary for a term of ■tweilve months, and during that period he has to _ devote all his time to the work. It is considered that Mr Brtawn, 'so far as N°w Zealand is concerned, . will come pretty far up in thg running Jl for the position. In Dunedin,' where S ’his home is, lie is greatly respected for the broad, intelligent view" he takes of all matters both within and without the sphere of unionism. He has occupied the position of secretary of the Dunedin branch for the Hast five years. For four years he has been a member of the Management Committe, and lias represented his Union for the same period on the Trades and Labor Council. From a Labor point of view the political situation in both the Queensland ’and West Australian State Parliaments is of more than ordinary interest. In each State the Labor Party ‘is in direct opposition; in Queensland there is a Labor caucus of 23 mem!) ;rs in a House of 72, and in the otic State, Labor lias 21 representatives in a House of 50 members. The position at present is most acute in Queensland, where the defeat of Mr Kidsten is practically certain when the Assembly meets next month, if the suggested combination of disaffected parties is brought about. With the assistance of the Labor Party the Independent section of the House expects to outvote the Kidstcm-Philip Party, and assume the reins of office. Labor, while agreeing to support the section, ■refuses absolutely to accept any portfolio under the suggested arrangement. Included in the Independents are three ox-Ministcrs of the Kidston Cabinet previous to coalition time. They are 'Messrs Blair, Kerr, and Airey. In addition, since the House last met, several members who were former supporters of Mr Kidston have now .announced their political severance. The opening of Parliament is fixed for 15th June. In the West Australian Parliament/there are no independent members. Mr N. Keenan, member for Kalgoorlie, has resigned his portfolio as AttorneyGeneral for the State. The re-arrange-ment of portfolios will necessitate two by-elections, and Labor is out after r 'lioth seats. Mr Keenan resigned from Cabinet because of disapproval of certain proposed legislation by the Government during the coming session, but nothing is as yet available as to the suggested legislation or its bearing on the position of the Labor Party. The Rev. Charles Stelzle, of New York, in the course of an address delivered recently, made the following statement : “The American workman is the best-paid workman in the Avorld by three o,r four times as much as his brothers in other countries, but in proportion to what he produces he is the poorest paid man in the world. This statement I get not from Labor leaders, but from the United States Government, where it was studied out.” “From time to time one hears it said that the Labor movement lacks leaders. There was never a more mistaken notion. Leaders? The Labor movement has no use for such things.” —So writes a contributor to the Brisbane “Worker,” and in doing so refers not to the Labor movement in Australia, but to the Labor movement throughout the world. In giving reasons for the faith that is within him he expresses the opinion that “leaders., impose their wills upon the led. Their ideas are promulgated as principles of action. They invent politics, and bring them down from their various Sinais as commolndorients of heaven.” Those who take more than a passing interest in the Labor movement in New Zealalicl will recognise, how finely the position has been gauged. Here “leaders,” socalled, have become as. thick as grasshoppers, and as useful to the Labor movement as -a cloud of those, interesting insects would be to a farmer. 'The Labor movement,” the writer further . remarks, “has its own will, its own ideas, its own policy, inherent within it; not the expression of an individual, or of a few choice spirits, but the inevitable outcome of the social environment.” What then, do wo want, some may ask. fin the first place propagandists, next organisers, and next, workers, and chiefly workers. Look for a moment at the progress of Unionism. \ ''That has. not been, brought about through a. mere gramophoning of words and phrases, neither is-it the outcome of the blowing of beautiful soap bubbles. The .advance -of Unionism ca/nnot be prevented .any more than the advance of the tide; it is. the outcome of our social system, ft can, however, 1)0 strengthened bv workers, and so it is with every part of the Labor movement. It is not self constituted windy leaders that are to help it along, but whole-hearted', earnest, thinking workers. Every member of a Union will recognise the truth of this. We have many, it is true, or wo would not be so far advanced, but we want more; where there ’are two to-day there is room and work for a score. And what a work! No light fantastic filigree work, but the/heavy toil .that falls "non those who put in the foundations of our m.oderfti structures. , 1 to the ’'crgn-m

■.. ■ v v teen members of the Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Opera-, tives in Great Britain wore-permanent-ly disabled last year. The Association’s quarterly report says that this matter wild have to be firmly dealt with! “We are agreed on our members doing a reasonable amount of work,” says the report; “but when they are pushed to the extelnt that life amd limb are jeopardised, our duty is plain—we should cry ‘hold, enough.’ ” The question of dust in card-rooms arid its detrimental effect on the health of the workers (many of whom, though young, are totally incapacitated through lung complaints caused by the inhalation of dust), is receiving the special attenticfei of the Home Office. The American Government during the financial year ending June 30, 1908, made a profit of over £2,108,274 on the coinage of silver, nickels and one cent pieces.