LABOR NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2580, 14 August 1909, Page 2

LABOR NOTES.

• (By Unionist.) On account of so many disputes having been mutually, arranged before the respective Conciliation Councils, the members of the Arbitration "Court are practically unemployed, and the onlydates for August are:—-Wanganui, 17th; Palmerston. North, 19th; Napier, 23rd; Blenheim, 26th; and Wellington 30tli. ■ V : - ‘ ; ; _ A trades union brass band is in course of formation in Melbourne. The Trades Hall Council and the Political Labor Council have taken the matter in band, and the management will be composed of a committee consisting of three delegates from each of above bodies and three members of the band. The financial statement of the Sydney Labor Council for the half-year ended June 30 shows the receipts to be £6,092 2s 9(1. From the trust account of £5,826 19s scl sums to (falling £4,873 15s Gel had been, granted to Broken II miuers’ fund. As a.result of agitation, policemen in New South Wales have been granted a total of 28 days’ leave of absence annually. Tho men are now entitled to a day a month and sixteen days’ holiday at' tlie end of the year. 1 The Queensland Worker persistently accuses Mr Lesina, M.L.A., who, after liis recent visit to-New Zealand, reported adversely on tlie prohibition movement, of being the paid emissary of the Queensland Licensed Victuallers’ Association. # It Is estimated that the cost of Federal old-age pensions on tlie basis of the present Australian population, will bo about £1,800,(500 yearly. The sum of £130,000 was paid, out last year by the Amalgamated Society of Engineers as superannuation benefit, and since 1861 the (Society has expended no less than £2,044,395 on that one benefit to its old members past work. The old age pension scheme of tlie British Government now reduces the pension payable to superannuated engineers if they receiVe 10s per week from the Society. - _ In January, 1907, there were 53,806 Chinese engaged in the Transvaal mines. In December, 1908, there wore only 12,275. On the other baud, the whites increased from 17,8.74 in January, 1907, to 19,605 in December, 1903, and the natives from 129.618 in December, 1907, to 164,826 in December, 1908. It will be clearly seen that the change from Imperial to responsible Government lias been responsible for the expulsion of thd execrated Chinaman. Tho Chainmakers’ Association has decided to request the British Government to sanction the outworkers’ branch of the chain trade to be scheduled under the Wages Board Bill as a sweated industry, and to have minimum wages fixed. During the past winter it is stated that women have had to work for 6d and Sd per da\_ and have had to undergo terrible privations in consequence. The British Board of Trade return for March shows a slight improvement in employment compared with that oi February, although the building and shipbuilding trades remain considerably depressed. In 416 trade unions, with a net membership of 700,654, making returns, 57,450 persons were reported as unemployed at the end of March, 1909. The percentage of unemployed may be compared thus: End of March, 1909, 8.2 per cent; end of February, 1909, 8.4 per cent; end of March, 1908, 6.4 per cent. The changes in rates of wages reported in Great Britain during March, in spite of tho somewhat improved labor market, affected over 800,000 workpeople, and resulted in a fall of £43,000 per week. At a meeting of delegates of insurance sectional unions at Bolton, it was unanimously decided to form a national federation of Assurance Agents’ Unions. There is no strong body at tlie present time to represent the 60,000 assurance agents in the United Kingdom. Though the Butler party has decided to support the Peake Government in South Australia against tho Labor Op]K>sition, tlie Fusion had a majority of only one vote in a House of 42 members. That one vote is Burgoyne’s. He is 83 years old, and his sou is editor of the Adelaide Labor paper. So one way and another, the Peake party is still afraid to draw a very long breath for fear of upsetting tlie balance. While not suggesting that we should follow entirely the example of our German brethren, it may prove interesting and instructive to give a brief sketch of the Berlin Labor Exchange. The Arbeits-Nachweis Tell Berlin is managed by a Board comprised of equal numbers of employers and workmen, with the of the State Insurance Department as chairman. The buildings erected in 1902, at a cost of £50,000 approximately, consist of two structures in brick and stone, five storeys in height, and aro intended to accommodate 4000 men and women at one time, as well as provide rooms - for the various departments. In addition to waiting-rooms and reading-rooms for both sexes, there is a model first-aid hospital room. Splendid bathrooms, lined with white tifes and provided with hot and cold shower-baths, are there for tho use of all at the charge of one half-penny, for which extravagant sum tho patron is provided with soap and towel. The out-of-work may also have his hoots mended or his clothes patched and cleaned on the premises. For IRI lie may procure a sandwich with a cup of coffee and milk or a glass of beer instead of the coffee. The exchange is divided into three main divisions', for women and girls, for unskilled workmen and for skilled workmen. The last-mentioned department is sub-divid-ed into trades sections, with separate quarters for the woodworking industry, smiths, bakers, painters, bookbinders, plumbers, paporhangers, leather workers, plasterers, roofers, machinists, butchers, street employees, glaziers, liftmen and printers. The working of the exchange costs close on £SOOO a year, £3OOO of which is provided by the municipality and £2OOO by the workers and tho trades unions. Workmen or 'women not members of a contributing Union are required to pay a registration fee of 2)-d. The applicant for registration. is required to fill up a form, stating correctly his or her name, age, whether married or single, last place of employment, how long out of work, and ill what occupation last engaged. Upon payment of registration fee a membership card is issued which entitles the. holder to ; the benefits of the exchange for three months. The exchange is open in spring, summer and autumn from 7 a.m. to, 6 p.m., and in winter from 8 a.'m. to*6 - p.m. In the skilled trades special hours are set apart for various industries, so that , different trades may use the same quarters at different times. Here is a brief sketch of an endeavor to deal with the question of finding employment and providing workmen in a systematic manner. The authorities soon come to know tlio drunkard and the loafer, and they arc refused admittance. If such a scheme is possibly in Berlin, there should lie no difficulty in establishing something on the same lines in every city or town of any note in New Zealand. " ■ . - V ■ ■ : -■ ' . ' • " l r .■■■■. ■■■