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WORKMEN'S NOTES. .

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WORKMEN'S NOTES. fRADES UNIONIST HOSTILITY TO MR. BURNS. By WILLIAM BRACE trice-president of the South Wales Miners' Federation]. If it is not too late, I should like to offer in this column a word of congratu- lation to my friend Mr. John Burns, M.P., upon the honour he has received in his selection to the important office of President of the Local Government Board. I am aware that there is a sharp difference of opinion prevailing among some sections or the Labour party as to whether the elevation of a man who has been all his life either a working man, in the sense that it is here applied, or a working men's leader to Cabinet rank is a justifiable reason for congratulation. I have no hesitation in believing that Lhose who hold an opposite view to myself and those who think with me upon this question are quite sincere, but I am bound to say that I feel they are not justified in using the extreme language of condemnation in which some have indulged. The only point involved is as t.o which is the better policy for Labour—co build up a party to operate outside until they themselves can become the leading authority or to build up a party which will co-operate with other sections who upon given questions are travelling to the same goal as themselves. A clever pleader could make out a strong case for either. of these policies, but, surely, tho result is so problematical as to make any sagacious man stop short in the demand that any specific line of policy, and that only, can succeed. Mr. Burns's Opportunity. Speaking for myself, I confess to the belief that there is much more to be said in favour of Mr. Burns accepting a seat in the Cabinet and thus assisting the workers without delay than what could legitimately be urged against it. The difficulty that must always occur in dealing with a question like the unemployed by someone who has had no direct experience as to the wants, require- 'iments, and aspirations of the people is generally sufficient to deter any practical steps being taken to grapple with the I problem. A man with Mr. Burns's unique experience will be able to mark oat a path of progress that no man out- Bide the workers' ranks would think about, let him be ever so sympathetically inclined, and the nation may rest assured they will not be asked by Mr. Burns, any more than by any other responsible Minister of the Crafrn, to lend their support to a-ny wild-cat scheme. While I am far from saying there are no people in this country who would not work even if work could bo provided for them, I strongly dissent from the opinion that' it is charity the people desire. The general is charity the people desire. The general mass of the people would infinitely prefer a fair opportunity to work and earn their livelihood in a dignified manner than fcave to live upon charity, however kindly offered. To exist upon charity cannot fail to demoralise the receivers, and, doubtless, had men thrown out of employ- ment been able to secure work before the demoralising influence of existing upon charity had run its length in the oast, there would be fewer chronic out-of-work cases to deal with in this country than there are. Mr. Burns has been given his chanoe, and unlc'^s I misjudge entirely not only his humanitarian instincts, but -his outstanding abilities, the appoint- ment will be justified- not only to the nation, but to those who, for reasons best known to themselves, have so strongly condemned his acceptance of office. Labour and the General Election. Preparatory to the general election, several representative organised bodies of Labour have issued manifestoes. Among the number are the Parliamen- tary Committee of the Trades Union Con- gress, the Labour Representation Com- mittee, and the Mirfors' Federation of Great Britain. The Trades Union Con- gress Committee appeals to the workmen not to vote for any candidate who is opposed to the Trades Union programme and to vote for all candidates who are prepared to resist taxes upon food and industry." This seems to me to be the proper way to work. for when it is remembered that the House of Commons is made up of 670 members it will be appreciated that in addition to the Labour candidates who are standing, should they all get returned, it will require the support of sympathetic members attached to other parties to make possible the passing of reforming measures. The Miners' Federation of Great Britain are contesting only four seats in Wales, viz., Rhondda, West Monmouthshire, Gower, and South Glamorgan.^ The candidates in t'h«ve constituencies will run under the Miners' Federation of Great Britain Parliamen- tary representation scheme, and the fund will bear the cost of the contest, and, if r urned, provide the money for main- taining the members in Parliament. A Winer's Disease. A much-needed amendment to the Workmen's Compensation Act is daily pressed upon my notice. There is a disease called miners' nystagmus, which really means bad or impaired eyesight. This disease is caused by working with lamps in the mine. The "Science and Art of Mining" declares that the primary cause is an uneven light. When a collier ia at his work he hangs his lamp some distance away from him, doing a good portion of his work in semi-darkness. In course of time spots seem to come before the vision, and men have to give up trorking underground for a time, and sometimes altogether. Nystagmus is practically unknown among men working in naked light collieries, because they have not to work under the disadvan- tages of light that the men who use locked lamps have. At present it is held that nystagmus is not an accident within the meaning of the Workmen's Compensation Act. Why it should not be treated as such I have not been able to understand. Certainly the disease arises out of and in the course of the miners' employment, and, as that is so, the Legislature ought to provide, in my judgment, for it to be accepted as an accident under that Act. Seamen and Their Wages. An agitation has been conducted for Borne time by interested parties to get the Consular fees for transmitting the wages of seamen from Continental I countries abolished. Up to recently the Consular charge for this service was 3d. in the J6. This has been reduced to Id. in the £ Why was this charge not abolished at once? Surely, a country like Britain could afford to do this small service through its Consular officers with- out charge for a body of people who are by no means paid in proportion to the risks and sacrifices demanded from them by their calling. While upon the subject of seamen, may I be permitted to quote a question put to me some time ago ? Is it impracticable to have a standard rule tinder which at least half the seamen serving in British ships should bo British subjects? I do not claim any great knowledge on such a subject, but as a general proposition it seems to me that British shipowners and too nation have something to gain by having as many British subjects as possible attached to our mercantile marine. Trades Unionist Criticisms. I was pleased to read Mr. Robert' Smellie's letter in the "Labour Leader" relative to the Hemsworth evictions. By the publication of it a simple act of justice has been done to the Yorkshire miners' leaders, who have been most unjustifiably criticised in the Leader's columns. As is well known to those acquainted with the particulars of that unhappy dispute, not only the Yorkshire Miners' Association, but the Miners' Federation of Great Britain and all the affiliated districts of that body, have rendered very material assistance to the workmen and their families, who have bad much suffering forced upon them in Bonsequence of the stoppage of those sollieries. Why because certain people may not be in agreement with one's views they should always be treated rithout consideration is a phase of publio jife I have not yet learned to understand. Surely, this is not the- best way to bring ibout unity among the Labour forces. I

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