RAIN MEANS RUIN
ΤΟ
THESE MEN
Practically unknown to the general public, half
a million building workers in England are now vot- ing on a scheme to end the misery of wages lost through bad weather.
The scheme has already been agreed between The men are the employers and the union leaders. giving their view through a national ballot, but the issue is not in doubt,
Below, Mr. GEORGE HICKS, M.P., President of the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives, explains the scheme.
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ANNOUNCEMENT
The Enurement is announced be- Iween Murlel, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. G. Smith, Hongkong, god William, only son of the late inspector and Mrs W. Cuineren, of Errol, Perthshire, Scotland.
The
T
HE people in England of half a day's pay means in the
who want to
save home. But when it is a question most for a rainy day weather the worker suffers real of days, sometimes weeks, of bad are the 1,000,000 workers privation. engaged in building and the other 1,000,000 who are in-
Hongkong Telegraph directly affected.
FRIDAY, JULY B, 1938,
THIRD POWER INTERESTS Reports of Franco-Japanese tension, or at least irritation, may or may not have good It is most difficult
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"No wonder that we in the building industry are more afraid of the 'depression over Iceland than any other worker.
"Now there is fresh hope."
lost
"By contributions. Towards the
National
Federation of
the fund the employers will con- Building Trades Operatives." tribute half, the building work-
Mr. Hicks added that workers ers the other half. The crafts- would not be able to draw lost
man will pay Gd., the labourer
time benefit and unemployment 4%d., and the apprentice or insurance benefit at the same
junior 2d. weekly. The em- time. ployer will contribute an equal amount to that contributed by His other points must be sum- cach craftsman, labourer or marised for lack of space. junior, as the case may be. In short, the workers will pay about £1,000,000 annually, the employ- ers a similar sum,"
"How will the scheme work?"
THE scheme is to be operated by a Joint Board composed of an equal num- "The scheme will be national ber of employers' and operatives' in scope and apply to the entire representatives. There will be building industry, trade union- no Government representative. ist and non-unionist alike." ~ It will start 12 months after the "How will those who have lost time Boheme's inception to allow time make the fact known? How will the for the Fund to accumulate. records be kept?"
Let me end this interview with Mr. Hicks calling all build- ing workers. Here he is.
At present the weather is fine. Buildings are leaping to- wards the sun all over the coun- try. Those engaged on the con- structional side of the business
"The responsibility will be go out in the morning with
MR. Hicks
explained upon the employers to keep pro- reasonable certainty that they
why in answer to a per records of the time lost by will work under God's heaven number of questions put to him. their workers."
"I regard this scheme as the all day and take home a full Here they are:
"How will those who have lost time greatest proposal for reform pay-packet at the end of the
ever made in the building in- week.
"Surely, Mr. Hicks, the building be paid?"
dustry. To many an old brick- workers and their trade unions hauc
"They will be paid by the em- layer or labourer the very idea But when the weather breaks endeavoured to arrive at some solution
ployers. They will receive the of being paid 50 per cent, lost of this 'wet time' problem?" to judge, Reputable Chinese-what then?
"Certainly have from money at the same time as they time will seem like an inspira-
we sources declare that a Japanese,
every angle. First during the receive their wages."
tion from on high. The scheme fleet has been sent back to Hai-
war. Later, when Lord Addison "To what extent will they be paid will be, in my opinion, the first What will be the rate big step in the direction of per- Mr. waters
the because of
Hicks was Minister of Health we had for lost time? BEFORE
tells you about his discussions with the Govern- of benefit?"
manency of employment in the French action of sending police scheme for insuring building ment. We demanded 100 per
building industry. It will pro- to the Paracels to guard the operatives against bad weather cent, payment for time
vide us with the basis for.de- casualising the industry and meteorological station and other
the unions and the employers nothing happened. After the "OBVIOUSLY, if
moving towards the guaranteed equipment there, and the men
week." now the subject of a National Building Trades dis- workable one, it is only reason- who arc
in charge. But such national ballot-let me give you pute in 1924 we tried to embody able to pay somewhat less than Good luck, Mr. Hicks! action by. Japan presupposes an his expert opinion of what the a scheme for 'wet time' payment the amount which would be intention on her part to make rainy day means to the builder. in the terms of settlement, but
without effect. Since then we essential to check 'knocking off' carned by working. That is Chater Road. some sort of display in Hainan "Rain and snow, frost and have kept hammering
as a reprisal; and it would seem Hicks, "than they do to most with the employees to be on a
fog mean more to us," said Mr. Actually, it was agreed in 1926 for frivolous reasons. SSSSSSS very senseless, for the French folk. To the majority of people joint contributory basis, and in that the rate of benefit for lost "It is proposed, therefore, are vitally interested in the pre- they mean just a little discom- 1929 the Joint Committee of time through bad weather shall servation of Hainan's freedom fort and the warm appeal of the Employers and Operatives urged be 9d. per hour for craftsmen, from Japanese domination, and Cosy fireside. To the building the need for a system of national 7d. per hour for labourers and worker they mean 'standing off. insurance to the Ministry of 4d. for youths between 16 and in that have the backing of He is temporarily discharged Labour. We have at last ar- 21." Great Britain. The situation in and thus loses time and money. rived at the present scheme," China is too critical to allow One can appreciate what the loss Japan to get herself involved
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it has been agreed between through inclement weather. But
and is
elsewhere. Therefore, reports discrimination
to be
away.
"What does it amount to?"
"What it amounts to, in brief,
"How?"
scheme
the
is to be a
"What guarantee have the workers that their interests will be safe quarded?"
"On each job a steward will
tives of the trade unions affilist- ed to or under the auspices of
shown is this. A fund will be created be elected either by the workers of a Japanese concentration in against her indefinitely in the which, it is estimated, will total themselves or by the representa- and other Chinese £2,000,000 annually." Hainan waters, and French Yangtse
inland waters where the moves to counteract any possi-Japanese are pursuing their war ble menace, should be accepted of invasion. The answer which only with the reservation that the Under-Secretary of Foreign GRIN the Chinese sources whence Affairs gave to questioners in those stories como may have the House of Commons recently was illuminating. It appears that Britain has seriously con-
been misled.
On the other hand
there is no use blindly refusing sidered placing armed ships in to believe that difficulties may the Yangtse for the purpose of develop in this sphere. It has convoying merchantmen about long been suspected that Japan their legitimate business. Ap- parently the only reason why covets Hainan, and the French at this matter has not been carried Kwongchowan and the British farther is because merchants at Hongkong and at Singa- engaged in the Far East trade pore have apparently felt some have not yet demanded it. That is the construction which must concern lest the expanding
be placed on Mr. Butler's an- swer.
power of Tokyo should plant the flag of the Rising Sun on Hai- As for these questions of trad- ing rights and the very vexed nan soil. Not that France or problem of customs levies and Britain wants the island. They the distribution of the revenue simply want to see it in safe from this source, it is necessary hands. It is conceivable, then, that they be approached with the utmost patience by all that France might take steps to parties concerned. Particularly prevent its occupation, particu-is patience necessary with Japan larly with British support, and at this juncture, when her at- the report of French planes with the prosecution of a war tention is very fully taken up
massing at Kwongchowan and and when her own patience is French warships patrolling be- probably not inexhaustible. Britain only wants to be certain tween that Colony and the
that hor rights will be safe- Paracels therefore. cannot be
guarded. China's rights are quite another matter, and do not enter into the Anglo- Japanese equation.
THE HONGKONG & SHANGHAI HOTELS, LTD.lumissed as mere fiction.
There are signs, too, that Britain does not intend to allow
AND BEAR IT
Capt. 1918 by Kallos Vetisse Üyuktenta, tai,
REDUCTION OF SUGAR QUOTA NOT DISCUSSED
London, July 7.
The International Sugar Council, which met in London on Tuesday to cosider the working of the Sugar Agreement, and to hold preliminary discussions regarding Its policy for the second sugar quota year, which opens on September 1, is now con- quirements made by its statistical
aidering the estimate of market re- committee,
Figures have not yet been publish- ed, but a meeting of the Council in May estimated that the market re- quirements would be 3,050,000 metric tong, compared with the
made on March 26,
By Lichty estimate of 3,250,000 metric tons
11029/
"You'd never see the sights in Hongkong if we didn't visit you and. show you around!"
It is understood that the question of a further reduction of the quota has not yet been discussed.-Reuter.
RADIO DIFFUSION SCHEME STILL
A POSSIBILITY
That Government may introduce a Radio Diffusion system-n form of wired wireless by which radio broad- easts are received over telephone or power circuits-Is indicated by the fact that the sum of $5,000 is stil included in the estimates for the purchase of the necessary equipment. The vote was originally included In the 1937 estimate, but in the Draft Appropriation Account, tabled
In Legislative Council this afternoon, the statement is made that the amount is being held in abeyance pending Government's final decision on the scheme.
The vote for $5,000 has, however, been reduced to $4,772, by an unex- plained expenditure last year in connection with the scheme..
It is recalled that a Radio Diru- #lon scheme was introduced to Hongkong by the Telephone Com- pany three years ago, but remained in existence only a few months, owing to lack of support from tho public.