FLUCTUATIONS IN EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT IN AUSTRALIA.

In report No. 7, issued in June, 1917, by the labor and industrial branch of the Australian bureau of census and statistics, a section is devoted to fluctuations in employment and unemployment, the tables presented showing the extent of unemployment in tradeunions, 1907 to 1916, employment index numbers in certain years from 1891 to 1916, unemployment in the various States of the Commonwealth and in the different industries, and the causes of unemployment. The extent of unemployment in trade-unions, together with the number and membership of the unions for which returns were available, and the employment index numbers are set forth in the following table:

NUMBER AND MEMBERSHIP OF TRADE-UNIONS MAKING RETURNS AND NUMBER AND PER CENT OF UNEMPLOYED MEMBERS, 1907 TO 1916, TOGETHER WITH EMPLOY MENT INDEX NUMBERS,1 1909 TO 1916.

84

109

160

68 18,685 21, 122 32,995 67,961 224,023 251, 207 250, 716 273, 149 | 292,651

464

465

439

465

470

Number of unem

ployed at end of

Per cent of unem

ployed at end of

Classified by industries the report indicates the largest amount of unemployment (10.6 per cent) based on returns for the last quarter of 1916, in the building trades, with the least unemployment (2.9 per cent) in the industrial groups “Clothing, hats, boots, etc.," and "Other land transport." Particulars as to causes of unemployment are given for the fourth quarter of 1916, showing that of 19,051 reported as out of work, 15,307 (80.3 per cent) were unemployed through lack of work, 2,211 (11.6 per cent) through sickness and accident, and 1,533 (8 per cent) through other causes (excluding persons on strike or locked out). Of the total membership of unions reporting for this period, namely, 278,759, 5.5 per cent were unemployed on account of lack of work. As noted in the table, the per cent of unemployed members of the unions reporting in 1916 was 6.7.

1 Australia. Bureau of Census and Statistics, Labour and Industrial Branch, Report No. 7. Prices, purchasing power of money, wages, trade-unions, unemployment, and general industrial conditions, 1916. Melbourne, 1917. pp. 346-352.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND LABOR EXCHANGES IN THE NETHERLANDS.1

Under a decree of September 26, 1916, a bureau of labor has been established in the department of public works, charged with instituting unemployment insurance, establishing labor exchanges, and endeavoring to prevent unemployment and to provide unemployment benefits. The new bureau is expected to subsidize unemployment insurance funds, special or otherwise, and to prepare a draft of an insurance law; to develop by subsidies and other appropriate means the present system of labor exchanges and to establish interurban and international relations; to establish interurban offices, and various central offices for compensation, whether for particular industries or for employment in general; and to prepare and enforce laws relating to labor-exchange offices.

In general the amount of subsidies permissible shall be no greater than the amount of premiums paid by members of the fund. They shall be granted in equal proportions by the State and the district authorities of the territory in which the fund operates. District anthorities are not obliged to grant subsidies, but the State subsidies are contingent on such subsidies.

Subsidized funds are subject to municipal supervision, and each member must signify his willingness, under penalty of forfeiting his right to unemployment benefits, to accept any suitable employment offered him.

The fund administrators are authorized to fix the amount of benefits and conditions under which they may become payable. No benefits are payable if the unemployed person has refused an offer of employment tendered by the public labor exchange.

Cases of disagreement regarding the right to benefits or the interpretation of "suitable employment" are to be referred to the minister of public works, who, after consultation with the proper committee, shall decide the question at issue.

A consulting committee is provided for, composed of 12 members named by the minister, of whom 6 shall be representatives of the insurance funds and 6 representatives of the State and district authorities.

The bureau shall establish a system of exchanges, one for each of 30 districts, and group the bureaus of each commune. A central exchange for each district shall be established and supported by the State, but the commune shall contribute in part to the expenses of the district offices.

1 Bulletin du Ministère du Travail et de la Prévoyance Sociale, June-July, 1917, p. 327.

LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.

ACTIVITIES OF GERMAN TRADE-UNIONS.

CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS OF GERMAN TRADE-UNION FEDERATIONS IN BERLIN, JULY 24-26, 1917.

The presidents of the federations of German free trade-unions (freie Gewerkschaften) held a three days' conference (July 24 to 26, 1917) in Berlin at which a large number of administrative tradeunion problems were discussed. In addition, the conference adopted several resolutions defining the attitude of organized labor with respect to political questions of the day which affect the interests of the trade-union movement. A brief summary of the proceedings of the conferences as reported in the Leipziger Volkszeitung' and in the Vorwärts 2 is here given.

The reports of the individual presidents were very encouraging. They emphasized the fact that the efficient work done by the free trade-unions during the war has had the effect of large increases in membership. Former members who have been discharged from the army without exception rejoin their trade-union, and large numbers of unorganized workers are daily becoming members of free tradeunions.

With respect to the conclusion of peace the conference adopted the following resolution:

The free trade-unions of Germany are gratified that the Reichstag through its resolution of July 10 has in the name of the German nation declared itself in favor of conclusion of peace by means of negotiations. The working population whose interests are represented by the free trade-unions unanimously approves the desire for quick termination of the war through agreement of the nations involved, and what is more, the workmen of Germany are more than ever ready and resolved to make the strongest efforts to achieve this end.

As to the proposed internal reform of Germany the conference adopted the following resolution, which, as an expression of the mental attitude of the representatives of several million workers, has a claim to general consideration:

With respect to the problem of internal political reorganization of the German Empire the conference of representatives of the central federations of the

1 Leipziger Volkszeitung. Eine Konferenz der Gewerkschaftsvorstände. Leipzig, July 27, 1917.

2 Vorwärts. Eine Konferenz von Vertretern der Verbandsvorstände.

Berlin, Aug. 7.

1917.

free trade-unions is of the opinion that these long-needed reforms, which, it part, have been promised by the Imperial Government must not be retarded any longer.

The conference considers the establishment of a system of government in harmony with the resolutions of the representatives of the people and the introduction of real democratic right of suffrage for the diets of all individual States and for all communes as the most urgent preliminary for a sound internal political and economic development which alone will enable the German nation to overcome the devastating effects of the war,

The conference also expects that this internal political reorganization will lead to social legislation which will guarantee to the German working classes full equality in economic and civic life and social elevation to unrestricted participation in the cultural development of the nation.

Numerous complaints submitted to the conference by trade-unions in the districts of the first and sixth army corps led to the following resolution:

The conference of representatives of the central federations of the free trade-unions protests peremptorily against the orders relating to the exercise of the right of association and of holding meetings issued by the commanding generals of the first and sixth army corps.

These orders make it impossible for labor organizations to fulfill their task of safeguarding the interests of workers. The orders in question infringe against the provisions of article 14 of the auxiliary service law (Hilfsdienstgesetz) and are incompatible with the assurance repeatedly given by the Imperial Government that even during the continuance of martial law tradeunions would be granted the most far-reaching freedom of movement.

The conference charges the general commission to promptly take proper steps to the effect that the competent authorities rescind these orders. The conference also declares that suspension of martial law is absolutely necessary in order that the legally guaranteed right of association and of holding meetings may again be exercised undisturbedly.

Legien, the president of the General Commission, reported on the subsidizing of workmen's secretaries, strikes of workmen employed in the manufacture of war materials, and the attitude of the General Commission toward such strikes, the joining of the Red Cross by the commission, collections for war invalids, several economic war problems and problems of the period of transition from a war to a peace régime. He also discussed the regulations restricting the use of paper, with special consideration of their effect on the trade-union publications. A demand made by the president of the Mercantile Clerks' Federation that the General Commission should not only cooperate with the Social Democratic faction of the Reichstag, but also with the representatives of the Independent Social Democratic Party was rejected by Legien. He pointed out that in the Mannheim agreement of the free trade-unions with the Social Democratic Party the unions had obligated themselves to recognize only this party and its representatives.

Bauer reported on problems of the auxiliary service law. He discussed exemptions from auxiliary service, elections of auxiliary service committees, and the attempts of the so-called "yellow" (nonmilitant) trade-unions to get their representatives in these committees, and his experiences with the operation of the auxiliary service law (wage questions, employment, and organization of aliens, employment offices, right of association, and complaints).

The report of R. Schmidt on problems of nutrition dealt with the phases of the nutrition of the nation since the reduction of the bread ration. He expressed the conviction that the scarcity of bread and potatoes is largely due to the feeding to animals of supplies designated for human nutrition. He also discussed existing abuses in the supplying of the nation with fruits and vegetables, the measures relating to the new crops, and the regulation of the coal supply.

Bauer made a report on the international socialistic conference in Stockholm, which was intended to bring about the agreement of the labor parties of all countries. The General Commission had sent three delegates to this conference. Bauer stated that, although this conference had not attained its object, nevertheless because of it foreign labor parties have been made to understand the real attitude and peace aims of the German Social Democratic Party and trade-unions. He declared that it was especially gratifying that the Russian workmen and soldiers' council could be informed as to this attitude and peace aims and thereby could become an influential promoter of an international agreement. The present conference authorized the General Commission to send delegates to further peace conferences of this kind.

The conference discussed the sending of delegates to the international trade-union conference in Berne, called for October 1, 1917, by the Swiss Federation of Trade-unions in pursuance of a resolution of the Stockholm conference. The conference resolved to send 10 delegates to Berne. Seven delegates and a like number of alternate delegates were elected by the conference and the General Commission was authorized to appoint the other three delegates. The costs of participation in the conference were to be borne by the General Commission and afterwards to be assessed on the individual trade-unions. A number of trade-union demands were to be submitted to this conference in Berne and to be discussed by it. On the conclusion of peace these demands are to be incorporated in the peace treaty. The General Commission of the German free trade-unions has prepared a list of general demands alone. Special demands relating to individual trades are to be submitted to the International Labor Office in Basel. It is intended that to this office shall be given the character of an international legal institution.