CITY COUNCIL AND THE STRIKE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14832, 25 November 1913, Page 7

CITY COUNCIL AND THE STRIKE.

ATTITUDE OF THE DRIVERS,

THE MAYOR MEETS THE MEN

A lengthy sitting of the City Council last night, was devoted almost entirely to striko discussions.

Tho Mayor opened the matter by making a statement regarding the attitude of tbe drivers.

"I very much regret," ho said, "to have to inform the Council that all the Council's drivers are out or, strike. This means that many others of tho Council's employees will be thrown out of work as thero will be nothing for them to do. On Saturday a general meeting of the employees was held in the Central Yard to which Councillor Otley (chairman of the Works Committee), Mr Dobson (city surveyor), and myself were invited to attend. We- did not join in the group, but stood away at a distance from the men. I was cent for, and informed that the men wished mc to take tho chair. I explained to the men that I did not wish to attend the meeting or take any part in their deliberations unless they really wished mc to do so. On thc motion of the men I was unanimously elected to tho chair. 1 addressed the men, pointing out the serious consequence of the step of their striking work. At this stage Councillors Hunter . and McCombs entered, who, 1 understand, were not invited. I pointed out to tho men that they were under an award of the Court, and were liable to fines. etc. I also pointed out the seriousness of their rofusing to collect, household refuse, that to leave tho fish shops, hotels, and restaurants with their refuse to decay and rot would be a criminal act of folly, and would endanger the health of the whole community, and might cause some serious epidemic. I concluded by urging the men to stand loyally by tho Council. Councillor Otley endorsed my remarks, and urged the men to stick to their work. It was suggested that a ballot should be taken, and on being put, was carried by a large majority of the men who did not want to strike. Councilors Hunter and McCombs strongly objected to this course, and wanted to know what was the use of unionism if the men were not to abido by the decision of their Union (or more correctly di-junion, for a large majority of the Council's men are strongly opposed to a strike). I think it is most deplorable that apy councillors should eg far forget their dirty tP" the city and to.tho citizens m to do anything to force our men to go out. I have np hesitation in saying that had tho men been allowed to settle the question of strike or no strike there would have been no striko so far m the Council'e men aro concerned, and that tho matter would have been settled had not Councillor Hunter and Councillor McCopibs interferrd.. If these Councillors find that their duties to the citizens conflict with their duties on the Strike Committee, then there is only one course open for is to resign ope or other of their positions. Th© health ql tho community should surely take precedence over every other consideration."

Cr. Hunter ijaid he and Cr. McCombs wore invited to attend the meeting. He urged tho men to show loyalty to their union in the interests of peace.

Cr. Otley: Rot. Cr. Millar rose to a point of order. Cr. Otley: I will withdraw the word rot. I won't tell tho -truth again as far as those gentlemen aro concerned this evening. Cr. Hunter: I ask Cr Otley to withdraw that. . Cr. Otley: I will withdraw anything in reason. . Or. Hunter said he took up the position that it was unwise for the Mayor or any member of the Council to go along to the meoting, for they wore in the position of employers of the men assembled. Ho had told tho men that if they had any grievanco the proper method was to formulate their proposals and go back to their organisation with them. "I knew," added Cr. Hunter, "I was in a minority in this Council. There are two parties here." A voice: Thank God. Cr. Hunter: On this side there is tho Social Democratic Party, and on the other side are thc men representing the Employers' Association, and as long as that is so there will bo two different standpoints. 1 know that Cr. Otley is president of the Master Carriers' Association.

Cr. Otley: You know that very well. Cr. Hunter: We look at this matter from different standpoints. X look at it from the point of view of tho working man, and any action I have taken in the past I am going to stand by, and I will stand by my action this afternoon. I had as much right to go to the meeting as tho Mayer.

Cr. Sorensen: Is not Cr. Hun tor one of the employers of these men? (Hear, hear.)

Or. Hunter quoted a ruling by Mr Justice Sim that any statement obtained by an employer from his men that they were quite satisfied with their conditions nnd did not df-sire an award was not worth the paper it was written on. The employers could get thtir men to assent to anything, for thu men were dependent for their food on their employment. The Mayor at tho meeting that day had suggestf-d that the matter of favouring a secret ballot should be decided on the voices. It was all done in the twinkling of an eye, and then the Mayor instructed the Council's foreman to take tho ballot. Ho practically intimidated the men. Cr. McCombs: Scandalous intimidation. Cr. Otley: It's absolutely false. Cr. Hunter backed up Cr. McCombs. Cr. Otley: If you are not capable of speaking the truth we are. Cr. Hunter: I'm not gcing to allow any man to call mc a liar. Cr. Otlev: I didn't call you a liar. Cr. Hunter: Withdraw. Cr. Otley: I won't do anything of the kind. I never made a disrespectful

remark to Cr. Hunter or any other man.

Cr. McCombs: Cr. Otley said that Cr. Humor's statement was false. In other words, he called him a liar acro&s the table.

Cr, Otley: I said it was false, and I repeat it. The Alayor didn't do anything like, what Cr. Hunter says. As far as the secret ballot te concerned, the proposal camo from the men and not- troui tlie Mayor. Cr. Hunter: 1 say I am quite as capable of speaking* tho truth as you are.

Cr. Otley: The public don't think so. Cr. Hunter then proceeded to quote an incident which happened four years ago respecting the payment of the men oil Christmas Day and Now Year's Day, in support of a claim ho mndthut tho Council had brokeu the agreement with the men.

Or. Cooper rose to a point of order. What, ho asked, luid the present juncture ti> do with tho event* of three or four years ago. Cr. Hunter, continuing, *aid that the general body of men were agree-hlo to, have tho sanitary work carried on. and he hoped the Council would not penalu-e the men for their loyalty to their union. Cr. McComl- said that a group of the men asktnl hint and Cr. Hunter t«> go to tho meeting, and they did so. He did not object to the Mayor speaking to tho men and putting tho matter to them strongly, aud he certaiidy put it to them strongly, for ho told them that there were three men waiting to fill tho place of each man on the staff. What ho objtvted to was the Mayor asking the men to decide on the voices whether they should, conduct a secret ballot. Thc'Mayor's action was really an intimidation of the Council's nun. No private employer would dare to do such a thinjr. The Mayor was there in an absolutely •false position, and it'was a misuse of his power to attempt to conduct the affairs of tho unions. He advised th«> men that they should discuss the mutter among themselves, and they did so, the Council members retiring. He had' not advised the men to go on strike, for he held that the men -should setUc the thing for themselves. The Mayor's' nresonce nut the men in an unfair posU tion. and after his Worship had retired the men had come to a different conclusion to the one tho Mayor probably thought they would have come to had he been there. He (the speaker) claimed he bad done nothing in the matter to conflict with his duty as a Councillor, for in consequence of what he had said at tho meeting the men decided to carry on tho sanitary work of tho city. Cr. Hunter was ouite justified in tolling tho men to go back to their union and >"k tbe union to reconsider their position.

.. r. Otley explained the matter re- . ferred to by Cr. Hunter. Tho men were paid two days' wages ior one day's work, and ho. with others, did not want to deal with Mr Hunter, but with tho men. They did not want a third party in the strife. If it wero not for the presence of so many professionals trying to make money out of strikes there would not bo any trouble in _ tho country. He (the speaker) ' had gone to the meeting in good faith. Of the men gathered thero not four men wanted to strike. They said thoy were perfectly satisfied, nnd they had'a right to study the city. Thoy wero then told by Council members that their first duty was to their union. Ho told the men to strike if they wanted to. but'to think of their wives and families. The position at present was that the Council had not a carter in their employ. The work had to bo done, and he sinceroly hoped, the old staff woidd do it. He did not propose, however, to beg the men to go back to work. As far as the Council was concerned the work could po on efficiently for several weeks, even if the - men stayed out. The Council, therefore, was not in a hole. Cr. McCombs denied that he had told tho men that their first duty was to their union.

Cr. Hunter said he would not have gone to tho meeting had he not heart thnt tho Mayor was presiding. ■■"*:• The Mayor said he wtyJprepared to accept the statements of Crs. McCombs and Hunter that they had been invited to the meeting. A number of the men told him that the two councillors pamed were not invited. He wished to repudiate emphatically the statement; that he had intimidated #"» menftt all.: Tho motion that he should, take the chair was proposed and seconded by the men themselves, and the vote was carried unanimously. Ho stated tho facts to tho men plainly, and was careful to warn them that nothing ho said was to bo taken in tho nature of a threat. He told thorn they were under ah award which had not oxpirod. Consequently they were liablo for leaving work and abandoning the necessary' sorvices of tho city.