RICCARTON BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THE STRIKE.
TO THE EDITOR OP "THE FBESS." Sir, —In answer to you. correspondents, Crs. Foster, Stokes, Dempster, and White, protesting against the manner in which G. D. White's letter was condensed, your footnote, I think, fuliy explains that it did not spoil the substance of his letter. I think that the ratepayers will admit that is so. Now these Social Democratic councillors suggest that they call a public meeting and debate the matter; and I presume it would be at the ratepayers' expense. ; No! You don't catch old hjrds with chaff. Tho ratepayers will do the debating at the next Council election by
tho means of the ballot, and with less wasto of time than at a public meeting. I asked Councillor White and his colleagues a question in my letter of the 4th as to what conditions they wanted to impose on the Council's driver who was called out on strike for one day— if he was to be reinstated? To this question they are all silent. Now, sir, 1 will go a little further in the matter, and ask them if it is correct that one of them did move that if the driver remained in the old union he should be reinstated, but if he joined the new Drivers' Union he should not be reinstarted? Tho ratepayers would liko a straight-out answer from them on this point. They tell us that newspaper controversy is of little benefit to them, therefore we cannot expect to hear from them through, your columns. Perhaps they will answer the question at the nest Council meeting, and 1 hope th* ratepayers will get these councillors' speeches reported in full. I notice the letter was signed by only four councillors. What! Have they thrown over the chairman of the Works Comnjittee, Cr. AVaddell— the man that they deponded upon and got.to help them through with their motion of condeim.dtion of Mr Massey a>>d the Government? Now they have, turned him down. His vote was all they wanted. How was it he did not sign the letter with them, but had to write to "The Press" himself?— Yours, etc.,
RATEPAYER Riccarton, December 6th.
"LEST WE FORuET." TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS."
Sir, —The following paragraph was published in the Sydney "Daily Telegraph" of Saturday, November 22nd, 11)13. As it is of importance to New Zealand at the present time I send this on to you asking you to insert it in your columns. It is just as well to lot the people of New Zealand see who are their frierjds and who are helping the strikers in their work. If such things as these are published in Sydney, you cannot blame them for their iJeas of the strike in New Zealand. This is the paragraph:— AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION. "NAPOLEONIC METHOD."
"A cable has just been received by the secretary of the Australasian Federation of Labour (Mr W. Rosser) from the secretary of the New Zealand United Labour Federation (MrHickey). It reads as follows:—
" 'Maoriland workers are enjagect in a mighty struggle against an" armed State and organised scabbery. Thousands of men are involved, and funds are urgently needed. The Federation appeals.'
"We are viewing with great concern," said Mr Rosser yesterday, "the developments in regard to the New Zealand strike. We were "led to believe that a large number of unions in the Dominion were not supporting the strikers, but we have now received information that all the principal unions there are helping either by ceasing work or by giving financial assistance. We are informed further.that Sir Joseph Ward and a number of his followers are in sympathy with the men." Labour objected", ho said, to the . Napoleonic method attempted of endeavouring to smash the unions one by one, and the only cotirse left open was to fight in the mass against the enemy. New South Wales workers were in entire sympathy with the strikers. The Australasian Federation intended to stand to its resolution not to handle "blackleg" goods.—Yours, etc., A SEEKER OF TRUTH.
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Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14844, 9 December 1913, Page 8
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675RICCARTON BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THE STRIKE. Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14844, 9 December 1913, Page 8
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