Tramwaymen Allege Acts Of Victimisation

Chronicle (Levin), 14 June 1949, Page 6

Tramwaymen Allege Acts Of Victimisation

■». ■ Press Association >

✓ ' (Per

DUNEDIN-, June 13. Alleging acts of victimisation by fellow unionists at the Dunedin tramsheds, four men, Andrew Baxter, William Henry Summers, Gordon Anthony Bryant and Harold Mowat Paterson,. were plaintiffs in an action whjeh began in the Supreme Court at Dunedin today before Mr. Justice Kennedy. Eeveral cartoons allegedly ridiculing plain.tiffs, whieh had been displayed at the tramsheds, were produced as exhibits. "" Plaintilfs claimed £400 for damages and an injunction restraining • defendants from again publishing cartoons, and the costs of the action. The first defendants were William Benedict Riehards, national president of the New Zealand Tramways Union, George Alexander. Harold Silver, Law rence Owen McEntee, John Hollick. John James Christie, William Jarvis, Donald Cameron Dutf, James Thomas vJurrie, Gordon Ferguson Hill* Waltei llichard Cooper, Dudley Robert Haruourne, Clias.^ Andrew Dielt, Leonard Earry Bennett, James Henry Byson Dickson, all Dunedin trumway employees. Tlie secoud defendants were the New Zealand Truiuways' i^uthorities' Empioyeds Industrial Union of Workers. Outlining plaintilfs' case, Mr. C. L. Calvert said that in August, 1947, a ievy of £1 vvas made 011 each memhei of the local branch of the unioxi. The iour piaintili's in the present case re 1 used to pay becaust/tlioy claimed thal the levy was unconstitutional and eventuaily tiie validity of the levy wa.testcd before Mr. -Justice Christie in ihe Wuprenie Court, and his judgmeni was a win for plaintilfs. From the datt of tluit case, plaintiii's had been sub . ected to a cauipaign ot vilification aiicl .ntunidatlon at the tramsheds. Couiise! said a series of cartoons appeared at tiie carsheds, the first cartoon appearing in the locker room on October 17, 1948. On it vvas depicted an open gravt willi three dead rats and one approachnig a trap. An inscription read: " In unloving luemorv Of three, and one that .veiit a\vay.4 Died Huprenie Court, Duu edin, 110 R.l.P. n At the time the cartoon appeared, one of the plaintilfs hatl left the union, Mr. Calvert said. A tombstone ready for erection vvas lying nearby. Counsel said that a pound symbol was on that cartoon and on most of the otliers whieh appeared later. The. symbol would Tefer to the pound levy. Aftor doscribing subsequent cartoons. Mr. Calvert dealt vvith the liftli whieh was in a locked union noticeboard. This vvas later removed by tlie management. I11 this cartoon defendant Riehards was showii'on a .rock and behind him was a body .oi' men, obviously mern^ bers of the unionj 'Qh a rock labelled unity rock. Three oth.er men were struggling 'iii a r'leyy. swamp ' ' and ,a fourth had regained firm* ground. Counsel said that thq. four plaintilfs had never been anti-union and all had taken part in the Dunedin strike last year. Eviderice" vvas given by 14 witnesses, mostlv tramway employees. Statements were made about malieious telephone calls received by truro of the plaintilfs, greasc snteared on. Summers' locker and cards received by him with the inscription rat. The case will be-yiontinued tomorrow.