EMPLOYERS' RIGHTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 899, 19 August 1910, Page 5

EMPLOYERS' RIGHTS.

DOCKERS AND FREE LABOUR < By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright. (Rec. Aug. 18, 8.55 p.m.)

London, August 18. There has been a recrudescence of the trouble between the Newport dockers and Messrs. Houlder' Bros. In May last it will be remembered the Government forbade Messrs. Houlder Bros, to import free labour to end their troubles.

The dockers, claiming a tonnage rate, despite the recent award of the Board of Trade arbitrator in favour of a day rate, have refused to load the Houlder steamer Beaeou Grange.

The Shipping Federation', as in the previous trouble in May, sent Messrs. Houlder Bros, a supply of free labourers from their depot.

The men were received with hostility by the dockers, and some of them were stoned. Three arrests have been made.

A MUCH-CRITICISED ACTION. Largely through the efforts of Messrs. Houlder Bros, a general cargo trade has been developed at Newport. Under the old conditions the cargoes from Newport had mostly been full ship-loads of particular commodities such as coal gr rails, calling for speed rather than special cavo in stowage. Messrs. Houlder, however, decided that more satisfactory stowage of their general cargo would be secured by the payment of day wages instead of piece rates. The men refused to agree to the new arrangement, and Messrs. Houlder Bros, applied to the Shipping Federation for substitutes, which were sent up from London. As soon, however, as the newcomers began operations every worker in the docks was called out, and the police attacked so vigorously that they had to abandon the. position thoy had .taken up. , Tho substitutes wer*. eventually forced to leave the vessel and were escorted to the railway station by a, hostile- crowd.

Arrangements wero made for the importation of new i'rej labourers, but this Newport Town Council, when requested to provide adequate police protection absolutely refused to do so, and stated that the police would be employed to drive out any' labour imported. In this they had the support of the Government. Yielding to the pressure Messrs. Boulder Brothers agreed to refer their claims to arbitration,. and the Board of Trade arbitrator decided entirely in their favour. " . '

The action of tho Government was much criticised- and after a discussion in Parliament Mr. Winston Churchill, Home Secretary, slated that on May 26 the authorities had great,reason to fear that there would be riot and bloodshed if Messrs. Honlder persisted in their intention to impqrt labourers. While udlioring to the principle that employers had the right tu protection when engaged in lawful acts, the Home Office realised that a point might be reached when the action of individuals in pursuance of their rights might be so dangerous. as to make it tho duty of tho State to interfere. It was the intimation that there must be a delay 'before labourers were imported into the nassionate community of Newpoit that induced Messrs. Holder to go to arbitration, and the course taken by the Home Office gave time for the anger' of the people to • cool. What the Department said was that as long as there was a danger of riot and bloodshed the labourers could not be brought in to supply the places of the local stevedores.