"SCABS & TRAITORS."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1365, 16 February 1912, Page 5

"SCABS & TRAITORS."

UNBER THE LAW

AUCKLAND SHIPPING DISPUTE

CUE 10 US POSITION. (By Telccraph-Prsss Association.) . Auckland, February 15. Tho industrial dispute, instituted by Jlnpsrs. Neuring and Co. and other shipping companies and agents against the Auckland Wntcvsido Workers' Union was heard by (he Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. T. Jiarlo Uiles) and assessors representing each side to-day. Tlio position in this dispute is peculiar. In tho first place tho union recently applied I'm- the cancellation of ils registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, notice of the application was gazetted on February (!, and the cancellation will take place after the lapse ■of six weeks from that date. AVhcn the union vras cited to appear Ijcforo the Commissioner, it declined to appoint assessors, oiid the hearing, which should have taken place on January 00, was adjourned until yesterday. The. Conciliation Commissioner in the meantime exercised his powers under Clause ,t>, Section i, of the Act, and nominated throe assessors to represent the union.

Fresh Complications. It has Wn recorded aireatfy'Hhat'tlie. union thereupon passed a resolution rcpeuting its refusal to recognise the authorily of the Act, and threatening to oust the assessors from the union if they .sign<'d any agreement as a result of tho mooring with the employers. A new complication has arisen in that, since the dispute was hied, several shipping firms, including some who had actually been concerned in filing the dispute, linve entered into an agreement with the Federation of Labour, and with the Auckland and other Waterside Workers' Unions which are amlialed with the federation. Tho position now is that the union ha>, as from February 1, a two years' afireernent with the Union Steam" Ship Company, the Hnddart Parker Proprietary, the Isew Zealand Shipping Company, tl'ic Shaw Savill and Albion Company, the l . and 0. Company, and other oversea companies, and a number of other companies and agencies, and the union holds that the companies not party to the agreement are Comparatively 'unimportant. This element entered into the discussion before thn Commissioner yester-

A Unique Application. Mr. C. V Houghton, manager of the -Now Zealand Shipping Co., declared (hat; hat organisation had nil its work done by contract by .Messrs. Nearing and Co aim therefore sought exejiiption. Captain S. White, on behalf of Messrs Scaring and Co., then made application ior exemption on the ground thai; his was one of (lie firms which had made an agreement with the union. The Commissioner: This is a unique Kind oi application. The name uf Waring and Co. heads the list of firms citing tin; parlies to the dispute. Captain White continued that there was no idea of any agreement when the citation was made. The agreement which had been signed was for two years. The Hnddart-Parlcor Company, through Mr. D. Ryan, also asked for 'exemption on the same ground. Mr. Grosvenor, who appeared for Ford nnd Co., and another firm, said (hero was grave doubt as to the validity of the agreement. No employer or union bound by an existing award had under the. Aet tiny power to enter an agreement which in any way contravened the award. The union had not cancelled its registration even now.

The Commissioner said lie would note (he point, but the council had nothing to do with the validity of the agreement. That was a question for the Court, and he did not intend to accept the agreement at all. The Union Company applied for exemplion through Mr. M. Kuild, on (he same grounds ns (he previous applicants. "Scabs and Traitors." The action of tbe union was brought under discussion by Mr. Courtayne, who said ho wished the position of the assessors to be understood. They had been threatened that if they signed any agreement under the Act they would bo made to resign from Urn union. They hud been called scabs and traitors, to 'which they strongly objected. In attending as assessors they were complying with the law as it existed. If the law was wrong it should be altered. He had told the union ho would make this explanation. The Commissioner said he felt in much the same position as the union assessors. He had powers under the Act, and ho had carried them out. Tho assessors were in like manner bound to obev his call, and they had come fairly and impartially to do their duty. The employers' assessors declared (hat they wished to come to an amicable pottlcment. Mr. Courlayne said that he and his colleagues were also prepared to sit in the council and come to an amioHblc settlement. It was agreed that the consideration of tko schedule of conditions should proc&ed in committee. The council stood adjourned until the committee proceedings had finished. The discussion lasted all day, and was adjourned still in committee".