THE NEW UNION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1445, 21 May 1912, Page 6

THE NEW UNION.

WHAT THEY CANNOT TOLERATE, ATHEISTIC SOCIALISM. Waihi, May 2(1. Mr, M. J. Savage, speaking at * a demonstration, said lie had the Act and found that the action of the engine-drivers iu forming a union was lawful, but the law was made for man, and if man was dissatisfied with the law he was right in kicking it aside.

Waihi, Mar 20. The new union (Engine-drivers and ■Winder*) issued this morning a-statement giving reasons why they formed a union. They stale they can no longer tolerate a branch of a ymiou whose officials embrace, every opportunity of insulting the Empire and. its rulers, ridiculing traditional beliefs, scoffing at all religion, and bleating forth . anti-militarism, atheism, and revolutionary Socialism, in season and out of season. The statement concludes with the expression of a firm intention to hold to their present position tii! the crack of doom. As a result of the Strike Committee's interference with tally clerks of the Waihi Company who are acting as patrols, and a demand that they should knock off, Mr. 11. P. Barry, superintendent, has advised the men to cease in order to save trouble. OLD UNION'S TYRANNY. Waihi, Mav 20. Following are further reasons adduced by the new union for separating from the Waihi Miners' Workers' Union.

1. That prior to cancellation of registration of the Miners' Union under the Arbitration Act, the engine-drivers considered it advisable i» Conn a separate union. At n conference with tho Miners' Union officials, however, the latter made such promises that we felt justified in allowing the matter to lapse. Thus at the outset we desired separation. 2. Ballots for cancellation of tho union's registration were conducted- in a grossly lax manner. Several ballots took (dace, tho final extending over a fortnight, and the ballot box was actually taken round to several shafts instead of being left at tho hall under'supervision. To this we strongly objected. Since then the management of the union's affairs has been similarly lax and informal, to the material detriment of our concerns mid interests.

3. One instance of culpable neglect will suffice. In li! 10 wo were circularised by the Engine-drivers' Union of New Zealain! re a suggested alteration to Ihe Machinery Act, liy which the status of the present first-class certificate covering any stationary land engine would have been reduced to that controlling 40 h.p. only. We made immediate appeal to the union to onk-r n protest, hut they merely referred-the matter to the president, who promised to negotiate. We had fu he .satisfied with the information that the federation's solicitor had the matter in hand, i'inully wo were compelled to. take individual action on the eve of the last session of Parliament.

4. lie claims of the union to obtaining an increaso of wages, we were not beholden to the union at all.- The Waihi companies changed their haulage plants I'rom small-geared engines to large firstinotion engines, which demanded greater skill and efficiency. On representation being made to the companies by drivers independent of any union or federation, we wero immediately granted an increase of pay. Similarly" and independent, of both union or federation, the ldcomotivo drivers, pump drivers, and men working in the Wniknto gas producers obtained an inci-ense. . Now, as these increases were included in last agreement, Hie Miners' Union claims all the credit. The statement further alleges that "in direct opposition to the agreement, tho union forced the engine-drivers who were not on the roll before the agreement was drawn up to join the union. The coercion was a threat of refusal to be lowered bv non-members. This is a fair sample of the brand of liberty practised bv the Waihi Miners' Union."