HUNTLY & WAIHI.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 157, 15 October 1912, Page 6

HUNTLY & WAIHI.

| BOLT FROM THE BLUEA CHALLENGE TO DIRECTORS. HOW IT WAS METUNION LEADERS DISMISSED. [By T«!ozrat>h.—Press Association.) Auckland, October 14. A most important decision in the history of labour disputes was arrived at by the directors of the Taupiri Coal Mines' Company regarding the trouble at the Huntly mines. The decision was communicated to a "Herald" representative by Mr. E. W. Alison, and it took the form of the following statement which is to be presented to the Waikato Miners' Union:— The directors regret exceedingly the action of those members of the Waikato Miners' Union who, directly contrary to tho warning of the directors, absented' themselves from work, on Thursday last, October 10. The directors have reason to l>elieve that such action was not the unanimous wish of the miners with whom good relations have existed. They do not therefore intend to take any action to the prejudice of the miners as a whole, but they cannot allow so. serious a matter to pass without marking their strong disapproval of same, and they have therefore decided to forthwith notify members of tho executive of the union that their services are dispensed with. Tho directors feel that, as is implied if hot expressed- in the award, they have the right to demand and depend upon the best efforts of the executive of the union to see that the terms of the award are faithfully and loyally observed and, in this, the directors are of opinion that the executive have signally failed. The. whistle will be sounded as usual on Tuesday, October 14.

Mr. J. Fletcher, mine manager, left for Huntly last evening, and he will convey tho directors' decision to the men. Why;'have the directors selected the executive of the union for' punishment? Mr. Alison was asked. "*

"Because there can be no doubt," he replied "that, if the executive had set themselves firmly against a strike, the men would not have ceased work. The members of the executive are, naturally and. properly, the leaders of the union, and the directors are entitled to look to them for moderation in both speech and action. It is well known (Mr. Alison continued) that there was a very considerable difference of, opinion amongst the men themselves, ana their leaders ought to have used all their, efforts to check inflammatory speech and illegal action. Instead of doing so their influenoe has been in the opposite direction. It was still more the duty of the executive to exercise restraint and calmness in view of the very clear and definite warning given by the directors. If tho object of the union was merely to make a demonstration in regard to the imprisoned strikers that could have been done with quite as much, if not more, force on Saturday, which, being pay dav, no work would have been done." The determination to cease work in the middle, of the week .without notice of any kind, after the warning given, can only be construed as a direct challenge to the directors, and it at oncc raises the question as to whether the employer is to be left even the right to carry on bis business."

' "Tho directors," continued Mr. Alison, "have accepted the challenge; and are prepared to stand by their action. They feel, too, that they wfij. have the support of all right-thinking people, and that even the members of the -union, if they will think over tho matter calmly, will admit that the directors were left no alternative. In dispensing with the services of tho members of the executive, the directors are not seeking to strike a blow at unionism. They recognise fully the right,and desirability of the men working in a large industry being bar.ded together officially in union, and taking united action for tho benefit of members, but they do claim that the actions of the men placed at the head of such a union sliall be those of law-abiding and agree-ment-keeping citizens, and not those of men who evidently fail to realise t,heir honourable duties and their serious responsibility. It must be obvious that a large industrial concern like the Taupiri Coal Alines, which supplies a very largo proportion of tho coal consumed in and around Auckland, and upon which many other industries employing hundreds of workers depend,, cannot possibly carry on its business or meet its engagements for the supply of coal if agreements entered into by tho union ivith the company, and affirmed by the Arbitration Court, can bo set aside and the whole of the operations of the company, dislocated at the whim of the workers without a moment's notice.

SIDE SHOWS.

DAY -OFF BY IHE LABOURERS. SOME. OF THE SCENES. (Br TelearaDli.—Special Correspondent.) / Auckland, October 14. An excellent indication of the tactics employed by tho strikers and their pickets was obtained in Fort Street to-day.' This street ie being wood-blocked, and not one of the men employed by the contractors fell in with the. request "down tools." Early in the morning pickets arrived on the scene, and did their best to persuade tho men to cease work. All argument, however, proved without avail, and tho men stuck to their work. Throughout the morning fresh groups of strikers arrived on the scene, and speaking from the footpath, persistently' endeavoured to talk tho non-strikers into revolt. Throughout the morning a policeman paraded up and down the thoroughfare, and wherever the fo'otpath showed a tendency towards congestion, the loiterers were moved on. Lunch-time was the occasion for a concerted attempt at conversion, or coercion as the case may be. The workmen, at noon, donned their coats, and adjourned to shady corners, there to partake of their lunch. Instantly they were surrounded by strikers, and the following dialogue (which occurred outside Messrs. John Chambers and Sons' premises, where the crowd was thickest) indicates the direction in which pressure was brought to bear by the pickets:— "Say," said the spokesman of the picketing party, whose badge of red ribbon indicated that ho was a Federntionist, "why don't you fellows bo men and down tools " "Why 6hould we?" replied one of the labourers. "Because the union is fighting a class fight for the workers against the master class." "The union never decided on a 6trike." "You are wrong, it did." "When?" . "Yesterday." "T am a member of the union." Te,plied the worker. "I had no notice of a meeting. My mate was at a gathering yesterday when not more than a hundred members of the union took it upon themselves to say that the union as a whole should strike. What right had 100 to dictate what the other 800 should do?" The Federationist: "We are fighting for 1500 of our fellow unionists who are victimised." "Victimised! What for?" "Because they ceased work for 24 hours." "And wasn't it an idiotic thing to strike for 24 hours? Did not members of our union as a whole show their' disapproval of it by practically boycotting the demonstration?"

"We onh obeyed the head of our organisation when wo ceased work on Thursday." . . "

"And are you obeying it now? Aren't, you striking noiv without the Federation's permission ?"

"The Federation is sure to back uj. Thev won't, see men victimised/'

A" City Council officer in the crowd: "What does the victimisation amount to The picket's spokesman: "I am one of thnsn victimised. The employers have a black list.' and I 'know it. When T told the drainage Pflnt.rar.tor on vlmm) contract I worked that I wu not'some to 1»

there on Thursday he told mo to stay away altogether, and added that the employers would keep a list of those knocking off for tho uay. So I find myself out of a job." The contractor on the Fort Street works: "Well, just to prove you're wrong, take your coat off and I'll give you a job right now."

"What? Have me scab on my mates! Not much!" declared the victimised one, and his further remarks were lost in,tho laughs and ridicule of the crowd. Several time? the police had to request the crowd to move on anil cense blocking the footpath. Tho pickets, however, persistently kept at tho workmen, and the information which they imparted was quite misleading in many cases.

"What are tho men doing on Julian's contract?" aMted one toiler.

"All out—out to a man," promptly replied the pickets, whereas, if their desire had been to impart tho truth, they would have replied: "All at it—to a man." "Call yourself a man?" interjected another member of the picket. "Do you reckon your price is Bs. Bd. per day?' "I get more than Bs. 8(1.," retorted the worker, "and, anyway, it's my business what. I work for."

"You are on a City Council, job. You only get Bs. 8d;," said the picket man. "This is not a council job," was the response, "and we get more than Bs. Bd." "Then your screw has been increased in order that your mind mny lie poisoned. Any way, it's' only because your bosses are afraid of the union that they have increased your pay. You've got to thank the union for it." '

For an hour the picket kept up its argument, but though their talk appealed to two men, who declined to resume work, the rest of the men in Fort Street picked up their tools amidst hearty cheers from a growing crowd. I "I've got to thank the union for nothing," said one of the men. "I was better off t when there was no union. As soon as tho union gets moving the cost of living gets moving, too. Anyway go and get your lunch, and, if you've had your lunch, go and get work.' . "Oh, well " was the polite rejoinder of the picket, "if that's your opinion you ro only a scab." THE, PARTIAL STRIKE. (By TeleerttDli.—Presa Association.) Auckland, October 14. The troubled state of- tho labour market at present is indicated by the fact that to-day a partial strike of general labourers is in progress. The demonstration had its origin in a "sympathy'- strike called by the' Federation of Labour on Thursday last. As a' result of that strike many of the general labourers wlio failed to put in an appearance on Thursday were not re-engaged on Friday, when they turned up at work. This was looked upon as intimidation by the General Labourers' Union, who held a. meeting yesterday to consider what action should be taken. Ultimately it was decided to call strike for to-day as a protest against the action Of the local bodies and employers who had refused to take on men who had left off work. The consequence is that to-day is a half-and-half holiday among-the general labourers, but tho response to the request (p "come out" must have been sadly disappointing to those who organised the strike.

The Remuera Road Board appears to have been the most seriously, affected. Cf its 120 employees over 100 men "downed tools."

In tho Drainage Board's service only four foremen turned up to-day, and 45 pick and shovel men absented themselves. The Harbour Board employees remained firm for the most part, only GO out of 400 of their men refusing to work. The Par noil Borough Council employs some ten or twelve general labourers, but all of these turned out this morning, determined not to take heed of the union's request. Subsequently they were visited by pickets, who attempted to' persuade them to leave off, but were unsuccessful.

The Epsom Road Board has only about ten labourers employed, but these did not go out. The Newmarket Borough Council is in the same fortu'nnte position as the Epsom Road Bqard. It has 45 men employed, but has had no trouble with them at all.

' The workmen engaged on the- street works in the Mount Ed?n district arc proving themselves' staunch arbitrationists, only two or three of tho total of about 60 having failed to turn up to work this morning:.

Some of the private contractors . had trouble with their men, who belapg to the union, and as a result their contracts were set back, or building operations had to be carried on in a somewhat hampered manner. For the most part, however, the labourers engaged on private work do not appear to have troubled themselves about the call to. cease work. - Work at the Morningside quarries was carried on under serious restrictions, some 17 or 20 m.cn working out of a total of about 50 or CO. TO BE FIRMLY MET, Auckland, October 14. A very firm stand is taken by the Local Bodies' .Association, of which Mr. M. J. Coyle (Mayor of Mount Albert) is president, regarding those men who ceased to-day. Mr. Coyle told a reporter that he had communicated with most of the borough councils, and other local bodies, and they had agreed that all men who had left off would not be taken back. Mr. Coyle stated' that all employees of the Mount. Albert Borough Council had been notified that there was not the slightest possibility of them again being takenon if they left work to-day. The council wished to deal fairly with the men, and had promised thorn that, if there was any attempt to molest them on the part of the pickets, the council would,see that they were protected. One or two men had asked if they could attend the meeting of the General Labourers that afternoon, and they had been informed that, if they did so, they would not be taken on again. It, was pointed out to them that a meeting could be held in the evening quite as weir as in tho morning—in fact, moro conveniently. So tho council ,was going to be very firm and absolutely refused to bo dictated to by the union. Any local bpdy labourer who did not go to work to-day had no prospects whatever of being engaged by any other local body. He wished this point mado very clear.

The City Council employs some 600 general labourers, and, of this number, only 29 were not at work to-day. Tho city engineer (Mr. Bush), when seen by a reporter, stated that there would be no disorganisation of the city's services, as only these 29 men had failed to put in an appearance. Pickets had been at work all the morning, and had made strenuous endeavours to prevail on the men to quit, but had failed. The men who did cease work were employed on the drainage works. ' -■ On tho Auckland Drainage Board's own works (exclusive of <, contracts) some 50 men liavo ceased work. The gasworks are not likely to suffer, for, although a number of general labourers are employed there, the pickets were presumably instructed not to interfere in this quarter. "OFFICIAL REPORTS." , Auckland, October 14. At a meeting of the General Labourers' Union held yesterday a committee was set up to supply official information to the press in connection with the strike, and after a lengthy wait a reporter was handed the following official statement by tho chairman of tho committee at 2.35 p.m. to-day:—"At a special meeting of the union held yesterday morning it. was unanimously decided to strike' against the victimising of 100 labourers taking part in Thursday's demonstrations.. Pickets were appointed for various jobs, and they have enthusiastically carried out their duties. During this morning it is estimated that 800 workers have ceased work at the linion's request. (Signed) E. Patrick,' W. Fisher, E. Corbett, J. O'Brien."

All requests for further information were declined onMho score that none.but the committee were empowered to give it. The committee, on the other hand, considered themselves unable to make further announcements.

Inquiries made by a press representativo among locnl bodies suul private contractors would tend to show- that about MO men participated in the strike, the number being made up ns follows:—Pemuera Road Board. 100; other local bodies;. JO; Morninjrside quarries, 35; City Council. 20; Drainage Board. 47; Builders and flcucral Labourers, 100; Harbour Board, 00. FEDERATION'S MANA. (Us TelsiraDb—Pr?ss Association.) Ounetfin, October H. About a month Ago the Dunedin Wa<ereide Work<» Uniou held a secret ballot.

on tho question whether it 6hould cancel its affiliation with the Federation of Labour. Out of a total vote of 246, the proposal to secede from tho federation was carried by 19 voles. Tho result of the ballot, however, did not give satisfaction in some quarters, it being freely stated that ballot papers did not sufficiently clearly distinguish the issue to be decided. At a meeting of workers on Thursday night it was decided to take a fresh ballot on the proposal, and this was hold yesterday, when the voting resulted as follows:—For remaining in the federation, 167; against, 10G. Invercaraill, October H. The Nightcaps miners, who are the only body in Southland affiliated to tho Federation of Labour, held a demonstration on Saturday, a procession ami speeches being the principal features. They returned to work as usual this morning. THE HOLIDAY. BALLOT COMMENCES TO-DAY. In connection with the ballot which is to bo taken by members of the Wellington branch of the Waterside Workers' Union, re ndxt Saturday's "holiday," it is understood that Messrs. F. Curtis, president, and G. G. Farland, secretary, will act as scrutineers. Two days will be occupied in taking the ballot, on which a start will be mado this hiorniug. Tho decision should be known to-morrow evening.

In respect to tho incident concerning tho action of certain members of the Wellington Watorsido Workers' Union in displaying red, white, and blue ribbon at last Saturday's meeting, as reported iti yesterday's issue, a uiomber who was present states that practically all members of the union were expecting a protest from the executive of tho federation, party against the action of the Waihi miners in hauling down the Union Jack at Waihi recently. As this expected protest was not forthcoming, hundreds of those who attended the meeting wore tho ribbon merely to show that they were loyal to the Union Jack. The informant also states that, during the meeting, he was instrumental in stopping tho proceedings, in order to call for Three cheers for the Eed, White, and Blue." He states that the cheers were heartily given, and only a very few groans could be heard. The majority of the workors (he adds) consider that they should stand by their agreement with the.employers, which was entered into with the employers some months ago. They consider that they aro now' working under conditions which are as good as any prevailing in any part of the world. He concluded by stating that the waterside workers aro not desirous of "downing tools" on Saturday next. In our report of the meeting of waterside workers, it was stated that Mr. Curtis, "at the suggestion of the executive of the Federation of Labour, endeavoured to move a resolution to the effect that a holiday should be taken." Mr. Curtis did not move the resolution. As a matter of fact, Mr. Curtis is one of those who wished to give the members of tho union an opportunity of voting by ballot on the question of whether the waterside workers should cease work, and therefore could hove no sympathy with a proposal which did not go in that direction.