"PRECIPITATE ACTION."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1690, 5 March 1913, Page 7

"PRECIPITATE ACTION."

STATEM.ENT BY MR. WALLACE. • REPLY TO THE COMPANY. , The statement, telegraphed from Dunedin. (published above) that "the precipitate action of the engineers came as a great surprise (to the Union Company), being out of all proportion to the points of difference," was commented upon last' evening by Mr. A. Wallace, secretary of tho Marine Engineers'. Institute. Mr. Wallace disclaimed any intention of discussing the rights and, wrongs of the general position at the present juncture, but remarked that he did not feel justified in letting the statement of the company, abovo referred to, go without an answer. It was the Union" Company, ho submitted, which had been guilty of precipitate action by dragging the engineers into conciliation proceedings while friendly negotiations were in progress. The result of the ballot, Mr. \Vailace continued, was known to the executive of the Marine Engineers' Instituto on Priday night. . He communicated with Mr. Kennedy (local manager of tho Union Company) on Saturday morning, made known to him the result of the ballot, and asked him to communicate with the headquarters of the Union Company at Diinediii.

"The company," said Mr. AYallace, "did not offer us any inducement tu tome to terms. 1 suggested that Mr. Kennedy should ask for power to conduct the ln-go-tiatious hero, but there was 110 definite M'esultj.amt eventually the whole tiling was held over until Monday. Oil Holiday I agnjn. communicated with Mr. Kennedy, and'ot my suggestion ho again communicated with, Dunedin, ami I suppose again put our casb before his company. 110 wanted to know what lie should say. I iold him that the men wanted the Australian award, and that if the cumpany declined to give any guarantee lhal lli(y I would agree to these terms, I would then be in a position to advise the engineers as to their next course of action. The reply lo this was definite: lhal .the company would not give the Australian award, and flint they would risk their engineers turning out, Can our aolU-11, therefore, tw classed as urecipitate? Tlio company, had

from Saturday morning until J.onclay morning in which to come to a decision, and apart from that, wo had been ill 'friendly negotiations' l'oi 1 months, without coming to any satisfactory outcome. Ine taking of a ballot did not . nemsuril> mean putting an end to the fnendlj negotiations, for the purpose of the ballot vas to tako the sense of tho engineers ui-on tho company's proposals. he company does not take us into its confidence 1,1 gard to its internal procedure, but when we proceeded to take a ballot the company stepped in with its precipitate action of commencing Conciliation pi m ceilings."