LUMPERS' TACTICS,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 8

LUMPERS' TACTICS,

"MARKED" MEN RECOVER DAMAGES. (By Telegraph—Presa Association.) Aucklandi June 13. Mr. Justice Edwards delivered judgment in a case brought against the Auckland Waterside Workers* Union by two members who alleged that the union, officials had, by intimidation, prevented them from obtaining employment on the waterfront. The plaintiffs wene Jool Smith and James Miller, and the de-. fendant James Collet, secretary of the union. Plaintiffs claimed .£2OO and .£250 wages respectively, and an injunction against tho union, whioh was not incorporated or registered under any law. His Honour said the plaintiffs wena employed on the Maheno because no fewer than eleven of a chosen . gang had failed to turn up. Certain members of • tho union took exception to the extra industry shown by the plaintiffs, and at a meeting, in the absence of plaintiffs, and without evidence, fined Smith and Miller the amount earned by them on tho Maheno. Such proceeding was void, as being oontrary to natural justice. The evidence was hold to prove that both plaintiffs had been excluded from the waterside workers' waiting-room, and regarded as non-members. Both men, owing to preference being given to unionists, had. been unable to obtain employment as waterside workers. i His Honour found that the union, without any colour of right or authority, had penalised plaintiffs, who had not done anything of which the strictest unionist should disapprove. Defendant, without a scintilla of right, gave the employers of watersido workers notice that plaintiffs had ceased to be members of the union, with the object of precluding employers from employing such persons, and upon this notice tho employers ■ were bound to act. He assessed Miller's damages at .£55 and, those of ' Smith, whose case was more serious, at .£BO..