OPERATIVE BUTCHERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 4

OPERATIVE BUTCHERS.

Sir,—As tlio article in your paper on Wednesday morning is nothing bill misrepresentations and untruths, I think it advisable, in the. interests ol' the W.0.8.U. and its members, to correct tlio same. 1. In tlio first of your article you point out that a lengthy discussion took placo ro joining the U.P.O.L. or tlio U.L.l 1 ., and that the members, being dissatisfied with the constitution and policy of those parties, they think it not advisable to affiliate with cither of them.

2. In dealing with the Conciliation Council, you point out that tho union has been very successful in the past, aud that there was no inducement to part from the same.

3. That the ballot taken throughout the district re tho secretary being elected annually instead of permanently, as at present, resulted in five voting for tho motion and tho remainder of tlio members against. '

4. That the union expressed its satisfaction with some of the amendments being brought down by the present Government to the Shops and Offices Consolidated Bill, and also expressed tho. hope■ that other amendments would be inserted for tlio_ benefit and welfare of tho employees. Now, Sir, I will deal with your articles as I liavo numbered them :—

. 1. That there was practically no discussion of the U.F.O.L. or the U.L.P. policy, and the constitution was not mentioned, let alone discussed. The motion that was carried at tho meeting was to the effect that the correspondence from tho parties mentioned lay on the table. An amendment to tho effect that wo discuss the U.F.O.L. constitution and policy, with a view to taking a ballot throughout the district on joining the same, lapsed for want of a seconder.

2. It is quite true that the union has conducted its own affairs in the past by conciliatory methods, but not so well as you would make believe, and it was not agreed that there was no inducement to part from, that policy. But I believe that when the timo comes for the W.0.8.U. to get a now award, sufficient trouble or inducement will arise to depart from that policy, and look for something better. 3. The result of the ballot as you have printed is utterly untrue. The membership of the union is about 25(1, and the total votes recorded was 73—14 for and 59 against—which is a totally different aspect to your figures. _ 4. The meeting never expressed its satis-' faction with the amendments to the Shops and Offices Consolidated Bill being brought down by the present Government. You will remember printing some timo ago a motion passed by the above union condemning tho action of tho "Square Deal" Club Government at Waihi. I have every reason to believe that tho Bill mentioned above would receivo the same, and bo worthy of the same call. Sir, I believe your report was printed to try and mislead, or to give a wrong impression of what the W.0.8.U. stands for. If that is so, you have utterly failed in your .attempt, because tho union is not the dead Ixxly you would make believe, but will assist when , the timo arrives in dealing tho death-blow to tlio exploiting class of this country, in a manner you or the hardwood Government little think of.—l am, etc., INDUSTRIAL, UNIONIST. 'August 8. [Tho report objected to by our correspondent was that supplied by the union officials.. It is obvious that he 'has not read it very carefully, for where ho accuses us of stating that a motion was rejected by 5 votes to 1, what was actually reported was that it was rejected by a sto 1 majority. Possibly ho Ims read other portions of tho report with equal carelessness.]