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TACT OF UNION PRESIDENT.

The waterside strike continues. The chief feature is that at least one of .toe leaders seems to .be keeping a strong'hand on any tendency to public (•disorder. Otherwise the situation is '"war to the knife." Over 1000 men attended a meeting called by the executive of the Waterside Workers' Union 'at 7.30 a.m. yesterday, "and proceedings were orderly. It appeared that those' present realised that the position, so far as they were concerned, Was,serious. > - - Mr. F. Curtice, president. qf r; tjie ''Union, was the first speaker. ; / Ho told hhe mill what had taken place at Wednesday evening's 'meeting of the executive. Tho meeting had, .ho stated, 'appointed a strong Striko Committee, and had arranged for the wharves to be picketed. Five gangs of pickets had been formed with one man in each [pioket as leader. Continuing, Mr. •Curtico urged the men to act together. iThey were out—locked out or on-strike, it did not matter which words were ■used—and tho fight could not be won ■unless tho men remained loyal to their union.' They had decided upon the I course, of action themselves, and now . jithey must 'stick to it. : Strike Pickets Admonished. "As president of,the union," Mr. . ,'G'urtico.; added, "I say to you men: i Conduct this strike in a peaceful man- , !ner. - . Do not use violence, and do, not hharass the police or anybody else in (doing their 'duty. If a man wants to work, [let him work, that's his look-out. My Ud vice to the pickets is: use taot when approaching your man. If he will not listen (to reason, and he goes to work that'is his look-out, not yours. Don't do what strikers have done in another /place in New Zealand. I do not want [to come up against tho law and the police. I enn tell you I <do not want to be sent up 'on the hill;' and I am sure that none of you fellows do either. (Cries of "No, No.") Well, take ray (advice and fight fairly and peaceably." ' Jn conclusion Mr. Curtice asked for volunteers for the picket gangs. Ho explained tho methods which were to. be 'adopted in working the pickots. Mr. G. G. Fat-land, secretary,' was tho next speaker. He repd the letter ;from tho shipowners in which that body ■ had stated tnat the agreement had been ' terminated. The letter was received in Absolute silence, and when the seoretary -concluded net a word was uttered. Mr. Farland Asks for ''Bitter War." . Mr. Farland then went on to describo <the position as it presented itself at Ahat. moment.- -"Telegrams," ho con- . ?tinued, "had been sent to all the watervsido workers' unions in New Zealand tinforming them of what had taken place. |If free labour was used in working any vessel then the unions iit various ports (would not touch those ships. The ves,'Bels which were, worked by non-union ■men at Wellington would be treated as •scab vessels -at other ports-in New Zealand." According to his .statement yesterday morning Mr. Farland is of the opinion that the strike is • not a Strike, but a lock-out .by the employers. . What are you going to do now?" he Vsaid. , ■ ' Height it out!" came from the crowd. \r £ ™ U3t bo fir m this time," replied ■Mr. Farland. "This is a fight-to tho flutter end. My advice to you men is, to make it as hot as you can.' Get into it if you have cause to. We have been treated wrongly, and' wo must show a good front to the employers or r m will go down. (Hear, hear.) At this stago I would like to tell you men ~tbat the • executive of your union.' is '.with you in this mattor,;and you must 'back them up. The assistant secretary and myself are a3 much i"n this strike .as any of you workers on tho wharves, i,Your pay has ceased from yesterday (Wednesday), and I can tell you that from last night (Wednesday) Mr. Bruce and myself will not draw any salary from the union. (Hear, hear.) We are on tho same level as you, and wo are 'fighting for what we think is right.' Again I say to you," if the .employers and anybody else interfero with your -lights make it hot. Get into : it:"- • A Methodical Warrior. Mr. H. .H. Simmons,,,vice-president, tolso spoke. In a happy little speech - he urged the men "to act together." "Romorabor you are out to got what' you think is ripht. Remember also that. are unionists, and stiok together. We must fight the employers systematically. It is war now, and all wars are won on system. Years ago wars • Were fought. hand-to-hand, but nowa'days they are fought at a distance by "System. That is what wo will have to do, and that is tho only .way.- we can win. Before wo go back to work those men must be reinstated! We wont go back under any new-agreomont. We ■ must have the old agreement or a better ono, or none at all. You men must make a stand on this and go for overy- - thing you can get now. Keep well together, and put a solid front to the enemy,, and you will win, you can't help it." Man Who Got' Past Pickets. Mr. Bruce, assistant secretary, then read out the names of -the Striko Com- - 'mittoe, and asked for further nominations. He also informed tho men that lie had given up his salary as from Wednesday evening. Mr. Bruce stated that ho had visited tho pickets' who ' had been on duty since 6 a:m., and each gang had reported: "Nothing ! doing. All quiot." "One member of our union was seen going down the'wharf, and he was approached by a picket," Mr. Brace continued. "He wns not in a talkative mood though, and passed on. ■Whothor he went to work or not I do - not know at present. Therefore I will ; not say anything more, and we had bettpr give him the benefit of tho doubt." 1 After Mr. Bruce had finished sneaking, Mr. Farland announced that the appointment of pickets, etc., would bo proceeded with. Ho asked tho press reporters to withdraw, 'as several mattors had to be fixed up by the executive, and that the kctual business part of the meeting had concluded.

• that a free labpurer Who had been en- : gaged on the Riveriija was coming up tho wharf. Tho picket was at onco all attention. It was their first chance to show their authority. Tho "boss" man worked his gang well, with the result that the free man was run to earth. When he was seen in ths distance one of tho pickets was distinctly heard to say: "Hero he comes. Wo won't hurt him, but the water is handy." Evidently the free labourer saw what was going to happen. He endeavoured to got through the ever-increasing crowd at the gates. It was no use, however, and he then tried to go towards Jervois Quay Wharf. Again ho was aocosted by the picket, and the crowd. In about seven minutes a crowd of as many hundreds had gathered. Seeing that escape was useless the free labourer appealed to the police for protection, and ho was escorted into the Tolls Office. Moantimo, the crowd 1 had increased to about 1000 persons—waterside workers and sightseers. They crowded round the Tolls Office windows and peered through the glass. "Where is ho?" "What's -he like?" and -similar qiiestions were asked. For the time being traffic on that particular part of the wharf was interrupted, and it looked as if there would do trouble. . Leader Appeals to the Men. Present reinforcements of police arrived, and stood by the Tolls Office door. "Why don't you bring him out?" cried a certain section of the crowd. "We won't -lurt him " "He's a free labourer, but he does riot soem very frtje now," said another maD. "Give him a Blanket and something to eat. I bet helll have to stay there for a time. If he comes out wo'll dump him," a prominent waterside worker was heard to remark. It was then plainly noticeable that if more precautionary measures were' not taken the crowd would got out of hand. Mr. Fletcher, chairman of the Harbour Board, appealed to the president of the union, Mr. Curtico, to ask his men to go off the wharf. In a few words Mr. Curtico addressed tho assemblage, and asked members of the union to leave the wharf. "What about the crowd who are not members?" was asked. Mr. Curtice replied that the wharf officials and, the police would attend to them. Almost , immediately the crowd of watersido works melted away, and the wharfinger and his men, assisted by tho police, did tho rest. Meantime the free worker, looking white and ill at ease, was kept in a room on the wharf. About an hour and a half after he had been driven to cover he was able to depart. Subsequently Mr. Fletcher, told a Dominion reporter that if he had desired he could have given orders for all the wharf gates to be closed. That would have meant'that no one without a legitimate reason-would be allowed on the, wharf. Mr. Fletcher said that he did not wish to'take such drastic action without trying to get the men away peaceably. It was with that end in view that ho had asked Mr. Curtice to request tho men to leave. "If we havo a recurrence of the trouble," said Mr. Fletcher in conclusion, "those gates will be closed." A little''later,- one or two men, including a -member of the executive of the Waterside Workers' Union wero requested to leave tho wharf in the vicinity of the s.s. Northern. At first thoj seemed 'disinclined to shift, for apparently they wished to see who tho free labourers were on board. After a little difficulty and some argument, the wharf was cleared.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19131024.2.79.1

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1888, 24 October 1913, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,653

TACT OF UNION PRESIDENT. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1888, 24 October 1913, Page 8

TACT OF UNION PRESIDENT. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1888, 24 October 1913, Page 8

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