MASS MEETING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 6

MASS MEETING.

SPEECHES BY UNION LEADERS,

FEAIt OF FREB LABOUR,

| [Another big mass meeting was held by the' strikers in tho Waiting-room yesterday morning. Mr. F. Curtice was in tho chair, and' tho proceedings were very orderly. Mr. G. G. Farland Bpoke at length. He statod that, up till the conduct of the men had been oxemplaiy. Ho deprecated violence of any kind. The speaker then wont on to refer to some man who, he alleged, was a traitor to his class. Ho thought that this man was in exactly the same position as a traitor to his country. A man who was a traitor to his country was shot, «nd tho man who went back on his fellows should at least be held) In contempt by his fellow-workors. Mr. Farland) went on to say that there were many ways of winning strikes. The'old starvation strike was gone. If the public of New Zealand thought that they were going to bo ft party to such methods they wero making a big mistake. As long as tho employers were prepared 'to meet them, they wero prepared to favourably view tho policy of peace and decorum. Tho speaker maintained that, from tho outset, the whole trouble could hayo been oasily got over. "Position Foroed on Us." The position had been forced iupon the organisation. It was quite evident that the employers had anticipated a strike, and that they had prepared for it., Mr. Farland proceeded to review tho trouble from tho commencement. Ho explained ,t'hat the "stop work" meeting had been ■called because the exeoutivo was not going to involve tho men in an industrial struggle without placing the whole of tho facts before them. . •

Quite Willing to Restart Work. If the general manager of the Union Company—a man possessed of more tact tlian some of the officials here — had been in Wellington, he would have recognised that it was folly for the employers to take up the attitude which they had! now adopted. Tho men. liad never looked for trouble —it had been put on to them. If the men were given their jobs baok they were willing to start work. But neither ho, nor any other man 'of the union, would take another man's job. As far as the men woro,concerned, they wanted peace with honour. Continuing, Mr. Farlnnd said that the Waterside Workers of New Zeajand were with them a man. All that was needed was the word from headquarters, and thou something bigger would happen. Everybody knew what that meant. Ho expressed tho opinion that the Federation of Labour would not allow the handling of "scab" cargo in New Zealand. Willing to Moot Employers. The speaker went on to refer to the conference, and he assured thoso assembled that the proposal had not originated with the union. If the union was invited to do so, they were quite willing to meet the employers, and talk tho matter over. The adoption of such a courso would probably settle the, whole thing. All that he asked of the men was to allow tho Strike Committee to have a free hand until negotiations were over.

"Kesp Life In the Qcime." The secretary of the union then appealed to the pickets to do their best to persuade the free labourers to, leave their jobs, but, in doing so, to use peaceful methods. He was of tho opinion that tho whole matter might ba.flettled in a few days. He knew how men felt when they saw other men taking away tho bread and butter from their wives and,children. And they 'certainly did not vWsh tho disturbance to spread throughout tho country. It should bo the duty of every waterside workers' union to try to settle its own differences before it involved others. Tho decision to strike had been unanimous. It was not a strike that had been fomented by a few individuals. In conclusion, Mr. Farland urged tho men to keep life in the game. He urged thorn not to leave the duty of picketing to a few. The Fear of New Union. Mr. 6. Bruce, assistant secretary, said that he was going to try to look into the future. A _ "scab" union might be formed, but it would be useless unless the strikers joined it. If suoh a union were formed every man in New Zealand who professed to bo a unionist would havo to come to tho aid of the men who were out on strike. If the other unions did not come to their assistance, another meeting would be held at the week-end to consider the position. It was nearly impossible for them to win this strike unaided. Industrial unionism was the only thing that could help them. Mr. Bruce predicted what would happen if they wero defeated under thoso circumstances by saying that it would not only he a blow to the unions in, Wellington, but a blow to all the unions in New Zealand. iAs he drew to a close, Mr. Bruce asked tho men to give the Striko Committee a week to find out whether thov had a ohance of winning or not. Ho said that he did not believe in a long-drawn-out striko. A strike that lasted over ten days grew harder to win every day.