EMPLOYERS' TERMS REJECTED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1890, 27 October 1913, Page 4

EMPLOYERS' TERMS REJECTED.

PACKED MASS MEETING. EXHORTATIONS BY FEDERATIONISTS.. On Saturday, for , the,first time in the history of tho strike,-the Pr.ess representatives 'ivero excluded from the strike mcetings > of the Waterside Workers' Union.- At 8 n.m: the watersiders' meeting-room was full to overflowing, and several men could not obtain admission. AVhen ' a Dominion reporter reached the. glass doors leading to tho waiting-room, apparently tlio "meeting was being conducted in perfect ordor. Tho speeches appeared to be listened, to with rapt attention, and inside was one dense throng of men. At intervals cheers, and- "hear, hears" could be .'heard, and that was all. After the meeting tho men streamed out, and one and' ajl. earnestly discussed that which had been heard inside. When one man was- aiip'roached and asked what the verclict was, lie replied: "Oh, we've turned them down. It was no good to us. Yes," ho'said in answer to a question, "it was unanimous all right." To a companion: "Wasn't it, Bill?" Bill replied in the affirmative.

Subsequently Mr. G. G. Farland, secretary of tho union, supplied ail official Teport of tho proceedings to the reporters. The report, by tho way, was submitted to'the Striko Committee, to bo censored, and was passed without alteration. It reads as follows:—

"A special meeting of the Waterside Workers' Union was held on Saturday morning, Mr. F. Curtice (president) presiding.- Messrs. W. ;T. Young and F. H. Hickey (president and secretary respectively of the United Federation of • Labour) were in attendance to give their report on the omployors' proposals. -,

"Lt lyas decided that as the matters to be discussed were of. such a delicate and important nature, all the Press should' be excluded, and that a statement bo mado up at the conclusion of the meeting,, and handed to tho Press for' publication. This Was done in order that all present might express.their views freely. • "Mr. Young, in reporting upon the conference, stated that. '-.they had met the.employers, nnd the decision (already, published on Saturday • morning) hail Leon handed to them. • Ho • reviewed tho cause, of the troublo,'And stressed that tho labour foreman had •come to. tho labour-engagement stand" in. the waiting-room with 'two, books. . One contained the names of; men employed prior to tlio 'stop work' .meeting being held; and the othor for the purpose ■ of booking fresh men. Thnt- was really the cause of the.'trouble. Now the employers wanted the men to go back without any conditions.

"Ho and Mr. Hickey could not recommend the adoption of the latter proposal. It meant that tho.agreement was abrogated in AVcllington, and being a national "agreement it could not be broken' in ono port without being broken in all other ports in Now Zea-

"The only matter now in dispute (continued Mr. Young) was tho recognition of the agreement which was in operation at tlio commencement of the trouble, and as far as tho speakor and Mr. llicVo3' and the Federation, of Labour were concerned they wore ffoina

to stick out for that. (Cheers.) He was of opinion that if the matter bad to be decided by Messrs. Aiken, W. A. Kennedy and N. Galbraith tlie agreement would bo reinstated. It seemed to him that Mr. R Fletcher was the man who was standing out against it. He exhorted the men to stand firm for "their agreement. They did not desiro to .oxtend the trouble if .it could be avoided, but if 'scabs' came .. along something would have-to'bo done to prevent the employment'of free labour. (Applause.) ■ . ' "Mr. Hickey spoke in similar terms. He said tliat they would exhaust every means of coming .to a settlement beforo extending, the trouble. It was a ridiculous'assumption on the part of the employers that a breach'of tho agreement should tCTminato the agreement, as they had Started: The effect of tlie abrogation of the agrccment'would' be to hold it as a club over the head of every worker,in New Zealand. It was a national question. Mr. Hickey congratulated members of the union and said that tliey had conducted thomselvcs in .a. creditable manner. Every organisation 'in New. Zealand would ■bo behind them.

"A large number of questions were asked and finally the following motion was put:'—'

V. 'That' the, proposals of the employers'be not accepted." ' On a hands being taken this was carried unanimously." ' , ■