THE CRY OF "TRAITOR."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1904, 12 November 1913, Page 8

THE CRY OF "TRAITOR."

BY HON. J. BIGG.

REJOINDER BY MR. REAJtDON. The Hon. 3. Rigg, M.L.C., made. a statement yesterday 011 the subject- of tlie strike, and in reply to statements by Mr. M. J. Renrdon and the Hon. J. liarr, JI.L.C:, which have already been published. "I -would say this," remarked Mr. Rigg, "no matter who he is, any unionist,who at the present time endeavours lo break up the solidarity -of the work* ere is a traitor to the Labour eauso. No matter what has led up to the strike, or what- mistakes may nave been made, it is th-e duty of every true unionist—the instinct of self-preserva-tion demands it— : to stand by these .strikers on this occasion, whether they are right of whether they are wrong, for the reason that'the strike has ceased to be a strike simply between the CJnion Company and the vratersid-0 workers. Other employers have now joined in, the Farmers' Union has taken a hand, and it has become a struggle that is both industrial and political.

'Mr. Rigg went on to explain that he iiad up to the present held aloof, in the hope that he might be of service if called upon to do something' to bring about a settlement. He approved the suggestion that a public meeting should be called of those ' citizens not directly interested in the strike so that pressure* could be brought to bear upon the Government with a view to finding a solution of the difficulty. The real cause,of the strike, he remarked, was ah attempt on the part of the Union Company to cat down the earnings of shipwrights. Now the Union Company had dropped out of sight, and the position' was that all the forces of law and order, the combined employers in tho city, and tho farmers' unions throughout the country, ■ were fighting the battle of tho "Oman Company, while the company- itself was ttot in evidence.

Mr. Rigg suggested that tlie Government should charter or if necessary take possession of such vessels as are required to carry on the ferry service between Wellington and Lyttelton, and between Wellington and Sydney. If that were done he believed arrangements could be mado with the waterside workers by which tile Home boats could be loaded by union labour, and thus the produce of tho farmets could ho shipped. Finally, Mr. Rigg remarked that it was not enough to settle strikes; something must be done to prevent them, and in this connection he commended pj-ofit-sharing.