THE CALL TO STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1907, 15 November 1913, Page 6

THE CALL TO STRIKE.

' GENERAL LABOURERS MEET, STORMY GATHERING. BREAKS UP IN DISORDER; There was a very lively meeting of ; the members of tJio General Labourers' Union last night, which ] ln d some diverting features but did not roach any ; definite- conchision. Tho scene of the ; gathering was the Trades Hall. More Hum two hundred members of the umon attended, and Mr. P. Stott (pro* sKleut) occupied the chair. ; Messrs. p. Hickoy and W. Parry, of . jf 0, J-'ederation of Labour, waited tipon ; tho meeting and asked leave to address it. Percussion was granted, and both delegates spoke at length. They toav- ■ d , th , e h > st<ir ? of tiro strike, aid'also , Aγ T/ 1 * hG secretary of tie. union i rl i, " Eeardon) on account of tho , attitude lie has taken up and tiio cxecu- ■ , u ° r . J t , ho Mimne r m which they had doait with tho "call" sent out b> tho ; I'ederatieii of Labour. What the cxeoiitivo has done is to take a secret ballot of the whole of tho members of , the union on the question of remaining at Work or going out. The emissaries of the Federation evidently considered, judging by their remarks, that the ox- . ectitivo should have summoned a spe- ; eiftl mooting as soon as the "call" was received and taken an open vote there and then on the question of striking. Mr. Parry accused tho secretary' of tho union (Mr. "Eqarden) of having at* tacked the waterside workers. Mr. Heardoti, denied till charge, and invited Mr. Parry to substantiate it/by quoting the words iji which he (Mr. B-eardon) had attacked the waterside workers. Someone passed along a copy of a newspaper containing Mr. fofardon's ■statement, and N Mr. Parry scanned it over for several minutes, but ' at tho eiid of that time did not furnish an answer to the question. Having t concluded their speeches, Messrs. Hiekey, and Parry were thanked for their attendance and withdrew. member of the union then moved; "That ia the Opinion of this meeting tho action of the executive in taking ft secret ballot is unconstitutional." 'Ho Went on to contend that the meeting should decide for itself there and then, whether to strike or not, and that those who were not prepared to "down tools" if Called upon, were "scabs" and traitors to the Labour cause.. When this sort of talk had. continued, for a little time, about 150 of those present gpt up and left .the room. The chainuau thereupon declared the meeting closed, .and ordered tho seeretarj' to doss the office. This was done. The noisy section of members who remained now began to. jostle- the pres> dent and secretary, and demanded that these officers should take their places and continue the meeting. Both officers resolutely declined to do so. Proceedings at this stage were very, mixed indeed. Some of the militants howled, and epithets like "scab," "coward, " and '"traitor" were, freely bandied about. Three or four excited individuals offered to resort to fa'sticujfs, but they stopnud short of actual combat. The door was guarded; aijd the president and secretary wc-ro prevented from takiwg their departure. After a- time, when the noisy ones had cooled a little, tliey appointed one of their number as chairman, and held a.n impromptu meeting on their own account. A resolution was carried that a special meeting should be held,oft Moil-, day next, with tho 'object of removing tho secretary from office for refusing-.t0. 1 proceed with tho business. A second meeting then proceeded to discuss the question as to whether tho result,ijf tho ballot ivliieh is' being taken, should be accepted. This gav@ rise to another wrangle, almost as vigorous and noisy as those, which had preceded it. Some of the speakers held that if a motion wore carried not to accept tho ballot, they should go 911 strike forthwith. Opinion was very much divided, and filially the second meeting, in its turji, broke up in disorder and naise. ' The- later stages of tho proceedings were listeued to by an interested and amused attdience, inside and outside tho Trades Hail. The position now is that the ballot ordered by the executive will proceed. The result will bo announced within a few days.