AN OLD UNIONIST'S VIEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1908, 17 November 1913, Page 9

AN OLD UNIONIST'S VIEWS.

Sir, —'As one of the founders of the present Political Labour party) of which Mr, Jleardon was -another, I pro--tested at thft _ inception of tlio party that by his sincerity, courtesy, courage, aud capability tlio present secretary of the General Labourers' Union Was destined to bo a benefit and lead tho labour movement along oil sane lines, l'robabty few meii supporting the citu.se to-tlay have sivowft of self-. sacrifice in_ tho-past the saiiio earnestness as this man .who now stands out to combat that imported industrial reptile, tho Federation of Labour. For three weeks now tho city lias beep subjected to a campaign of intimidation.,, lies, obscenity, and financial string-' cncy, and all for what?—-to keep a few agitators, some of whom left other Countries or'the Commonwealth, without any requisition to remain, in lucrative and easy position*,' indulging their pet hobby for "spruiking." It would bo iiiteKJjtaw to know just what jji'oportion of wharf labourers on striko at Welli'Bgton are New . Zealaud-borH, or resident in tho Dominion for siiih a length of tinio iis to qualify as Btablo citizens. By this Writer's contact with them a largo proportion would seem to bo foreigners, ii tlife is so it would appear wo have '-allowed tlio industrial and commercial interests of Ntnv Zealand to bo temporarily paralysed while A number of foreigners led by a few agitating adventurers again test a doctrine that Iras everywhere proved a failurertho best proof of which is that its -advocates are ever shifting from failure to failure, as far as a steamboat will carry them,. The community must be ing in. a sense_ of humour if it -can't-apprecia-te tho joke of sons of' pioneers coao to protect their- life's sayings fro® the mortgagee being referred to i-ii pidgen-Ijnglish as "Don dirty scabs!" of would liaVo- suffered years of imprisonment for tho same olfetico in the land they came from. Perhaps it is that British liberty is mistaken for fieenso by those endowed with the nature of serfs. Ask'any one of t-Jio Btrikers what the- .industrial upheaval is ail about, aud he will fe.peat- tho parrotcry—a principle. if'one prices the 'mutter- furtlieri and inquires what priii» ciple, lie will be told by the more intelligent, tho principle of. unionism. This question certainly entered into the matter for a day or two when the masters threatened to work tho. port with free labour, but now that Arbitration labour is working tho port under tho same conditions as formerly enjoyed by tho strikers, 'With' the difference that the contract is itow equally enforceable against both parties, any workers who call the Arbitrationists' "scabs" casts an equal stigma oft every man an€ woman earning a living under Arbitration Court conditions throughout tlio length and breadth of New Zealand. A lot of people have been trying ti> reconcile soma of tlio strike leaders' professions of lawful conduct With 'the bitterness displayed towards special constables. What objection, could lawabiding citizens urge'to tho hardy men from tlreeounti-y giving a hand in the preservation of law and order if they wore anxious that tlio rioting of the first few days of tho striko should stojj? Instead -of people with these feelings jeering iheir • country cousins, one would have expcctcd cheering. Tho fact of tho matter i-s that the watersiders' leaders hoped to intimidate the public into granting something that its better judgment would refuse. It is stated that at the recent conference of Arbitration unions when the question of a general striko Was Urged tli® Arbitrationists aSked what representation was to be given them on the Strike. Committee in 'tlio evens of thesa unions "downing tools," and were, told "none." They wore simply to obey blindly a handful of foreigners who had constituted themselves autocratic labour bosses. Sttch an . impudent proposal was never before made in tho whole industrial history of New Zealand'.. And theso jneil who wished' to adopt the autocratic methods of the Middle Ages spoke thus in the name of organised labour, which over since its entry into the industrial and political field, has- stood for everything that is democratic and reasonable. Mr, Tregear as an authority on democratic methods might please explain this seeming incongvuity. Tto Federation of Labour never was anything mote than a gigantic bluff, and every baton that has been turned in tho name of law and order is of the Federation's own making. It mado mote, than a rod for its own back in the f-ormof a baton for the place where sensible, ideas did not exist. 'Jive labour organisation which docs not adhere to its contracts is guilty of scabbery, not only judged by labour standards, but bv every standard of common sense a-iid honesty. If such a condition of affairs ever existed industrially that contracts made between employer <ind employed were not regarded, as- binding, tho worker might find that on pay day this employer had not kept his side of the agreement. How would tho worker re-card that bfonnh of contract? fio had to come in order that-, the Federation of Labour should go, and it will go buried beneath a inouittain o! engendered class hate, arrogant, ignorance, infidelity of its leaders, disregard of. the standards of industrial honour. miiulFdk'd promise—a sordid thing that left out of its eai-etdations all that is most- noble in Ihe linos of not only tlx* workiiur vlass, b-Vit e-v'-elv alitor class,and individual eonsc.ientionsly striving by methods of reason to better the lines of the bottom dog industrially oft leaves nothing hut a Mot unon the progressive industrial historv of its time, but that future gonora* tiontt mny know eottwOtiiy; of its no* lure and methods upon it'j

should be inscribed the sum total of its method, aohiovoiWcnt, and prospect, and titis esvft be fittingly expressed in its own elegant diction "by th& sinvjvle wonl "scab!" —I-am, iite., OLD UNIONIST,