HOPEFUL SIGNS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1908, 17 November 1913, Page 6

HOPEFUL SIGNS.

There arc many hopeful signs in connection with the strike, not the least of these being the' constant recourse by strike leaders t'o wilful lying and deception in order to keep alive the enthusiasm of their deluded followers* At- the meeting at Newtown Park tho statement was made on more than one occasion that not a single striker had gone back to work in Auckland. Yet in the Auckland Herald of Saturday last it is shown that the resumption of work by the hotel employees brings tho total of public services and trades which have wholly or partly recommenced operations up to eight.

Tin's number, state tho "Herald," includes watersidcrs, of whom between 400 and 500. are now partially working tho port; tearooms and restaurant's, all of which aro open and in full working order again; the carting trade, which has been partly, established; the city employees, of whom practically all, except the cartcrs, have l'fihiriieil to work; the Exhibition workers, of whom a number aro now at worlt, and tho ixiljuice of whom are expected to ascedo to tho executive's request to resume j the aerated water workera, o£ vrUom a sufficient number have returned to,operate soma of tins factories; mid tire seamen, whoso places, as tlie.y left, their ships, havo !>een filled so. promptly that practically every coastal vessel Ims. as yet, got away to time. The above extract, from the " news columns of tho -paper mentioned, is supported by details respecting the different unions mentioned, Another speaker at yesterday's meeting declared that the principals of the carrying linns were driving their vehicles filled, with empty cases, in order to create the impression that work was proceeding at tho wharves. This statement, like others of a similar nature, was merely a stupid attempt to, deceive the dupes of the Federation of Labour. Here is |.ln» official record of ciirgo handled at Auckland up to Friday last:

new union, about 5908 toils of cugo lias been landed, tile greater portion of which has already boon distributed ill the city. Tlio vessels which. >liav<s discharged avo as follow:—Miiiiiro, 500 tons; Mouow'u, 800 tons; Wesiralia, 8W) tons; Ennc.rddie, 1500 tnns; Wanaka, 1200 tons; Kurow, Go(t tons; Navim, SO tons; and the Tahme, 408 tons. Mb. Hiceey, who appears anxious to celipso his rivals of the -Hod Federation brand, was oven more grotesque in his declarations regarding the situation. He bold the crowd that the shipping companies at Christchurch had gone to the, waterskiers with a blank cheque and told them. that they could fill it in for any amount they pleased if they would end the strike. What c;tn be thought of ' intelligent men and women who will swallow such outrageous nonsense? That they should even listen to it without attempting to call to account the persons who are so plainly seeking to "gull" them passes comprehension., The only other features of the strike calling for comment at the moment are the steady progress that is being made with cargo-ltiandling along the waterfront, and in connection with the shipping; and the failure of the Federation of Labour to embroil more unions, A desperate attempt was made to prevent daily newspapers at Wellington from publishing by inducing the Typographical Union to join the strike. This would be quite in accord with the policy of the Federation to suppress all forms of fi'ce speech on the part of anyone differing in the slightest degree from it. As a matter of fact, even had. the Typographical Union decided to join the strike—which it very properly refused to do—the public- would have been kept well informed by the newspapers of strikehappenings and other. news, although probably the- size of f,ho papers i Would have had to.. bo curtailed. In addition to the Typographical Union, other unions, nave declined to bo dragged into the trouble, from which the reckless leaders of the Federation of Labour now find it impossible to cxtricatc themselves. The response to the call for a general : strike has demonstrated very ■ clearly that the great bulk of the unions recognise the. dangerous nature of th® organisation which lias brought so much trouble on tho country and done so much injury to -, legitimate trades _ unionism. After recent happenings nonunion associated with such an organisation could ever fficl certain in. future that it would not be at any moment embroiled'in some fresh ruinous industrial struggle provoked by the criminal recklessness and incompetence of the, men who have grasped the control of its affairs. ' In such , circumstances, can any reasonable body of men hope to gain anything for "labour unionism by assisting to keep. the Federation of Labour alive?