AMAZING STATEMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1916, 26 November 1913, Page 9

AMAZING STATEMENTS.

STRIKE DELEGATE'S BALDERDASH. WHAT SYDNEY IS TOLD, The unscrupulous methods adopted by certain of tlio l?ed Federation delegates in Australia to stir up sympathy for the strikers' are clearly exposed in tho following report from tlio "Sydney Morning Herald" of November 14. The statements made by the delegates in question as to tlio absence of lawlessness and disorder in Wellington, except on tlio part of tho special constables, carry their own refutation to' anyone who knows of what happened in this city. Sydney is no doubt sufficiently far away for such fairy talcs to pass as facts, but it is as well that all self-rc-spccting men among the strikers should know of tho means being used by the lied Federation's emissaries ill obtaining support on the other side ol tho Tasman Sea. The "Herald" report is as follows :— A delegate from the Shipwrights' Society, New Zealand, which is the centra of (lie trouble there, was present _ at the Sydney Labour Council's meeting last night. He presented a letter from his union, stating they were in for a prolonged fight.. The tactics might be new, and they should not lie surprised to hear of fresh developments. It w-ns asked that no cargo should be leaded for New Zealand or discharged il loaded in "Wellington or in any other port in New Zealand. The delegate said bis society was formed in Wellington forty years ago tinder conditions which had been carried through up to arch of this year. The patent slip «"»* a 1" "11, i,n hour's walk from Quail's Wharf, and the conditions provided thaMhe men should have n conveyance. 'Ihere no rondilinii", a> lo comi"EC back or the time lost in doing so. These eomlitmns prevailed up till .March It. On thai dav be was one of tho number that caused

the trouble, and they wore told by the foreman tliev would got 110 conveyance. They said nothing, but hooked their time. When tho end of (lie week canio then' was 110 allowance for this tune, and at the end of the next week they wore told they were not going to get it. They had several interviews, but the owners treated them with indifference. 'The societv entered into an agi cement with the waterside workers 111 order to get advice. They cancelled their registration under the. Arbitration Act, and broke up their old organisation in order to start afresh. Another deputation was formed, hut could get no satisfaction. They were offered i' 3 ss. a week, and it was* believed that this was a movo to escape payment for overtime, and the offer was accordingly turned down ; when they ceased work they had 110 idea that tlio others wore coming to tlieir assistance. That was 011 tho Monday. 011 the Wednesday tlio watersido workers decided to have a slopwork mooting. When the men got out they found tlieir places had been filled, and tho men lvero charged with breaking the agreement. If that was so, tho company had broken a rule that had been in existence for years. Tho Government was said to be a Reform Government. The sooner they reformed it out of tho country the better it would be for New Zealand. As for tlio conditions when ho left, it was like going through a picket on a battlefield. He did not seo one act of violence in any shape or form. 110 never saw a man ill-treated or a window broken. The first thing lip- know of viclenco was that of tlio special constables. Thero was a great crowd, and all at once a man,, one of the troopers, fired a pistol. They galloped forward into tlio crowd. A boy was shot in the foot, and another in the back. Tho inspector said his 111011 fired 110 shots. Shots liad been fired, but not by the crowd. Tf ever there had been an orderly striko, tho strike in Wellington had been afi orderly one. Tlio chairman, Mr. W. O'Neill, said they understood and realised it was a struggle of the workers all over the world. They wore faced with a problem.' The Government in New Zealand was probably out for the same thing as tho Fusion Government in Australia. The industrial workers were to-day faccd with the problem that it was to be a fight, and possibly tho light had begun in Now Zealand. A motion was moved by Mr. G. Bennetts (Cigar Workers' Union) that the unions bo circularised for assistance for the striko. Mr. Connell spoke against the council officially recognising the trouble, although lie was in favour of giving assistance. , . . The motion was carried, with only a few dissentients.