A FEDERATION REBUFF.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1917, 27 November 1913, Page 9

A FEDERATION REBUFF.

RAIUVAYMEN'S STAND. INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE. (By rele£r»]ih,-Prcs3 Association.) ' Invarcargiil, November 20. On November 17, Mr. I'. llickcy, gc»cral secretary and treasurer of this United Federation of Labour, wrote as follows to Jli\ «U 0. -Mack, general secretary of the. Amalgamator] Society of liailway Sen-ants:—"On behalf of my I. am directed to call tlio attention of your council to tlio fact that your organisation is on the side of tho employers in the present cmillict by the transportation of sea!) special constables and produce to be handled by scab labour. Because of tiio vital issues at stake in this dispute, because the winning or losing of this light means so much to organised labour, we now call upon our comrades in the railway service to flatly decline to any longer bo used as a means of defeating us. We realise that if tho railwayiuen take up the attitude of frankly and baldly declaring themselves with us in this battle, they will, play an important »art in smashing down the present obstinacy on the pari of the.employers. For tlicso reasons .we appeal to you to refuse to handle scab material or material handled by scab labour, to refuse to transport scabs or scab noficcmen."

The Railivaymen's Reply. On November | 18 Mr. Mack replied as follows:—"1. beg to acknowledge receipt of your communication of November 17, drawing my eoum-il's attention tc»_ certain aspects of the present industrial dispute on the v.aic-rfrnnl". In reply, I am instructed to advise you that my executive have decided to take no part in the dispute above referred to, and thai our members will coniiiiuo to carry out their usual duties in connectJ!.''» with (lie railway worviro.''' Then Mr. Ilickey wrote direct to (lie branch secretaries ami members. The following letter, dated from Wellington on Xoiemher I!) reached the local branch:—"l am dirorled liy my executive.to ffcrivard you the enclosed copy of rnrreSpoiidoueo between the J'Vderation executive and the council of'the A.5.11.5. We fee! thai the transportation of scabs, snh products, and ro.ih policemen is such a serious infringement of all the imnciples of unionism that we are in iliilv bound to call vour alIciiiiiiu t» it."' Turned Dawn A^il-n. Mr. llickev was nrmiipllv iiolil'ied by wire to the following ellVcl :-"The niajoritv of the members of the Invorrargill branch endorse the action of our executive council." The iilliciai viiu'i'-killer of I'rauce has a (Ires-; ,-oin]Hi-T'il of (KID skins of vimciiiiiiis reptile--. ITr- .riTt'ivi's a small paymi'iit fur iiie heail of every viper iiu dcs treys,