WILL ACCEPT ARBITRAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1918, 28 November 1913, Page 9

WILL ACCEPT ARBITRAMENT.

Sir—The . csccutivo officers . of t-ho "Red Federation" are said to be. willing now to accept Sir Joshua Williams as nn independent arbitrator, ami a re willing to at once submit their ca,se and the whole terras of this dispute to His Honour. 1 am constrained 'to ask what is their rase? and what am tho. terms of this dispute? As K understand the trouble, tho old wat orsidcrs, with an arrogance- characteristic: of their leaders, held a "stop-work" meeting, ill breach' of their agreement wfith their employers, and they knew it Was a breach, for their attention was' called to Clause 28. While this "stop-work" : meeting was in progress, oihnr unionists were put on to work. I.Vhen tho meeting was over, the men who attended tho meeting expected bo take.up . their work just, where they hi id left off, the previous evening, and vf hen they ■ were refused this they struck ■work., and their president, Mr. Curtice, told them'J distinctly that they had hroitan their

agreement from Ato Z. Is this the* ease they arc going to submit to His Honour!' Are'these the terms of tho. dispute? They did not strike oil behalf of the shipwrights, but struck because they received a rebuff for break'ins i"i agreement. It has been asserted again and agai'n' that men cannot be restrained irnjn striking or ceasing work; the watqiv skiers struck in spite of a wrif ten agreement—that was all right, hceuuse agreements are broken constantly, but in -'die caso of the watorsidors tho employers , had no recourse, no means of riia iiug tliim respect their pledges. The "'lied' Feds" claim the right to strike, 'and if they slopped at that, Snciiiy . would have no ciMise for cMnpiaiiKti fe*ir they claim more, for they claim tile •right t<> compel others to strike, ensn. if it is necessary to use force. It is this claim that Society resents, and very rightly too, because every person has. who rigir, to work. .From tlte beginn Slg of the trouble there were people roac.ji to work, provided they were protaSed frommolestation and mtimidafctt.i. Tims, protection was afforded by tf.ie special constables, foot and mounted, ami the 'port was immodiatolr opened, If the employers will accewt this suggestion of arbitration, tho tvtccutivc of' the Red Feds say that arrangements •> could be made for the iiwtiodiatc resumption of work by tho watersideworkers. This sounds very nice, but do they expect to lake the j.iaeos of the ; men who are now working ci'n the wharf, and arc unionists in tho eyes of the law? Will tho omployens,'who liave : pledged themselves to tlrt. Arbitration unionists consent to thjs? After all. Sir, is not the Red Fede?;vlioii clutching at the last straw f The -officials of the lied Fed. want to save tlieir faces and their jobs,, and they hav« been ready to accept any old agreement to secure this. Weakness on the pare of the employers now would lie'fatal. The Keels'are in the last d'-Jeh, ami they will soon be kicked oix nf that- Tho community wiii gladly put up -with further inconvenience if by doing sn the Ked Federation is wiped out of existence. It is it menace to iNow /fcaiiMul.—l am, etc.. . I'UXAV.