ARBITRATION UNIONISTS.

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

ARBITRATION UNIONISTS.

Sir, —As secretary of the Hmplnycrs' Association. in 1890, all the troubles of the maritimi" strike of that year passed through my Juuuls on behalf of tho employers. Our object then was to establish a I'Vee Ls bourers' Association, with the object tliav- "the most friendly relations might l>: fostered between the employers and those who had remained staunch'or come forward to their assistance during tin* strike." : ' History- repeats itself, and I notice that the .question of retaining permanently the services of the men who have come forward to assist tho employers in the present emergency has come up at. the Harbour Boart' mooting yestovxlay." .My past experience convinces'nip?that, this is a iiiOßt imparlaiit point'for tho employers, and they should make it. emphatically clear tliat_ the free labourers or Arbitration unionists, who. have considered the employers' interests, shall not be sacrificed'in favour of the ok! striking unionists when the. strike is over.

In 1800 I engaged some FGO mini to take the places of strikers, many of whom had thrown up other employment to work the wharves, in the hope that they would be certain in be ppr, maiiently employed. Indeed, I was authorised to promise them this. lint 1 had very suuiK'imis complaints that directly tho strike was over lliey were saci'iiiced, and tlio .strikers again taken on in their places; and I have sio doubt that a great nuiiiber of men would have volunteered in tho present case, but for Iho fear thai the same fate awaited them at the strike's end. The chief way to avoid strikes is to let strikers clearly understand that they will not obtain their old employment when other men equally efficient ran bo found to do the work. This will help tho men to think for themselves;, and tho consequences of striking to their wives sud families, and will render them less likely to yield to the persuasions of tho union loaders, whose business it is to foment trouble-. I am certain that if the employers persistently notify non-strikers that they will ho fairly dealt with, il will go very far in tho present and i'ntim-i troubles to ease their difficulties. I am convinced Hint out of every hundred men, ninety of them are decent-, industrious, and level-beaded fellows, but the misfortune is that they are weakly led by the oilier ten agitators and lm'er-do-wells. J .el the employers gain over tho nine!v.—l am, etc., HENRY WJUGHT. November 27, 1913. [Slepsliavo been taken to ensure that the Arbitration unionists will receive first consideration in tho matter ojj pjnplcy_uiv.nl al'tcs Ik strike .ends.A * " -;