LABOUR TROUBLES ON THE WHARVES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1954, 10 January 1914, Page 4

LABOUR TROUBLES ON THE WHARVES.

A'conditio:; of affairs is Rapidly developing on tho local _ wharves which demands firm handling-by the : executive of the Wharf Labourers'-'-Union, the employers of labour, and the police. Undeterred by the lesson of tlio strike and its subsequent events, a number of ex-strikers are doing all that they can_ to make things unpleasant for their fcllowworkers by pursuing a policy of annoyance and intimidation; Apartfrom individual acts of aggression, the extremists have succeeded in breaking up a union meeting, and if they were allowed to continue their present course unchecked, they would probably soon create a condition of chaos on the wharves. • The executive of the new Wharf Labourers' Union and the employers of labour on the waterfront have done the fjght thing in deciding to seek furtnbr police protection on tho wharves, and to exercise closer supervision over the men working in tho holds of vessels. There must be no paltering with the duty of protecting the men who desire to work peaceably on tho wharves, and the full weight of the law must be brought to bear upon those who arc intent upon promoting disorder and strife. The question of preference was bound to give rise to acute dissensions, but there is no getting away from the fact "that the men who volunteered to work, when doing so exposed thern to both danger and annoyance, now have a right to expect. _ first consideration when work is offering. Attempts by turbulent exstrikers to deprive these men of their' right must be repressed in exactly the same way as any other form of lawlessness and violence. It is unfortunate that there should now be more men on the wharves than jobs can be provided for, but the men who, by their own folly, have created this state of affairs, have no right to complain now that they are subjected to its discomforts. The employers of -waterside labour are bound-to stand by the men who did as"much'for them during the strike, and these workers aro entitled. in/the fullest measure to the protection of the law, but they should not forget that the matter is partly in their own hands. An organised attempt- is being made by Red Federationists to capture the new union, in order that they may reproducers far as possible the conditions tnat obtained before the strike. The position then was that a noisy and turbulent minority dominated the situation, and dictated the policy of the union, -while th<! majority of respectable and peaceably inclined workers stopped away from union meetings, took no -part in the direction of. affairs, and: allowed the extremists to do what they pleased. The experience of the strike and the position at the moment ought to induce the better class of unionists, in their own interests, tc take an active part in controlling the affairs of their union, and holding the strife*mongers in check, If they neglect to do this, all the protection that the police aind their employers can afford them will bo inadequate.. The conditions on. the Wellington wharf .which call for vigorous action on the part of all law-abiding citizens concerned, arc a replica of conditions which exist in some other parts of tho country. A letter from a correspondent, which appears in another colunm, indicates that idesperate attempts aro being made by the emissaries of the Red of the Social Democratic Party, which is the same thing in another guise—to restore their broken fortunes by undermining the principles of the members of the new unions and generally pitrsu- ! ing tactics which experience of the Federation agitators and their ways have made familiar. It is also suggested in the letter to which we have ; referred that the Federation of Lab- | our ■ is making a special effort to make use of the Opposition Party, in order to further its own ends; but it would probably be unwise to attach too much importance to these | underground activities, or to the results they are likely to produce. The facts of the caso have been clearly placed before the people of this country, and it has been demonstrated that workers who follow tho beck of the Federation agitators are inviting disaster. It is safe to assume that the good sense of tho people of tho country will lead them to inflict nnon the Federation bosses. ■at the, nexf opportunity, just as definite a rebuif as they brought upon themselves in the recent strike. All that is necessary is alert watchfulness in the ranks of industrial unions and throughout tho country. Wherever the "propaganda" of the Bed Federation is fairly examined and understood, it will be unhesitatingly rejected by all honest andreasonable citizens, whether they are rich or poor.