MORE ROWDYISM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1955, 12 January 1914, Page 6

MORE ROWDYISM.

POLICE CHECK EX-STRIKERS, IN UNION OFFICES. From early morning till Into in'the afternoon the officials of.tho now Wharf Labourers' Union wore kept busy on Saturday squaring up books and accounts, and distributing preference badges to those members of the, union who joined on or beforo Deeembor 8. Towards evening, close on 300 badges had been issued, and the men appeared eager to have them. From this morning onwards those members of tho union wearing the badgo will receive absolute preferencb for work at the hands of tho foremen of labour. If it can bo proved.that any labour foreman wilfully disobeys tho order of liis employer'in this respect lio will, it is understood, bo subjected' to' instant dismissal.

Saturday was a quiet day on tho waterfront, and there wore no. open breaches between old and now hands; but there is evidence of a spirit of antagonism on tho part of a section of the old hands wiio have joined the now union and the general policy is that if it is not ve'fy carefully'watched it may lead to more serious' trouble.

There was something in•the nature of a mild disturbance at the union office en Saturday shortly after noon. A large number of men went to the office to pay their fees, and obtain badges. On account of the construction of tho office only two or three men can bo accommodated at tho counter at ono time, and some of them became festive when they found that the secretary and his nssistant'"co!il([ not give them immediate attention,. They commenced to crush in at the door, and a kind of a general melee followed, during which much "language" was used against the new union and officials. Some of the plaster ou the walls was knocked off and occupants-of other offices Were much inconvenienced. Sub-Inspector Sheehan happened to come into the building when the noise was at its height'; and ho very soon' discovered tho refractory men (who, by tho way, .were ex-strikers) and sent them to, tho end of tho queue to finish their arguments. Some police officers were requisitioned, and their presence kept tho rowdy clement in check. '

In connection with any meeting of the union which may be held, it is the intention of the executivo to decido important questions by ballot, and not a show of hands.

One ex-striker at least will remember tlie departure of tho Willoclira- from Wellington for Sydney on Friday evening. Cargo was being worked at tho time, and it was being hoisted aboard the vessel. Suddenly an ex-striker who happened to be working on the wharf called out. "There goes a sling of 'scab' cargo." Before tho words were fairly out of the speaker's mouth an official employed on the wharf gave the exstriker 'a sound thrashing. Before ho was allowed to leavo ' tho wharf the sadder but wiser man had to go through the ordeal of having to apologise to the now unionist whom ho had insulted.