WHO GETS THE JOBS?

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1964, 22 January 1914, Page 6

WHO GETS THE JOBS?

ON THE WATERFRONT. EX-STRIKERS & NEW WORKERS "•PREFERENCE QUESTION. A STORMY HARBOUR BOARD MEETING For '{fro 'hours last' night the Wellington ..Harbour Board discussed moro or ' Jess heatedly the question of tho employment of labour on tho wharves. Thei.chaitinah, or tho board (Mr. RFletcher) introduced the discussion. He said 'that members would probably have read in the press of the unjustifiable attacks : 'on tho Harbour Board about the work of tho Arbitration unionists. .Ho had given instruction for a full tablo to be. compiled. . ~Ho. then read- this table showing-the classification.of casual labour employed by the hoard from December 18 to January'2o:—

Mr. Fletcher said that, tho board had been the-most generous-and faithful'of nil the employers. Considering that tlie board's average was about 300 men, tho- board was carrying out tho spirit and tho letter of tho' resolution passed at last meeting.' A lot of newspaper criticism, quite unjust and quite untrue, had been hurled at tho board. He had taken an opportunity of ascertaining the mimbors of men employed on the ships,, and had found thabold unionists strongly predominated. ■ Ho read tho following:—Awahou, 15 old hands; Arapawa, 4 old hands; Hitr'uriui, 30 old hands; Nifcauy,.l2 old hands; Wairau, 2 old liands; Defender, 5 : old hands; Tongarirq, .36 old hands; Rotorua, 39 old hands; Arawa, 11.old hands; Zealandic, 16 old hands; Indrapura, 17 hands in one hold, 10 of tho 17 ex-strikers. Coaling was carried- on by practically all old_ hands. Mr. Fletcher continued. The Union Company was giving effect to the resolution.in a much more faithful way than any other company. ■ Mr, Cohen and Mr. Fletcher. Proceeding, Mr.' Fletcher said that this showed very clearly that tho shipping people were employing the most expert inon (tho old hands; it took tho new men some time to gain experience), and throwing the rest on tho Harbour Board. He did not, tho companies for that, but Lej.did blame thorn "for this hypocrisy—blaming it on to tho Harbour Board." He thought it fair that the public should know the position, particularly tho country members." In order to carry out the instructions of tho board, the labour foremen had been instructed to inspect tho books of the new union, but despite applications they had not been able to do so. Mr. Fletcher had been told (he did not know tho valuo of the statement) that there' were only 500 or 600 men on tho books of the new union. "Wo are working in tho dark entirely," tie added. Mr.. C. W. Jones: Aren't the badges used? Mr. Fletcher said ibat the men did not liko to wear them. Mr. Fletcher added that ho had heard of a case in which tho chairman of the new'union had been asked for men, and had procured sixteen ex-strikers, and ono Arbitrationist. ' "That one man was carrying his life in his hands if the strikers wanted,to do.any harm to him. And these are the men who are accusing tho board of not carrying out their part." ,'.- '■■..■'■■ After Mr. Fletcher had spoken a littto longer, Mr. J. Trevor interjected-.."Does it matter? Ono half of the meeting is taken lip by excuses about what tho •papers say." Mr. Fletcher: I hope everyone round this table likes fair play. Theso things liave been telegraphed about tho country. Mr. M. Cohen asked if one must deduce from the figures presented that evening that'tho new. men had. left the district "; ;.; ;■;; :■';; ;'- ;j -■ -". Mr. Fletcher:-In -large numbers. • * Mr. Cohen: Or aro they physically incapablo of„do.ing..the.w,ork,„or.havo" theintimidation "tactics; been v stic'cessful ? Mr. Fletcher:' There is no trouble on the wharf. All the trouble is on the ships. . .„,., . A man used an/opprobrious term oh the wharf the other-day, and he was instantly dismissed. Mr. Cohen: You say tho board is paying more for its work than those who engage ex-strikers ?... _ . > Mr. Fletcher: Much- more. '-'■ • Mr. Cohen: Well, I belicvo it has appeared in. print {and without denial) that tho new unionists work much quicker than the' ex-strikers. -Apr. Fletcher: Quite wrong. Mr. Cohen: You say tho men won't Wear their badges. Why? Mr. 'Fletcher: Thoy-simply want the feeling to dio down. Mr. Cohen : " If - wo' can" believe -what the papers.say the,ro is still trouble. .Mr. Fletcher: You can't belicvo a word they. -say* ■•■• ■ .■•' ... . ,' Mr. C0hcu.:,..1. .differ.,... After many years' experience"-1 believe in tho old' ndago that where there is smoke there is fire. Mr. Cohen then mentioned trouble on tho vessel at Miramar on Tuesday. Mr. Fletcher.: That is nothing to do with tho board. • . iMr. Nathan Quotes Figures. ■- Mr. Cohen concluded by saying that tho chairman had been blamed on' all sides. Up" the country ho (Mr. Cohen) had heard tilings, but' ho had always 6aid that there were two sides to every question, and that ho refused to discuss those matters .until the chairman had had an opportunity, of speaking. Tho chairman had said, 'some*' time ago that «t the proper time ho would reply to criticism. Mr.- Cohen hoped that for Mr. Fletcher's own for the siiko of tho board tho chairman would not allow that to pass Bwav. .;*'.''" Mr. Fletcher: Tho trouble is that I don't know what I have done. Tho statements against me are all generalities.. Mr. H. L.' Nathan '-thought that the chairman's statements about the shipping companies were unfair. The chairman was present at tho meeting at which the companies gave very emphatic instructions to their representatives. Mr. Fletcher: Quito • emphatic, but thov were not carried out. Mr. Nathan: I will give you figures that' inako their showing nearly n3 good a.i yours.

Mr. Fletcher: Your company is the wgrsfc offender of the lot—fifty-six exstrikers on a vessel the other day..

Mr. Nathan: You mentioned the Nikau. All those men joined the union before December 8, and are just as much entitled to employment as the Arbitrationists. Mr. Nathan then read tho following figures concerning tho Shaw, Saville, and Albion Co.:—December 18, total 119, no old hands; December 19, 120, no old hands; December 30, 112, no old hands; December 22, total 98, 94 new, 4 old; December 23, total 195, 130 men, 65 old; December 24, total 208, 143 men, 05 old. Mr. Fletcher: How many ships? Mr. Nathan: I can't tell you. Mr. Fletcher: I quoting one ship. ... I would like to point out that tho striko was not finished then. Mr. J A W. M'Ewan said that the figures given by Mr. Nathan dealt almost exclusively with tho middle of December. Mr. Nathan: I have somo for January. I will read them presently. Mr. M'Ewan went on to say that if thejehairman's report was right, the board was doin/j more than its fair share of employing Arbitrationists—doing the ships' share tog. However, whv worry about those things ? Soon both old and new unionists would be as one family. Mr. Cohen: No. Mr. M'Ewan: The less fuss we make tho better.' Thinejs will adjust themselves in time if we give them a chance. Mr. Trevor reckoned that tho hoard was making a great nothing He found from inquiry that the shipping companies had ■ more ex-strikers than Arbitrationists, 1 but that' was because tho labour foremen could not discriminate between the two classes of workers. Mr; Fletchw: That is a good testimony to the labour foreman on tho wharf who engages twice as many men. Mr. Trovor remarked that the chairman interjected when others spoke, but would quickly call to order anvono who interrupted him. * Mr. Nathan: Hear, hear. Mr. Trevor thought that before long there mijjht be more troublo in tho country, and that the board should bo ready to meet it. If they had nood men they should stick to them. The case was not one of much ado about nothing in Mr. J. G. Cobbe's opinion. The figures the chairman had read gave quite another impression to the oiio which had got abroad- regarding the board. If the chairman's figures wero correct somo of.the shipping companies were not doing a fair thing. However, he was not quito satisfied that those who came to the help of tho board were getting quito tho amount of work they were entitled to. Challenge From Mr. HintJmarsh. ' Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh said that it was the duty of the country members to put their insinuations in concrete form. Ho would like to know what this board had done that it ' should not have done, or what it had left undone that it should have done. As Sir. Fletcher had given certain figures to tho papers two weeks ago it would have Ibeen thought that the employers would have, sent statistics to this meeting of the board by way of reply. Air. Hindmarsh challenged members to make any charge they could against the chairman. Some members, ho said, had been forced almost to take up a. political position. "I have waited patiently hero for some member to havo the manliness' to fornulato charges, and now I challenge them. ... . . If Jlr. Fletcher has doho anything wroiig as a public man let it be alleged against nim. We all know ho was in an extremely difficult position during tho strike, and he erred almost on the side cf tho employers." Tho board to somo extent had been sold by thoso who had failed to come forward ami substantiate what they had inferred. "I hope this matter wjllWot'Jje propped. I hope that Mr. NatnaiPwill havo tho manliness aiid'Mr. Jones tho courage Mr. Nathan: What has Mr. Jones dtne? Mr. Hindmarsh said that Mr. Jones had ho/sii going about talking. Facing Messrs. "TCathan. and Jones, Mr. Hindmarsh said: "I challenge you', and I make this public, to bring forward in the form of facts accusations afrairsj the executive of this Harbour Board." Mr. Jones: I have never-— Mr. Hindmarsh: Well, I just challenge. Now, looked here, if you wont accept this challenge be for ever silent. It is your duty. Mr., Jones: I have never made _ 'Mr. Hindmarsh: I am not referring to you. I couple you and Mr. Nathan, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trovor Mr. Cohen: You have forgotten Captain Watson and Mr. Wright. Mr. Hindmarsh: No. I don't conple them because I consider they have acted fairly. I couple the country members. Political Talking Alleged. Mr. Hindmarsh (turning to Mr. A. M'Farlane): Didn't you say at the last meeting that it was considered up coutry that the Harbour Board was not doing its duty. Mr. M'Farlane: You arc talking for political purposes. Jlr. Hindmarsh: One can talk for political purposes and talk truth sometimes. Mr. C. E. Daniel!: It is good to feel a bit of a stir at our meetings. ... If I had to make this a political platform I should blush for my own existence..- ::■ Mr.,' Hindmarsh. objected that that was not a proper remark. j Mr. Danicll went on to say that lab'o'uifoh.the wharves was in some cases costing more than before, but in other cases tho new men were doing better. Mr. Fletcher: That is perfectly true. '■'-'. Mr. Daniel! said flint an honest effort had been made by tho officers of tho board to carry out their duty. He hoped the hoard .would adopt a reasonable attitude and recognise that things would take Some time to reach normal. Mr. W. Hildroth said that he was pleased to see the figures supplied by tho chairman. They showed that the board was 'employing a tremendous proportion of Arbitration men. Ho wanted to know whether the men and the board were going to bury the hatchet over the strike. He was not for sup- ' porting tho strikers; ho wanted to see the wholo of the men fairly treated. The board was doing its duty by the Arbitrationists. Regarding the badges, be did not think that the men should go about labelled liko monkeys or members of a temperance society. The shipping foromen had some difficulty in picking out the Arbitrationists, and yet tho board wero employing them in the proportion of three to one. Mr. R. A. Wright eaid that the only rharge that ho bad heard levelled at the chairman was that ho was not sufficiently pronounced against tho strikers. Mr. Hindmarsn: Personally ? Or as chairman of tho board? Mr. Wright: As a member of tho board. It was thought that ho should have taken up a position against the strikers as chairman of tho board. Mr. Wright Seeks Information. Mr. Wright went onto ask where the chairman obtained his figures, and was informed that they wero compiled from tho books. Mr. Wright then asked if it wero a fact that one shipping wmpany engaged its labour through a firm of contractors, who virtually had control of wharf labour. The chairman: I believe that the Tyser Company havo contractors who carry out their work. Tho Union Steam Ship Company engages its own. labour. Mr. Nathan remarked that, as far ns the Tyser Company was concerned, their stevedoring was dono by contractors, but definito instructions had been issued to them to carry out the terms made with Arbitration labour in the samo manner a? other employers were doing. Mr. Wright: Then the company which Mr. Nathan refers to is carrying out its duty fairly, but there is another

company, I understand, that docs not employ Arbitration labour, and tfiat is tho New Zealand Shipping Company. Mr. Fletcher: They do their own contracting. Mr, Wright asked if the position at present was that tho Shipping companies wanted tho board to bo bound by the resolution carried regarding Arbitration labour, and tho companies to be at liberty to employ whom they liked. The board, of course, could not compel the companies to employ Arbitrationists. Behind tho wholo thing thero was a great deal of difficulty for everyone concorned, and tho only way to get over it was for tho board to become a larger employer of casual labour. Thero were about 1500 casual employees on tho wharf, and it was not right that these men should be in a union that was forcod to take any person that camo along. It was a menace to Wellington. Somo scheme could surely be marked out by the board and the' shipping companies to meet tho position. He was not satisfied that the feeling between tho mon was going to dio as quickly as some imagined. He hoped that somo good would result from tho conference proposed by the Prim* Minister regarding tho control of tho wharves. Mr. Fletcher's Last Word. Mr. Trevor emphaticallv denied that the members of the board'had any feeling against the chairman. There was "o oil" connected with any civic body in \\ cllington who had tho good wishes of members to a greater-extent than Mr. I'letcher had. Mr. Fletcher said that ho was suro that members of tlio board had no illfeeling as far as ho was concerned, but the general public, not only in Wellington, but in the country, too, had misinterpreted his actions and taken a wrong inference from them. This was evidenced by tho statements of country members. He never interfered with tho officers of the board, but he gave strict instructions that tho foremen .must carry out the wishes of tho board in regard to labour. Ho had also told the wharfinger that if thero was any insubordination tho matter was to bo dealt with at once. This was why ho (tho chairman) was blamed. Regarding tho ships, the board had nothing to do with them. A statement had been made regarding the Arbitration men being beter workers. A large number of them were good workers, but the old members showed them how to go about their work. Mr. Nathan had quoted a lot of figures, but they were'valueless because they dealt with the w'liolo of tho com-1 pany's operations, while those mentioned by him (the chairman) dealt with specific ships. Thero was going to bo a conference regarding tho control of labour on the wharves to-morrow, and ho hoped that it would solve tho difficulty. This concluded 1 the discussion.

. • ,.. Total Old New ■„■ ■■':"■ men. hands, hands. December 18 ... 460 31 429 December 10 . ... . 403 - 35 .' 368 December'20 w 404; ;,31 .373. December 22 ,.. 479' '73 406 December 23 ... 476 ■>" 79 397 December 24 ..v : 40'0 •,•■' '80 370 December 27 ...' r 39'6 "'.. 145 251 December 29 .'..;. 402. .79 323 December.30,,„;;'.' 488, 122 366 December'31-..; j- 406' 97 309 January.- ■ 2 ' ••,.,•503 -loO ■ 358 January 3.,:...-.513 . 146 367 January 5 ■•>.;* 467 ' .139 : 328 January 6 ..;' 459 ' 145 314 January 7 ... 468 • 106 362 January-'8' ..'. 510 ' 109 401 January" 9 „..'V648". 122 . 426 January 10' ,.. .411 , . 102 309 January 12 ,.. 585 150 435 ; January .. 13 - ... 523 137 386 January .14 ,.,.585 :. 151 -434 ' January "15.' ... 478 115 '363' January 16 ,., 499 135 364 January 17 ,., 411 91 320 January 19'" ',;. 610 155 ■' 465 January.,,20 .... 446 ,...114. .... 332