EX-STRIKERS' PLIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1996, 2 March 1914, Page 6

EX-STRIKERS' PLIGHT.

Aa'K AID OF HIE GOVERNMENT, ■& .deputation of«e»*trikcre waited /on tho Prime Almmtoi (the Hon "\Y. F. Massey) -ion .Saturday to make three requests'' of hitii regarding tho trouble 'oil' tho Wellington waterfront. v ", Xhe.v lia'-J, they said f Addressed-a letter to. the Secretary ot Labour in reference to tho proforcnco- o.vs.toni ill favour of .a.section qi menibc of tlie union. They .claimed- that all; C ionibora ofvvthe. union should ho trea'.<*! alijte in!, .tho matter of ni-eferenco., 3'liey; complained, tliat the Secretary for Labour liad not. answered .tlioir letter. To this Mr. Masseyvrepliod that tho;-Secretary for Laboiir was absent in tho north, and "that on his 'return h,e.: would : doubtless, reply to tho letter in duecourse. '

The deputation also asked Mr, Massed to authorise an inquiry, into tlio working-of the .-whole"- labour., systemoilthe Wellington whanes ' This Mr. Mab- ■ sev replied was a matter for. the Government rather than for one Mmistci, mid .'bfe'prohiTeed to'"refer ill.ct,; '; j, ",.... . The ■ deputation said also llVat thero was. a sin plus of labom in Wellington, 'and asked tlio Minister to find.employment for : *if. replied tliat lie would consult tlie Minister for Public Works as : to tlio possibility of finding employment for, $I#,; fiO' men on railwav and road eonstriic- . Concerning the ooinplaint *if tlie. tlepntation that their letter was. not' answered by the Labour Department, a "Dominion repoiter was informed bv tlie T)epuh-Registrar of Industrial Unions that the letter complained of »as joooiied at the oflice of tlio Labour jjopartmcnt only 011 Ki'idi®i.n'ioriiiHg., • An aoknow'o'lgnient of the letter was at once dinfted and post/d on Saturday morning. The question 1 atsed. -in tho letter would iccro attention 111 tho ordinary routine of;tlie oflice business.