DISQUIET IN SEAMEN'S UNION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2856, 22 August 1916, Page 6

DISQUIET IN SEAMEN'S UNION

RUMOURED MOVE FOR DICTATOR CONTROL AUCKLAND UNEASY By Telegraph—Press Association. Auokland, Aupust 21. Further inquiries respecting the alleged dissatisfaction among the members of the Auckland Seamen's Union in regard to the proceedings of the conference of delegates of the executive of the Federated Seamen's Union, show that there is a fear of a governing bureaucracy being established which will bo tho master, instead of the servant of tho men. The more moderately-minded members of .the union aro afraid that there-is a scheme on foot to consolidate the power of tho officials, to place the centralised funds under bureaucratic control, and to give tlfe governing bureaucracy such a position of authority as to enable it to dictato policies and actions to which a great many men arc opposed. This Tear is based apparently on what is known of the remits placed before tho conference. The remits on tho conference agenda paper numbered 88, of whicti 38 wero from Wellington, and 27 wero from the head offico. Only 18 wero sent from Auckland and 5 from Dunedin. Commenting on theso remits, the seamen point out that the proposals relating to the election of a general secretary reduce the number of eligible candidates to about four, besides increasing the term of office from ono year (as (it present) to three years. The centralisation of the funds and power, thoy declare, would mean that tlfe head office would be ablo to dictate terms and compel Auckland to follow any "wild cat" scheme of industrial upheaval which might originate in Wellington. The proposals relating to affiliation with outside bodies aro declared to bo syndicalistic in intention. A seaman who attended an extraordinary meeting of tho Federated Seamen's Union on AVednesday last said that it was the first meeting ho had attended at the Trades Hall since the 1913 strike. At that time, so he said, he went to obtain assistance. Ho declared that he found officials _ there surrounded by tins of fancy biscuits and all kinds of delicacies, while ho and his family had been subsisting on "sclmapper heads and potato skins." The talk on AVednesday which he had heard aoout affiliation with other bodies, e'tc., he "said, reminded him of the spirit of 1913.