WATERSIDE ACCIDENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 10

WATERSIDE ACCIDENTS

Sir,— Having noticed that the Wellington Waterside Workers'. Union are becoming alive to the fact that there are far 'too many accidents at the .. waterfront from year to year, and_ still growing in number, and are seeking "a ; way to minimise same, may I be permitted to offer a few suggestions to the ■ executive of that body? That the . union ,as a whole have cause to coml plain cannot be denied. There are far ■ too many accidents, both on the ships i and wharf, some of which aroof suck 1 a nature that cannot be avoided, as ac- : cidents'will happen, but why in heaven's 1 name the union wait upon the Harbour Board to find some manner or means i to help them in their trouble beats the band. The remedy is in the hands of tho union. Cannot any of the members see it? Have the "powers that be at tho headquarters' of the waterfront union made a study of wharf accidents? If so, can they deiiy that about 80 per cent, aro' caused by pure, cussed carelessness on tho part of tho workers themselves? No, of course they cannot, and do they ■ imagine the Harbour Board can pass a by-law to help, for the union to make a fuss over accidents when they have ;tho power' to at least do away with a lot of them seems like "the devil going about correcting mistakes." How • can tho union minimise these accidents? By preaching carefulness on the part of its members not to be the cause of an accident. The members aro not above being taught". You can see that at the waterfront each day. The I.W.W. taught'.them to make eight hours' work last two days, for they had atleast some fair success, tho way tho teaching was taken to heart in some instances. "Dumping cargo": this item has .- been held up as being the cause of a great risk, but tho writer has yet to learn that $his way of discharging has caused any more accidents than tho old method of sling or basket. "Sneeding up": a great bogey, and is a lost art these days on the waterfront, and yet you hear of tho danger of'a man getting hurt, suffering from 1 that complaint. "Speeding up," you are (innocent, and can easily prove an alibi. . Tho Waterside Workers' Union can • rest assured that it is not to the interest of anv company to sea its work--1 ers hurt, and if they will try and teach their members to have a rare in respect to accidents thKt are all too frenuenfc tliov will be doing tlie.com--1 panics some little return for the hich rate, of wages that are at present being paid. Thanking you in anticipation,— 1 am ' etC " ACCIDENT.