MORETON BAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1922, Page 2

MORETON BAY.

THE REJECTED BRITISH CREW. THE EXCLUSIVE UNION. _ t -~ SYDNEY, Feb. 11. A passenger on the homeward trip of tiie Moreton Bay has forwarded the following to Sir Arthur Rickard“ The crew of the Moreton Bay signed articles in Loudon ‘to Brisbane and back to Sydney,’ where they would be paid off. They stated that, provided their work was satisfactory, they were given to understand that oil their joining the unioti in Sydney they would be re-eii-gnged if they Wished it. Some had been members of the’ union in Australia, but were in arrears with their subscriptions. The men generally were refused permission to join the union, and the former members thereof were not allowed to resume membership on paying up arrears. They are therefore returning as ‘distressed British seamen,’ travelling home without work or wages. The union men’ in Sydney state that they bore the brunt of months of strikes to get conditions now current in the Commonwealth ships, and 400 of their men w/efo out of work, They did not want to be flooded by new members holding on to jobs in ships bought with Australian gold. Tiie men would gradual- . !v have been replaced by Australians, as some arc Hot returning, and the crews would have gradually become Australianisod, but the utlioh could not wait for such an evolution.

“Many Australians in the past iiiiVU .-erved in English ships, bought with English money, and on conditions for which the British seamen went on_ strike. The battle-crv,' ‘Workers of the world unite,’ the slogan of solidarity of labour, and the fundamental ideas and ideals of unity, have fallen. Tbe future effects of such action on unionism will be. interesting to follow, as the keystdhe is thus roughly cast out.

“The electors should ponder the words of ode displaced Steward;‘l wofider at the unions thus dictating fdth£ Government.’ What will the next LoFernment be in New South Wales now?' “The case of the four laundrymen in the Moreton Bay was specially hard. Each had to find £d, including entrance feb, and first quarter’s subscriptions, or go. They paid, but will receive tto* benefits, as laundrymen are not included in any awards. They ur<r-- : - Imt the mifeli kino cf the labour bosses. One said lie would ’-other harV? bought two suits of clothes for big own children with the ‘fiver,’

“The British people will soon begin to think (it always takes them tt long lime to do so) that Australia docs not wa lit defenders. Anyhow, they won’t come in timbs pf l peril When they are •rejected in times of peace,”