IMPORTANT STATEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1925, Page 4

IMPORTANT STATEMENT

THE STRIKE OFFEXSIYh

A REIGN OF TERROR

.Mr I'. C. Allen, Chairman of the dipping Federation and member of lie Komlon Port authority lias addresed the following letter to the whole !ritisli Press:— "1 wonder if the pubic- appreciate the true significance of lie so-called seamen's strike. Do they valise that it is really a reconnaisamco in lorce in connection with the 'eiieral communist, olfensive bv direct let ion against the existing order of ucicty. Do they understand that the ,ttempt t«> hold up our maritime comnunications which has failetl in this mint ry but has met with treater suc-.-,ss i,i the Colonics is as dangerous in ■haracter as was the submarine war--1,, re directed against our mercantile marine by our late enemies. 1 should irrateful if von would allow me to recall the cii i iinistances leading up to ,|„. present situation in order that its real character may he made plain. British shipowners during the v.ar a creed with the accredited representatives of the seamen to set up a joint industrial council, the National Mnri- , ime Hoard, tor Die regulation of the conditions of employment of the numerous crudes of men serving afloat. The Hoard represents !>i> per cent oi Cue owners and its decisions are observed bv all. It also represents over DO per cent of the seamen. It has functioned with complete success inr ovet 7 years during which period the industry has been entirely tree I rout seamen's strikes, a record in which, both si,!,-- iua\ lentil imatcly lake some pride. During rlii.s period riic men’s representatives have secured numerous bettolits for their constitnents and the ,Machinery of the board has always |.,,,mi available for the adjust lit id 1 1iilicult ies and the removal »i hardships in eonneetiun with the employment of .-eamen whose wanes as compared with pre-war days have been nearly doubled. In May. RCM. an application was put forward for a general increase in pay. The request was sympathetically considered by the shipowners and although the conditions ol i ,;,dc in no wav warranted an advance lie shipowners, rather than jeopardise (heir good relations with those whom they employed, decided to discount the lul tire and concede the demand. It was pointed out. however, by myself as chairman of the shipowners side ot the National Maritime Hoard that the increase was only given in the hone ot better times ahead, and that il this hope did not materialise shipowners would be unable to continue paying the advance. Since that time the condition ol the shipping trade has steadily tome from had to worse. That this is so. is clear, as the laid up British tonnage in duly, j p. 121, was -170.117:1 tons and in duly ot tills year 777.170 tons. It became, therefore essential to reduce costs in the hope that more ships might be brought into commission, and more employment become available. Alter mature cousidcral ion, the National Marij time Hoard a creed upon a general re- | din-lion in the wiities ol all ratings to I come into force on the Ist August last-. [ thus bringing the pay back to the j level of May. I0:M. The agreement for ibis reduction was made on the Jtrd duly last. Between that date and the ltitli Annust. not a w ord ot protest came to the ears of either side. Ihe public knows the sequel on the latter date. A- the result of an a;.;iiation which began m London troubles developed in conned ion w ith the engagement o| sea men in this count r\. A few days afterwards news was received that the t rews of vessels, with the honourable exception ol the navigating and engineer ollieers in Australia and New Zealand and South Alnca. ret used to take their vessels further. What ha? created tins situation ilow is one to account for the simultaneous oieuin iu i- i i s*i coniplete and sudden a change. boil, here and at l-hc Antipodes. in the attitude of the men, who in maiiv cases are old servants ol the various lines, who have hitherto borne excellent ci in rail els and have earned the lonlideiice and respect ol their employers y It has been suggested that t!:-- men who luive broken their eontrait-. though they have no possible itist ilieatioll. have - ome excuse lor so ||-line, because the reduction ill pay came into force during the currency of the voyage, they Indue ignorant of their liabilities to such a reduction that il was in fact a furtive and sinister device employed 11v the shipowners !,, ,>m I rail I lie lee! I There is 110 s.lutll-

ow ol truth in the suggestion. As a la 1 I la use in shins a rtieles provides that aJiy agreed tnetvase or decrease hi pay shall take clfect oil the same date ill all British ships, wherever they may he. and the attention ol the men is drawn to this clause at the time of signing on. As to the tairite.ss oi this arrangement I can only say it Wits the subject of prolonged 1-011-sideration by both sides ol the National Maritime Board, and was finally adopted 10 the only method In which over any gi'eii jirrenl ni lime. 1-0111-plete Cl 111:1 i i t v 111 1 feat niciil for all men under articles could he secured. But tor this provision men who signed on prior to the granting ol an increase would he deprived of the advantage during tit*' whole of a voyage, which might run to many months, and 0011vei'scly in the case of a decrease the same would receive higher pay than their mates who happened to sign on later, a situation entirely repugnant In the principles 01 collective bargaiii-

I may mention that prior to the present trouble there has been both an [ increase and a decrease applied under i these conditions without any questions having been raised. What, I repeat, [has caused the present situation r The explanation is not so tar to seek. It is to he found in the antecedents of the persons who have conducted tho agitation. Nearly all of them are . avowed communists. Very few of them are seamen and this brings me hack to the question with which I opened this letter. Fndotihtedly both the shipowners and the seamen are being used as tho medium, of an attack which is being delivered tit the community as a whole, and I submit that the position is one which calls urgently for the intj mediate and serious consideration ol 111 is Majesty's Government. Here we I have a ease oi a collective bargain coneluded between thoroughly reproxenta- | live bodies on each side through wellI tried constitutional machinery. Botlt parties to the bargain evince every de- | sire to carry it out. hut a third party j unconnected with either, places a ban 1 on the agreement, and under the extra- | ordinary license permitted to subverI sive agitation in this country, is onj aided to create a situation which has resulted in making one party to the bargain afraid to give effect to it. To put the matter bluntly, by setting up a system of gross intimidation under the guise of peaceful picketing, men are daily prevented from offering them selves for employment or accepting reengagement on their vessels at rates of pay they are willing to accept, and by similar methods men are being coerced info Breaking their confrnets and refusing duty in nominion ports, fslhpinvners have been able to cope with the difficulty here by adopting certain measures for the protection of their seamen or the results might have been disastrous. In the colonies conditions are widely different and unless some corrective is applied the dislocation of

Maritime services will ciMilimte indefinitely. The signs and protents of these events are too plain and ominous to lie ignored. The taeiies which are being directed against the shipping industry to-day "ill to-morrow be employed against some industry which is less prepared, until the conn try is reduced to the unhappy condition which it is the aim of the communist movement to bring about. .May I repeal that the principal means hv which these persons are enabled to achieve their purpose is terrorism. Fntil. therefore, the executive Covernmonts both in Great Britain and the Dominions are able to make ii possible for men to carry on their lawful avocations under agreed conditions without the fear of bodily harm and

victimisation from persons often entirely unconnected with their industry, t lie present position of the country's trade must grow steadily worse until complete paralysis takes place.