UNION NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 455, 1 May 1909, Page 3

UNION NOTES.

[This column is edited hy tUo Elaxiuills Employees’ Union Executive. All matters for publication under this head must ho forwarded to the Secretary of the Union.!

TH AT ELUSIVE “ PRINCIPLE.”

Mr Justice Sim lias been at it again ! Mr Grosveuor, representing the employers in an Auckland case observed that they “objected to preference on principle’’ to which His Honour replied that he had never been able to discover what that principle was. He added that workers outside a Union have no standing at all under the Act, and that for emp'oyers to come at this late hour and object to preference was “positively silly, ’ and the New Zealand Times, the quasi-official organ o( an allegedly democratic Government devotes a couple of columns to a feeble attempt to prove Judge Sira wrong, and to iulerentially suggest that we might even be better without an Arbitration Act. Shandy-gaff democracy ! A good basis ot procapital twaddle and “just a dash of labor so that the drink may not be too strong for the palates of the workers. “An ounce of cis'et, good apothecary’’ to drown the odour •of such doctrine as the Times has of late been so fond. THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE OR CHANCE ? During the recent controversy regarding royalties and other survivals ot the feudal system still obtaining in our industry, a suggestion was made by one of the opposite faction that the Government should send a few labour agitators to the Philippines to stir the native mind up a little. Files ot the Evening Call, New York, to hand by this mail disclose the tact that the native agitator is very much in evidence in Manila. One organised a union of street car drivers therein and was successful in obtaining their demands. It is interesting, as showing in what similar grooves the “agitating” mind works, to note that this Philipino’s next move was to stand for the local council ! He was duly elected, but was refused permission to take his seat. Upon the Court upholding his application, the authorities arrested him on a charge of “fostering labour troubles’’ and gave him six months! We extend our sympathy to New Zealand millers who have to compete against a country where employers are given facilities such as the foregoing to discourage organisation of labour. And yet, a precedent like the above takes away much of the sting of defeat consequent upon our secretary not being elected to tire Foxton Borough Council. The prospect of a completion of the parallel with Mr Robinson in the “butterfly uniform” for half a year is too ainful to bear contemplation ! THANKS. To those of the electors who supported our secretary in his praiseworthy attempt to attain municipal honours we extend our hearty thanks. We were hoping for the best but ready for the worst —and the latter state was not nearly as bad as we were prepared for. Better luck next time. MONDAY’S MEETING. We want a good big roll up on Monday evening next at eight o’clock to the meeting which is advertised elsewhere in this issue. The levy which it is proposed to make involves a matter of principle and attending members will doubtless find it a matter of interest as well. OUR PREFERENCE CLAUSE. It’s not much of a clause anyhow. Like the baby in “Mr Midshipman Easy.” its “only a very little one” and it would naturally be thought that its lack of size would protect it from any savage onslaught on the part of the millers ! Not a bit. Messrs Broad and Reeves, those painstaking pioneers of the new system, broke it after the recent lock-out by putting on three non-union men while our locked out scutchers were still unemployed. These men were put on, mark you, not at the twenty-two and sixpenny contract rate. They refused to accept this and the firm climbed down and paid them 28s per ton. They discharged union men because they wouldn’t accept 22s 6d, then offered this figure to non-unionists and upon their refusal to accept it started them at the original rates ! We do not think that such action calls for any comment from us. It will receive a sufficiency when the Department moves in the matter. A SUGGESTION. We have several times been asked if it would hot be possible to form a social club in connection with the Union. There is no doubt that there is much in this scheme to recommend it, and we shall be pleased to have any suggestions bearing upon this brought before Monday’s meeting for consideration.