WATERSIDE WHISPERS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 11, 19 May 1911, Page 7

WATERSIDE WHISPERS.

Thirty-seven men wore killed and hundreds wounded by the explosion of a freight car loaded with dynamite •during the process of discharging; into a lighter at Communpaw, N.Y., £160,----000 worth of property was destroyed and wide-spread ruin visited many workers' homes. jVlathais Claatworthy met with an accident whilst engaged on tho Queen's Wharf (Wei.) repair works. He was moving a beam with the aid of a crane when it swung round and struck him, breaking two ribs and causing other injuries. He was removed to the hospital. By the co-operation of industry, traffic will be considerably reduced ; there will be less wear andf tear, consequently less repairs, and less accidents. There is something solid and militant about the Australian waterside workers. They offer a striking contrast in their inter-State agreements to all the New Zealand awards. The recent stand taken by the Sydney men on the cement question is a lesson that could be well learnt on this coast. The Sydney men have practically compelled the cement people to provide dust proof bags and pay three pence extra an hour. The question that the Wellington men stood for—the use of hooks—is a recognised practice over the other side and any attempt such, as was made by John Curry of the U.S.S. Co. recently to compel men to desist from using them would be immediately met with reprisals. The International Transportworker Weekly report brings news of great industrial joy. The German' seamen, dock workers and Transport workers have joined into one "unit" organisation "for which we have been propoganda making since 1905" and which was finally perfected on July Ist, 1910. This great organisation has 155,000 members, of whom 8000 are seamen. The weekly payment is 50 pfennig (about sixpence). They have an organ of their own called the "Seamen" of some 20,000 circulation. What about it? Sailors, watersiders and. Transport workers of New Zealand, have you not suffered long enough in your waist coat pocket. Unions, why not take this aj a. concrete example and link up. Make this your slogan "one Industry one Union." Tell your secretary about it. As showing the great advance made by the International Shipowners Federation the International T. W. Fed. report states that the masters have conducted a thorough investigation of the conditions prevailing in the various ports where their ships have been delayed owing to the superior organisation of the waterside workers. These ports have been blacklisted and, tonnage rates increased to them in order to compel a more strict supervision by the port authorities. Genoa is considered from the point of view of the ship owners to be the worst port in Europe. Dunkirk is equally bad in their estimation and it is by means of an organised boycott that the masters intend to bring these places- to their bearings. Of what use^ —asks the -report—is sectional Unionism against forces such as these? This Dominion requires no Ship-owners fed.—though, there is one in existence—-as the whole coast line is practically under the domination of one company, with a peculiarly . suitable title—"The Union Company. 3 ' The waterside is drab and dull these times, work is slackening off and many watersiders are seeking fields afresh, and pastures new till the ♦wool comes down again. Jim Collet, Secretary of the Auckland Waterside Workers Union, writes to say that slack work and winter is on them again. "Jim" has been suffering fioin eye trouble and ia attending a doctor for the same. Hβ tells us that the Union has shifted into new quarters in the F shed whicU the Harbour Board has provided for them. Jim McKay, tho Wanganui Secretary, has been on a trip to Wellington; and is now back in Wanganui. This Union is doing better on an agreement tha-n the usual Courts' award. According to the "Coast Seamen's Journal" (America) the seamen's strike at the Great Lakes is still on and all seamen are warned to keep away. They are sticking together solidly, and will keep up the battle for freedom and better conditions until the fight is won. "God Almightly hates a quitter" and so do we, lend a hand comrades. Keep away while the strike is on. The International S.U. of A. ia taking a ballot as to whether a levy of 3 dollars per member shall be struck to assist them. Good luck to the shell f>acks; they ever a solid crow<l. In the future they will be the main stay of Industrial Unionism. Let as speed the "Worker" amongst the Dominion sailors and so hasten the day of solidarity.