An Open Letter And Some Apologies.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 25, 25 August 1911, Page 14

An Open Letter And Some Apologies.

To the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, Bart., and the Hon. J. A. Millar/ Minister for Labor. Dear Sirs, —In connection with the amendment to the I.C. asnd A. Act now ■s before the. House, we owe the f ollow'ihgletter and a'poJpgies. When you, last August, jointly promised the deputation from the N.Z. Federation of Labor that in the amendment you would include a clause prohibiting award-breaking ■by contracts for labor only, we believed you. We apologise for our foolishness itt mistaking the celluloid imitation, tendered by political expediency-mongers, for the honest ivory of truth, which is current among straight-dealing men. We also owe, a.nd liiasten to pay, an apology to Mr. Win. Pryor, of tlwj Employers' Federation. When we dis< cussed the matter with him in Palmor« ston, and remarked that we had left; the question of contracts out of out claims owdrig to your promise of legislation, Mr. Pryor smilingly remarked: "It will never get into the amendment." We also smiled. You see, wo had promises, jointly and. separately, from you gentlemen that the thing would be stopped, and, with what the poet terms "the deep mind of dauntless infancy," we believed you. So we apologise to Pryor for our. disbelief of his statement: to you gentle men for our belief in your sincerity. The system which we desired to block i-endered, as you may perhaps remember, the whole of the Arbitration Act mill and void in any industry wherein it was ..possible .to contract for labor only; i.e., in almost every industry'throughout the Dominion. We were desirous of getting this ingenious attempt to flout the Court squashed by legitimate legislation. As you gentlemen, however, appear to be acting hand-in-hand with the Employers' Federation in this matter, -we "would remind you that there are two ways of shafting a donkey— viz., carrots and kicks. We have tried to move the contract, system ass with the carrot of an amendment. As yoii have frustrated this laudable efforts' we beg to tender you our assurance that the next time we have to deal with the animal, |f we will do our own kicking." We guarantee to keep this promise. We are not Cabinet Ministers, so. it m>ay be considered binding. ■ In the event of such a.n unforseem pecurrence, you will doubtless bear carefully in mind that the crudity of ihe latter course might have been had the Premier of N.Z.aaid his Minister for Labor been capable &i even attempting to carry out their pledges. It must, however, be .clearly, understood that we shall not have much time to deal with any attempt to foist this system upon us (save in the unconvincing way of passive resistance) until after November next. The interim will be fully filled in by a strenuous endeavour to return our candidate, Mr. J. Robertson, for Otaki. Again renewing our regrets for our impulsive belief in your truthfulness, -—We are dear sirs, yours faithfully, RICHARD H. DALHOUSIE, President. PERCY T. ROBINSON, Secretary. Mamawatu Flaxmill Employees' Union, North, Aug. 14 ,_ 1911.