New Zealand Miners and Secret Ballots.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 87, 8 November 1912, Page 3

New Zealand Miners and Secret Ballots.

MORE MISREPRESENTATION. (To the Editor, "Westralian Worker.") My attention has been called to a" statement by "Fracteur" appearing in your issue of September 6, beginning "The Waihi (N.Z.) Miners' Union has resolved that in future no secret ballot shall be held in connection with the business of the union." When was this decision arrived at? From what source does "Fracteur". obtain the news item ? It appears to mo at this stage of Labor's history, when' no misrepresentation is too gross, no innuendo toecruel to be employed to defeat unionism in its necessary fights against capitalism, that bald statements calculated to injure those fighting comrades should noti be made. How often will we continue to swallow the bait thrown us by our enemies? How often will the lies of the enemy be circulated and believed by comrades-in-arms? Let it be known to the workers of Westralia that the miners of New Zealand are just as honorable and straightforward as are their brethren of tihe Golden West, and that they need no chdap lectures by a "Fracteur" or anyone else upon union ethics, more particularly if the text for that lecture be drawn from a tainted source. If "FracteuT" and those of his kidney were only as anxious to assist their mates when assistance is needed as they are to have the verbal filth gathered from the gutter press of New Zealand and elsewhere, they would be much better unionists. In fairness to the New Zealand workers involved in this trouble, let mc say that the statement circulated is ridiculous on the"face of it. All unions in the Federation are governed by the rules of the Federation. Those rules provide for ballots. The Waihi miners, as well as the Reefton miners, are a part of the Federation. Need anything further be said? Anyhow, the question of tolerating scab unionism or a death-dealing contract system is of such vast import that a ballot, secret or otherwise, of the Waihi Union will not settle the matter. The deciding of that important point* has been handed to the N.Z.F.L., of which body the Waihi unionists are an integral part.— Yours, «to., P. H. HICKEY, Rep. N.Z.F.L.