DEPUTATION TO PREMIER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8343, 1 February 1913, Page 8

DEPUTATION TO PREMIER

STRIKE AT WAIHI. WHY THE POLICE WERE SENT THERE. A deputation from the Labour conference waited on the Prime Minister, the Hon. W. F. Massey, yesterday afternoon in connection with matters affecting the Arbitration Act. Mr Tregear in introducing the deputation, said it consisted of members from the Trades Unions’ Congress and hail ' some matters to bring before the Premier in respect to the Arbitration Act. Tho Premier: The Trades Union Congress. Is that correct? Mr Tregear: I think it is correct. The Premier; What I want to get at is, is this deputation representing the trades unions of New Zealand? Mr Tregear : You may consider it so. .ARBITRATION—NOT COMPULSION. Proceeding. Mr Tregear said the Arbitration Act since its inception showed a certain respect for the liberty of the subject. It was never the compulsory arbitration known in America, but industrial arbitration. It had also this form of liberty: that if a union was under the Act and considbl'ed it would do better by cancelling its registration it had permission to do so. A great danger, however, was approaching and threatening to destroy the usefulness of the •Act. A minority could get together, enter into an agreement or get an award which might be no good for the majority of tho workers and bind every worker in that industry in the district. At Huntly not only was such a union formed, but the members were not allowed to rejoin the present nnion. A rule had been passed by which honorary members, by payment of ss, were allowed to vote on the affairs of the union. Shopkeepers or others who became honorary members could vote, and a great danger sprang from this weak spot in tho Act. The congress passed certain resolutions, and ho thought he would preface the addresses to bo delivered by the members of the deputation in order to show why they were being introduced. ALLEGED MINORITY RULE. Mr R. Semple said that a minority of the men were responsible for the affairs at Waihi, and the employing class were helped by the Government, but it was held by the Government this was noi so. So far as the position was concerned they could prove conclusively what they’ said was correct. The Premier: You make a statement that the employing class, assisted by the Government, was responsible for the state of affaire at Waihi. Well, the employing class had nothing to do with It. The Government enforced the law, and would do the same to-morrow. Mr Semple: The employing class was ■ responsible for breaking up the working class there, j Mr Semple added that a small crowd of men visited Huntly for the purpose of forming this small association against the wishes of those working in the mines. They asked for a list of names and this was refused. A visit was then made to the Maori pas, and they got half-grown Maoris to sign the forms. The union’s executive were discharged because the men took one day off, and the men were advised to return to work. The executive had merely carried out the mandate of their organisation. He pointed out how the second union was formed, and said it consisted of men who never knew a bit about coalmines. The great majority of the working men were not allowed to join the union, and the agreement entered into was made binding on all. POLICE AT HUNTLY. He asked if the Government was justified in sending the police there. A special train, left on a Sunday with eighty constables. There was not one act of violence committed by the men, and the police should not have been sent. Tho Premier: I am not quite certain of the exact number of constables that wero sent, but they were sent at tho request ojf the citizens, who appealed for protection. Mr Semple: Can you produce that? The Premier: Yes, if necessary. Mr Semple: What protection did they want ? The Premier.- Protection against any possibilities in tho future. Mr Semple said the men were lawabiding citizens, and never committed a crime. The sergeant was a decent man. If he had been the same man as was sent to Waihi there would have been just the same outrages. He recognised they were peaceful citizens, and were trying to conduct themselves as peaceful citizens should do. When the second union was established the men had no say in the matter. The conditions were agreed to by men who knew nothing about underground work. There were only two things to do in the circumstances—advise the men join the organisation or cease work. They advised them to join the organisation, and therefore adopted the most peaceful attitude. Twenty-nine men were not allowed to work. That was the law as it stood to-day. “TO CRUCIFY LABOUR." It was an insidious law, out to crucify labour and backed up by the ‘Government. The Premier: Whose views are you voicing ? Mi- Semple said the deputation was from the Federation of Labour. Tho Premier: Well, here is Mr Tregear. who says he does not belong to the Pederation of Labour. Mr Semple: This is a deputation from a conference convened by the Federation of Labour. There were delegates there representing 40.000 unionists of this country, and we were sent along to enter a protest against this law. We find ourselves in this position—the majority has no right to have a voice in the business affairs of an organisation. The minority can control backed up by the policeman’s baton, and rule the minority. The law was not administered fairly, and the Government is still to blame. The Premier: I must again contradict yon. Mr Semple: The people have the right to manage their own affairs, hut this is denied them. I want to show by interviews with Mr Alison, one of your loyal supporters and one of the greatest Conservatives in New Zealand MR SEMPLE REBUKED. The Premier: X won’t allow references to Mr Alison or anyone else. It has nothing at all to do with the matter. What I want to know is how the law can be amended? Mr Semple made further reference to Waihi and the police, when the Premier assured him that the request for protection came from leading citizens, and he had even a request in which the names of men connected with trades unibns appeared. He reminded Mr Semple time was going on, and he was asking them to show him how the law could bo amended. Mr Semple: I am showing yon how the law should be amended. We want it altered so that the majority will have the right- to control affairs, and fifteen men shall not have the right to control the majority. The Premier said he had stated that Parliament would have an opportunity of considering the whole of the arbitration law next session. Mr Semple remarked that the congress had unanimously decided that the law was directly opposed, to the best interests of the workers. THE "SQUARE DEAL.” They had called a 'meeting of delegates for six months hence, when the position would be discussed again. The unionists of this country found that the present legislation was destructive to the organisations that hitherto existed. When the Premier wont before the country he said

he would give the workers a ‘‘square deal.’’ Tho Premier: And I expect a square deal from square men. Mr Semple: We have never got that square deal, and you enforced tho law with the policeman’s baton. Tho Premier: We are prepared to answer to the people for that. Exactly the same treatment would lie given if the same circumstances arose. Mr Semple: I absolutely defy any man to” say that tho union men broke the law in Waihi. Mr Massey: The doings were a disgrace to civilisation. Mr Semnle said he was personally against the Arbitration Act, though he never tried to shove his opinion down anyone’s throat; but there should bo some amendment to prevent, a minority forming a union. Mr Hickey then read a resolution carried at the conference asking for an amendment of the Arbitration Act. MR YOUNG ALLEGES "PARTIALITY.” Mr Young, as one who was not in the Federation of Labour, said that as far as he could see the law^ was not administered impartially at Waihi. Mr Massey: Are you speaking to the resolution? Mr Young said there were other matters he wanted to bring under the notice of the Premier, hut he strongly supported the resolution. The law should bo amended. He pointed out a case where a man had been given twenty-four hums’ notice to leave Waihi or trouble would ensue. The rxilico refused to give hun protection, arid said that he was only getting back what he gave. That was the daw as administered by the Government. They also asked that Hie lawshould be amended go as to provide that honorary- members of au industrial union should not be eligible to take part in the deliberations of such union or exercise any vote in connection therewith. A bogus union had been formed at Huntly under the Arbitration Act. BOGUS ? The Premier; What do you mean by bogus? . Mr Young: Registered against the wishes of tho majority. Continuing, Mr Young said that one of the rules was that any person could become a member of that union on payment of 5s and take part in its deliberations and exercise a vote therewith. A publican at Waihi was a shareholder in tho mines and a member of this union. Ho wanted to know by what authority the department sanctioned that rule. Hero was tho law bearing on that sublet; “A worker is any person employed by any employer to do work for hire or reward,’’ and any society could be registered if it consisted of not less than fifteen in the case of workers. The publican wns nut connected with that. The Premier: 1 know nothing about him. ; Mr Young said the department was wrong in allowing that rule to bo registered. The Government was supporting this. REFLECTIONS NOT ALLOWED. The Premier: I am not going to allow any reflection to be cast on the Government in this room.’ 1 am here to hear the deputation with regard to the necessity for amending the Jaw. Mr Young: Can't I make use of a statement that is true? Tfio Premier: You can use arguments to support your views, but I cannot allow the deputation to bo used for party purposes. Mr Young: I am not going tq use it for party purposes, but if speaking the truth is party purposes then I am using it for party purposes. AMENDMENTS DESIRED. Mr Young said they w-anted the law amended so that it shall be competent for an industrial union by resolution of a special meeting immediately to give notice of its intention to cancel registration, which shall be considered the official application; but before such, cancellation shall be effective it shall bo incumbent upon such union to satisfy tho registrar that a majority of tho financial members desire so to cancel. The law as it stood did not permit of this, A,u other amendment desired was that wnoro a union registered under the Trades Unions Act exceeds that of a similar union of workers engaged in the same industry in die same locality it shall not be lawful for any such similar union to be registerid or exist in such locality. The Arbitration Act provided since its inception that no two .unions of tho same industry in die same locality shall he registered under the Act, but here they found it at Xfuntly and Waihi. No doubt the same thing would take place in other towns. Tne main body of ■ workers had tome to the conclusion that the Act wqs ao good to them, and they cancelled and ■pulled out.” Subsequently trouble arose and fifteen men formed a bogus muon and moved the machinery of law and obtained an award binding the large majority of tho workers. THE OPEN DOOR POLICY. The trades unions believed in au open door policy. Tiro Premier: We believe in the Act. and are going to stand by it. Continuing. Ml- Young said that the conference rigorously protested against the action of the Government in allowing a union in connection with one of its ow-n industries the right of a close corporation and the right to the election of members by ballot. The Lyttelton Railway Workers’ Union (wharf labourers; was a close corporation, and any man wishing to join it had to face the "black ball.” The law should also be amended to make it compulsory for employers to insure their workers; also that the Constitution Act of New Zealand should bo amended so as to admit of the Dominion Parliament enacting any laws necessary to conserve the interests of persons engaged in the maritime or any other ocoppation in New Zealand. "A BIG ORDER.” Tho Premier: That is a pretty big order. Mr Young: Yes, and the workers are going to give effect to it. W© are not going to be controlled by British capitaiYoung pointed out how some Bills that had been passed and had been sent Home to receive tho Royal Assent had not received it, notably tho Shipping Act, 1910, and it had lapsed as the result of the influence of British capitalists and shipowners. Ho trusted these matters would receive ravourable consideration. MR PARRY’S COMPLAINT. . Parry said that as a citizen of VVaihi he had a right to make a complaint to the Premier. He knew there was a defect in the Arbitration Act. and knew what was likely to take place if it ’ was not amended. The union at Huntly was brought , into existence through the instrumentality of the Government. The premier: You don't suggest it was not in accordance with the law? Mr Parry : No. Continuing, he pointed out how twenty men had been forced to leave their homes, and he asked what the Government was going to do to get them bach The Government could faring forward no charges against the men of at Waihi. If the Government was going to allow the police to be used witn a certain section of the community against the workers he was going to fight to delend the homes. WHY POLICE WERE SENT TO WAIHL The Premier: X repeat now that the police were sent to Waihi on the appeal of what I believe was a large majority oi tile people who asked ter protection against the mob that continually threatened. We have got the language, for it has been taken down, and we are ready to give it to the public at any time. The Government did no more than their duty at W aihi. Mr Parry: We have documents to prove from our side also. Mr Parry then suggested that an inquiry should be held. Mr Massey: I am quite prepared to recommend an inquiry if it is warranted, but there are a number of inquiries on at present. Mr Parry: The man who took the hall

from the unionists tried to form a branch of the Reform League the next day. Mr Massey : You don’t object to that! INQUIRY COURTED. Mr Fraser said tho unionists would like an inquiry. , . ~ Tho Premier : We have nothing to hide, and require the utmost publicity. Mr Fraser then pointed out how the men were debarred from the union ana their means of livelihood was taken away. IMMIGRATION AND DEFENCE. Mr Hickey pointed out that tlie conference had passed a resolution objecting to the intention of the Government carrying out what was termed a vigorous immigration policy. It was thought that this would affect the people of the Dominion in the future, and would tend to lower wages. The Defence Act, they thought, should bo amended, so that youths who were fined should not have their wages garnisheed. Mr AY. T. Mills said that the deputation was substantially representative of tho whole body of organised .Labour in New Zealand. _ Mr W. C. Noot said that if the Government did not give heed to tho matters brought before it then there would be industrial unrest for some time to come. Labour would not allow its fellow men to be treated as they were at Huntly. The only thing that could be done was to make an alteration in the Arbitration Act. The union registered at AVaihi would never be taken into tho United Labour Party. The only way the Government could bring about industrial rest was to stop bogus unions being formed.