THE CHRISTCHURCH CURRIERS,

NZ Truth, Issue 127, 23 November 1907, Page 6

THE CHRISTCHURCH CURRIERS,

Traitors m the Camp.

In previous articles . "Truth" has made allusion, and pretty 'strong allusion at that, to the lock-out of the curriers employed at the works of Bowrbn Bros, at .Woolston, close to Christchurch. Unctious Bdwron, who lives Well himself, and who does himself proud m a his house, refuses to give these men a proper wage, and has earned the contempt of the community inconsequence. Their case is now well-known, and a fair-minded public is now wondering what bounding boodler Bowron means by it, more especially as he was able to find £250 for the. yawning V.M.C.A. fund. And yet his workers could go to pot for ail he cared. The obstinate ass : determined to hold out and thought that. -the men would crawl back to him. Well, his idea on the subject has been partially fulfilled, worse luck, as a number . have resumed work. When the lock-out took place a meeting; of the curriers was .held, and it was decided' unanimously :that no member should enter into any contract with Bowron before consuiting the Union. No ( individual arrangement was to he made : that was absolutely forbidden, and the secretary, Alf McConkie, issued a circular to^hat effect. In spite of this, however, eight jrnen turned dog; on the union, saw George Bowron on the quiet, and went hack to work. It was some time before the Union got wind of the move, /and then,

A LIST OF THE BLACICLEGS "was obtained. These traitors, who .had never said anything about the jnatter to the Union at all. , actually turned up atthe Union meeting ; at least some of them did, and, they . had <the pleasure of listening to some 'penpeiT remarks regarding their hlasjtiferous conduct. They explained, by way of excuse, that they thought they had a right : to go and do . the best they could for themselves. Fisher, of. the Trades and Labour Council, who was present, told them that they should put their faces m a mask of sheet iron, and that they ought to be ashamed of themselves, and more •to the same effect. George Bowron is naturally delighted at getting eight Unionists back on his own terms, and he expects to get the rest. Vain hope ; the majority have secured oth-er-employment. And they wouldn't work with traitors, anyhow.