“Fighting Back”

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 186, 27 October 1927, Page 13

“Fighting Back”

UNIONISM GIRDS ITSELF ARBITRATION SYSTEM against the proposed Arbitration Amendments ran high in a meeting of protest held in the Trades Hal! last evening. There was a unanimous feeling that the Government had “drawn a gun and had the drop on trades unionism,” and that it was twne the movement rose in its own defence. But there was in addition a feeling that unionism had reached the limit in its apathy and had better rouse itself or go under. Aften Mr. G. C. Stove had placed before the meeting the report, the general part of which was published in THE SUN last evening, Mr. J. Purtell who had been elected to the chair, asked for amendments and discussion, and proposed the deletion of the word “sabotage” from the final observation that if the amendments were carried the committee could see no alternative to falling back on “strike, boycott and sabotage.” That word, said Mr. Purtell, might be misconstrued by the Press. Mr. Oscar Mcßrine, secretary of the Waterside Workers’ Union, supported the deletion. “The unions have not decided that sabotage is the weapon they are going to use and under those circumstances the report should not include the term.” For the ensuing half-hour the discussion waged round that particular word “sabotage.” A speaker referred to the Colorado miners’ strike as an example. No harm could come from including the word, as it showed that there was some kick left. Unionism was in a bad way and sabotage was one of the last weapons left. “Cut out the sabotage—not at all!” It was a most effective weapon, said another speaker. The New Zealand

miners had the best working agreement with the bosses, and they had obtained it by direct action. THE PIECEWORK CLAUSE Mr. Tt Bloodworth pointed out that the word committed the meeting to nothing, and neither did leaving it out. He condemned the piecework clause of the amendments without reserve. Beside it the other amendments did not matter a snap of the fingers comparatively. No country in the world had a law so abominable. It would not have been submitted to 100 years ago. Did the unions really realise the thing that was hanging oyer their heads and which would prevent them organising to protect their wage rates? The debate on the report soon after closed, the word “sabotage” being left DOMINION CONFERENCE It was decided after considerable I discussion to send three delegates to "W ellmgton to attend the Deminion conference on Friday and to compare notes with other delegates and to unify the policy of the opposition right through the Dominion. The delegates selected were Mr. T. Bloodworth, secretary of tlie Carpenters’ and Joiners’ Union; Mr. J. Liddell, secretary of the Tramwaymen’s Union, and Mr. J. P. Johns, secretary of the Dairy Factory Workers’ Union. In a final resolution moved by Mr, Stove condemning the Arbitration amendments, tlie speaker lamented the condition of unionism and appealed for the one big union idea. There should be less unions and more unionism. Mr. Stove went on to appeal to the women present, of whom there were about 20, to take more interest in unionism than the men were doing. They were the people who suffered under the economic stress. It was disgraceful that Auckland should have to hold such a “hotchpotch” meeting. His seconder believed that the burial

service should be read over unionism. The whole plan of the Government was to precipitate industrial upheaval on the eve of the general election and get back again to extend the term of Parliament to five years. He advised a I huge public demonstration on Sunday. THAT “GLASSHOUSE*’ AGAIN Mrs. Patterson convulsed the crowd j with an attack on Mr. Bloodworth over his interview published in THE SUfM last week, in which he exhorted unions to come out of the glass-house of the Arbitration system. “I know I am out of order, but I am only expressing my opinion,” she said, and the chairma'n, impotent under the circumstances, subsided into his chair. Mr. Bloodworth congratulated Mrs. Patterson on having the courtesy to attack him when he was present. He moved an amendment that the resolution suggested by Mr. Stove should include a call for a Dominion industrial conference, for the amendments stood to confuse manufacturers as well as workers and bring a train of ill-effects for all. A Communist young gentleman felt that Mr. Bloodworth “had done a disgraceful thing” and “had shown the white feather.” He suggested that the conference should consider the practicability of a general strike, but in response to requests of more stable men he withdrew his motion. The meeting concluded by setting up a committee consisting of Mr. Oscar Mcßrine, Mr. J. Purtell, Msy Gavin Stove and the delegates to Wellington, to hold a watching brief over the situation when the delegates returned from Wellington.