‘CONFOUNDED IMPERTINENCE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 349, 9 May 1928, Page 8

‘CONFOUNDED IMPERTINENCE ”

STIRRED to a downright expression of his feelings, Mr. W. Appleton, chairman of the Huddart-Parker Company, yesterday described the request of the striking cooks for a conference as “a confounded impertinence.” He can be excused his temporary departure from diplomacy. The cooks, taking it into their heads that they could dictate suceessfxdly to the company as to how its ships should be manned, laid up one vessel after another in idleness until they had paralysed the activity of the entire fleet. They disregarded the warning of the Arbitration Court, though working under its unexpired award, took matters into thenown hands, and brought about a severe dislocation of trade, involving loss in wages to many hundreds of other men and loss of business to their employers. Then, deregistered as unionists by the court, they have the temerity to seek a conference with the owners—thus attempting to flout the court which had penalised them.

“Confounded impertinence” is the right term to describe such a policy. The men have defied the authority of the court; if they defy the court, what chance is there of their abiding honourably by any agreement they are likely to arrive at with the owners, even supposing the owners were willing to treat with them, ignoring the propex- channel of arbitration? None whatever, judging by their past actions. And it is not at all likely that the owners will re-engage the men and guarantee them award wages while the men continue to defy the court. The strikers now have only one method to adopt if they wish re-employment; that is to admit they have been mistaken in their tactics, and to apply to the court for the re-i - egistration of their union, with adequate guarantees that they will for the future observe any award the court may make. There is one bright ray in the present situation. The other maritime unions have intimated to the owners that they will meet to-day and that they hope to arrive at a means of settlement. This is a conciliatory approach, and indicates that the seamen and firemen do not intend to be involved in a general strike by a comparatively few cooks. The probability is that the cooks will be brought to their bearings by the other maritime unions, and ordered to drop their bludgeons and complv with the law.