WATERSIDE WORKERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 64, 6 September 1911, Page 5

WATERSIDE WORKERS

" A HINT TO BRITAIN. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Yesterday. At the Waterside Workers' Conference Mr. G. Terry (Wellington) moved: That this conference approves of the fol--1 lowing resolution, "Should England declare war on any other nation, wc, as workers, unite with the workers in other ' countries in declaring peace." Mr. Boardman (Auckland) seconded the motion. Mr. Reed (Lyttelton) said it would be a good thing if the workers of rival countries could unite and stop horrible war. If the money spent under the present Xew Zealand Defence Act I had been spent under the Volunteer I Hvstoni. it would have formed the nucleus of a very efficient service. Mr. Canham (Auckland), referring to the compulsory military training scheme, contended that the system was too harsh, and suggested the motion be amended as follows: 'That in the event of any two nations of the world declaring war on one another, this conference pledges itself along with other workers of die world to declare for peace." The amendment was accepted by the mover, and the motion, as amended, was carried. . HIGH COST OF LIVING. Auckland, Yesterday. At the Waterside Workers' Conference the committee appointed to consider the excessive cost of the necessaries of -life reported that they had failed to discover any remedy that could be deemed practicable so long as production remained in the hands of a class. They urged that workers organise, industrially and politically, upon a class basis, so as to be able to supplant the present system of distributing the necessaries of life, with a system of national democratic ownership, which alone could remove the anomaly complained of. The report was adopted without discussion. A PATKA COMPLAINT. Wellington, Yesterday. Mr. G. Smith (Patea) said there was discontent among the members of the Patea branch with the award they are working under since the strike in December last. The only alteration' .secured was an improvement in the hours of work; consequently they had cancelled their registration under the Arbitration Act, and declined to sign the present agreement. Feeling was also strong because the railwaymen who had struck in sympathy with the waterside workers had not been .reinstated, though the inference was that would-be blacklegs were being employed instead. Application had been made to the Minister, who replied he would not recognise any union. Unionists objected to work alongside Government blacWegs. Before the matter was settled it would 1 become a question of unionists against • non-unionists. ' A resolution was carried to write to 1 the. Minister of Railways protesting ' against his inconsistency in protecting ' one class in Lyttelton, enabling them to form a close corporation, and assisting non-unionists in Patea by refusing to recognise any union there. They further asked the Minister to reinstate the men dismissed at Patea.