MR BELL AND THE NEW ZEALAND F.W.L. UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 160, 9 July 1890, Page 2

MR BELL AND THE NEW ZEALAND F.W.L. UNION.

A long letter from J. Bell, ehiprigger and stevedore, in reply co Mr William Bines, Secretary of the Auckland branch of the Union, has been in hand some days. He reiterates -.hie: former statements. , with regard to the Union's action towards himself. After entering into this matter in detail, he proceeds: —" Are the men who are outside of your Union to starve? For this is what it means if your Society makes a monopoly. As you say, you are 250 strong. laskyou if it is right to dictate to thousands of labouring men outside your Union how they shall get a living, and will you force these men into idleness? I think this quantity of men won't eubmit to that. When the pinch of hunger comes this broad question will crop up. You or any man has no right to dictate to a man as long as he is getting the current rate of wages. Mr Bines must nob think I am against unionism in any way. We must have unions, but we must not have a monopoly of labour, as every man ha? a right to toil, and no man has a right to force his fellow men into idleness. Now, Mr Bines, you say that if any man wishes to be employed on the wharf or has any grievance he had better join the Federated Wharf Labourers' Union, or if he has gob any grievance to make you say you will give him a fair and impartial hearing. I am glad to know you have made such a reformation in your society. What a chango ? You impute cowardice to me in a certain correspondence. You could nob have known me, or you would never have impeached me with such a thing as cowardice. My private correspondence will show that you havo wronged me by bearing out such an idea, and you are welcome to publish the private correspondence."