THE STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 276, 19 November 1913, Page 2

THE STRIKE.

VOICES OF THE PEOPIJI. CAEPE>TERS AXD ARBITRATION. A member of tiie Carpenters' Tni-on writer: "'I have reasl the awourrt of ho* the, furniture workers struck, and 1 want it known how the carpenters, or some of tiium. d-own.-t.-d tools. This union ie divided into branchefi, and each bran-.il man-apes itri own local afT-airs. When an important quesrion. such ac railing a strike., is lo bo decided, every member lias to be notified that an

a-T-Tregate meeting will be held for members of aIJ branches to vote on that question. I hold t-hdt the ruled of our union hay rrot rreen complied with, and consider that I am justified in working

<in. 1 i-n -o disgusted with the few row taking part in striking, that 1 have from that nnii-n. I tmd that nearly all (Ureses and men) were under the that wo- were still under the Arbitration Act. When this union last for a. new aw-a-rd. they withdrew from th* Court, The pickets try I-, make m<? believe -that they a.re still arbitrationlstd. y.-t they are on strike. I uhink it Ls time for all right-minded nivii to I'inn into a. n-ew 1-ocal Arbitration

THE CHIEF CAUSE OF THE STRIKE. Mr. D. O'Donogine write-s: "Wha-t ie tlip >-'iic; cjutie of t'h<- strike? The question e.asily answered—the preference of the employers for the Arbitration Act u.2a.in.-n th-at of the employees for the T radix Tnion Act. That." a very simple, one. and nothin.2 else. is the ma : n eviuse. The Acts -a.ppe-.ir on the Stjtut* Rjok. and are. of course. equa-Hy valid: !>ut the employers refuse to give except under the terms o-f their favourite Aot, a-nd the pmploveos rffuise t.i -ici-rpt e-mpl-oym-ent except nndor th • terms of their favourite Act, neither H--iru willing, to ffive way to the other, llenr-c the strike. Now. which party should give way. ami which party has b-nd the I'j.rjrer shrare in causing the striker" STAXDTXO FTRM—=POR WHAT? Sir.—'Pic da'ly cry is: "We are still standing linn." There are many hundreds of unionists like myself who want to know -.vß.it we are ftandin? firm for. "To help oar friends at Huntly." says one !eader. That's all right, but are we? They are where they were, and I don't think we have siven them any luxuries. If the thousands of men on strike to-day had <riven a week's screw to the fund, ice =hoir!d not only have helped them, font they would have won easily. Fancy a week's screw from the crowd on strike. i-'ICOOO at least. AV-e are standing firm at the dictation of the Rfd Feds., to w-hich we don't belong-, and who -want to own ue. Our executives and officers Jjavp l>^6n f*rvpttired. Jirvd q >th;al 1 number of each union's members; but wait! The emijrrants, etc are having their day; ours (the decent workers and skilled workers) h:ie to cony.—l am, etc.. ONE OF THE FCTLTffi OFFICEUS. WHO RULES t ■Sir.—Will you kindly allow mc rpacc to voice the opinion of a la.rge proportion of the pubiieT We elect a Government unxier ~M±- iznpression tkat it ia t-hc ruling power. Is it so or not? What do we find? Two sections o;' the public have a difficulty; t'aey quarrel; the Government look on. untU calatnit}' j comes upon us; and then a third party, j having no interest in the quarrel, steps ] in end tries to restore norma! conditions. And »11 honour to them! A strong Gov- ! eminent, would ihave stopped ia at ont-e and issued a proclanntion, calling j on all concerned to eeafip strife until a tribunal 10 adjust the difficoity wan set up; oth-erwise the Goveram-ent would call on ail loyal subjects to uteiet them. It i; claimed by en- 1 of his apologiata that Mr. Macsey '"has made m> thr&ate, ' ofii-red no l>ribo, marl-e no compact with arrarchy." is jui=t it —-done very fittk, and hliat little in a vray that annoys many. There is little /Jonbt that if the Government would only state that it would set up a Corraniftsion to inquire into the matters in question and adjust them, the loyal workers, a-t any rate, ■would fit onc> be ready to return to normal conditions. — J.G. XEED FOR A NEW PAINTERS' UNION , . "A Thorou£u Ur-ionist"' writes: "I would like to state, as a jouroe-vimaji paiiKer oi 40 yjars' experience, that to see vie paintors mooning about the KtreeUi, out on wliat they call strike (in sympathy with 1 don't know what, and I'm sura t-hey don't I. is about the best performance nf a farcical comedy, or oiu'ldUh simplicity, that I have "ever <yen. I tihink it ia because they are beimr led by few revolutionary Socialists. At nny rate, mv solid advice to all painters (who are, perhaps, scared by the reports being- sent to the p-pens that pra,<'ik-aliy all the painters are on strikei -ts tr> go to work, as I am doing, md also a-bout 170 h^- id-es, and, what is more, to think seriously about starting 1 new union, ran on rifiwible and prae- I i,ieal lineti. by the ivime sort, of men. instead of sticking to the present ivhk-h. to my ide-a, ;.< run more on linos of burleequ'- than what I hope will be the new union of Auckland painters and dec-jr-itors." . IX REPLY Tv MR. AGGERS ! "C.F.H.- writes: -[ have read Mr. ' Aggers' letter wkh jrc.it intoreat, »nac-aiuch it is the first 1 have .seen trooi a reasonable, moderate and 6;inemraaed man :n suppurS o; i:u- prwent general etrike. In his opinion, tan ,itu.u.ion capital and organised labour. Organised ! t Mr erefo ?' «"** b= re.prlsei.ted, i iL Mr, K A «S elB e^; - by the rnitelj loderation. And y,-t Mr 4™-.™ 1 .iwUres himself in f avour ~j a " r b;tr- i Surely he fflust ,„,,., bov-y, ac we judge, merely to d-rvr~a tt -. 6e labour, to bow the seeds oi ■«= Oa.tred, to render imposeible th» rektione between Labour *nd UpStel, which it is the aim of the ArOitmion Act 10 eetablish? We have a great deal made o: the so-called "•W«mpt oi Capital to ooerce Labour uoaer tie Arbitration Act, but, after *"i coercion is not always on the «nployers' side. What of the "preference to unionists" principle, which has the effect of coercing free men into a muonfcm which I know for a fact many iwent and dislike?: Does rt not seem rtmnge that fa,.. professin-j to k fh? eKS*! in'-tte I «'Jj -!, Ia ' c laJ »orer should be re-

the apostles of unionieni proclaim every •man's inalienable right to sell hia labour ior whatever .price he may If the employers were the tyrannical, rapacious set the Tied Feds. , ' ■would have us believe, they ihave now an unexampled opportunity for proclaiming an industrial war to the knife and bursting up the unionism which has. taken so looi; to eonsolida-te. But they are doiag nothing of the kind. They are merely endeavouring to prevent sane unionicoi being stampeded in the wild r-mh of the. United F->de.rati-cn towanla Socialiam and an:ii-e-hv. And in such an endeavour they should stirely have the support of every reasonable man. be he employer or employed."

HYSTERICS. "•Tust a Man" writes:— 'My temperature being normal, and not betni affected by any of the three prevailing epidemics —strike. farmeritU. or speciaJitis—l would like to say a few words from the point of view of an onlooker at the game now i:i EaipioyetS V. Strikers. Hi.- Worship the Mayor complains of the -fairy tiles" .and" "yarns"' of the strike leaders. Following the course of the p;inie with interest, 1 should say that up to the present it is a dead heat a» regards 'fairy tales, "yarns," and wild exaggerations. As both parties are yet strong, it is hard to say which will eventually

J secure tlie Annanias belt. What war- ! rant is there for the use of such ' , phrases as "cowardly disturbances." quelled by the '"mounted nit n from north, ; south, each and west," who "keep the city from anarchy, charts, anil oven j worsef Well, well! 1 should have . thought anarchy and chaos thu entire: , pig-: but no, "even worse." Some writers t in your correspondence columns become ■ guile iiy-irrica!. and evidently think '. i nothing Ipm than striking (Hello, eon- , , found ihf word!] n medal for the con- : ' qnerim: farmers will meet the situation: , and we a r " informed that •■citizens will . continue m rdiow sense, and not commit : euieiiio !>)" ilyifltr at tin , -?~:i:-e of <imi Rnd ' ' Nature"—l> !tovel and iip-to-dftte method ! I of seli-dcsirurtion. perhaps to the . ! introduction of aercplanvs. Another ] wki-p ni>rve« must have pivcif way enj tircly. habhloi nf "brave country fel-lows"—"-saved us"—"stale of affairs too ghastly to contemplate. -, etc. Hut the <Tern is pro'mbjy this: "One Auckland women an.' sorry for. tlin-fc the mothers «n<l -sv.-cot-heart.- and wives of the farmers cannot =cc their men keep- ' ing; watcii and ward over the city," and' "women are talking of the. farmers' 7 — "m:ist wondiTtul si-jht, they have seen/ . With a population of 110.000. there are surely enoi-L'it men in the city, without caiiinir in nuUide help, to defend it from "nnOO strikers, be they anarchists or j'j~t working citizens, who at all other times are considered as honest and reputable as the writers of such letters j as quoted. ' THE FEDERATION'S "TRUMP CARD." ' Mr K. A. Watt writes:—"A Visitor" ' says that the whole mischief appears to have been caused by the action of the I manners o? the Uuntly coal mine. I J think'that, like most people. who -do. not know more, of the real iauer workings, "Visitor"' is merely scratching on the outside. T.he HD.ni.ly- and Wellington incidents are merely the sparks which isriitod Uie train. TV struggle.'iad to j conic. Dn n --,t we rcraeni'hcr the "tru-nip 1 card which would staler New Zealand." I It has been common talk for some nine i months. "Thero will bo a hurst up at 1 Exhibition time. -. The Huntly men had the.ir remedy under-the Arbitration Act. and the management p> ye way and i agreed to submit the matter to the Con- : ciiiation Commissioner, and abide by his ' decision. 'What more was required? I The actual fig.it was begun by the i Federation rf Labour etoppin'jr Huntly i from settling the -dispute, -and then ; entering irnon a mad Syndicalist strike. This mean; a bid for the power to rule New Zealand on J.W.W. lines. The thinking people knew from the start i that, if any Federation gained the day i on those lines, and could call a general strike at their own sweet will, wockere, fanners, and employers would never he safe from the "trump card." If a general strike is allowed, it is only fair to allow a general loc-k-6ut. Farmers and employers have far more to lose than workers. If men are allowed to strike at any time, they ought not to complain if resentment ie felt. The ■ Auckland watemdprs cannot talk about beinrr victimised; they have pot all they went for. Shippers would send ffppds to the wharf at tiroes, only to have same returned with the information that the port, is huns up. the wjtersid-ers are having a meeting, an-d probably will strike. There was no security at all, and the loss and inconvenience had to be borne by the poor victims to their rule. The farmers met the watersiders fairly and -agreed to jm-aller bajrs if they would handle the old bags until the New Year This agreement was also broken. What security was there, as long a= a Federa tion plcijred to I.W.W. principles wa*= allowed to assume control of labour in New Zealand? Ask Che workers in Vancouver. Tasmania, and Bris-bane how much Federation rule cost them before it was counted out as ■a dangerous experiment. Evolution, not revolution, is goinp to rule in this agitator-ridden country." FEDERATION* M:E7rH6DS CONDEMNED. —As the peaceful methods of picketing consists of either obtaining or ! giving information, according to the definition of the word, I would like to ' a,sk why do the pickets resort to intimiI datinn- "workers who do not apree with 1 the HM-uioas of the 1.W.W.. with threats, hints of violence, boycotting, and the posting up of names in the union officer, etc.? 'What if the employers take it into their heads and po*r the pickets' niimes up amongst the bosses? Any 2-nins the may make to their ranks by forcing men to leave work are not permanent or of any use. 1 personal'v know of sonic workers who i could not iHanrl the " hevklinjs" of the i picket?, and who came out only to sro straignt away and join the " .-specials." J Wouldn't it have lien much better if - they had been left al-ono, when they did ! not see tie cause of atrikinjr. and had a little. respect for their opinions, especially when t'rtpv had no voice in the strike decision.' There are plenty of other-; who are out on strike with n-o sympathy for Federation methods; and it is all bunkum .sibout , Ai6 'being unanimous in favour of the . federation and striking with peaceful ' methods. We have to thank the. farmer* _ for the peaceful methoas. A secret ballot would crrpose the support the Foderatiomsfa. are supposed to have, right » aWT. My observations show mc that their main support lies in the English 1 immigrant. Durin? the whole of' the 3 eleven years I iiave resided in Auckland, 2 since leaving Australia, 1 have not met - one solitary emigrant "who has not been I stnfled with Socialist ideas, «r what ne

tMnks is socialism. - They have inrbrbed the idea that they belong- to the oppressed, and' are in favour of any kind of strikes; whereas they never 'had such good hours an;d wages in their lives -until tiey came here; and when it comes to work an-d fcheir knowledge of their respective trades, they are not in it with the CuioniaAs. In conclusion, 1 might state, that, a≤ an inevitable result of all strikes, we have to arbitrate; so why not arbitrate before our knees are weak and our stomachs are empty. —I am, etc., NEUTRAL.

TH-E SECRET BAIXOT. Mr. W. >. Moxsom, representative of Department of the Federation of Labour, and president of the Auckland Tailors' Union (Arbitration), who states I that he does not write officially, says: — "At the kite Unity Congress, h-el'd at Wellington during July, the secret ballot jwo 3 designated ' the refuge of employers and cowards.' Be that as it may, I noticed in the 'Star , leader of -No-vem-her 12, headed. ' An Appeal for Pe;ice,' that the reconsideration of the position by the unions on strike, and a resort to the secret ballot was very strongly re-e-onunended in the best interests of the country, and more especially in the interests of tiie workers who, it is stated, Bill sufi'er most 'by the prolongation of the strike. Well, Sir, I -make bold to state that the worker always suffers most; and suffers all the time under pre sent conditions; and the strike, whether decided by the masters' baHot or by the open billot, is r< protest; the only practical protest remaining to the workers of the world, whereby they can make themjrives felt. The strike is the legitimate weapon of the workers through which they may demand improved conditions. oppose oppression in any form, and denounce victimisation wherever encountered. And allow mc t-o point out that, whether under the present Arbitration Actor under Mr. William Massey , * proposed ''Coercion Act." or any other Act of repression, the workers -on the industrial field will maintain that right against ail comers, so long as the present wage-ela.VB system remains. The right of the workers to withhold their •only marketable commodity (labour) i.s inalienable, and if the workers deter mine that the form of withholding such commodity shall he through the g.-neral strike, th'.-n it is not only inalienable— it is un-coiKjuerable. F!y general strike I intend to convey a strike by ;i complete industrial organisation; so allow mc to say. that the present anhetival had not the eenrt/iance of a general strike. At the conunen-ee'jnent of thi.- trouble the elements for a general strike were not apparent. There were Arbitrationiets in one camn. J-'-edorati-onints in the other (and diis iy far. the weaker .party), and the unorganised in another camp. Still, the development of ■ the. present position is a surprise to the world, and sh-ntiM point a lesson, should the general strike ever occur in real earnest. And 1 state definitp'y that the present po>ition ■h<U enlrnfnatea from the fact that the Government ha-s attempted to assist the Association to destroy the worker?" organisation; or the Kmp-loyers' Association, beinir the greater power, has forced the Government to attempt to destroy labour organisation by trying to force upon the workers the only form of orc.inidation acceptable to t!te employers. Thi.- is, in fact, the deep-smatod root 01 the-troiible; and nil classes of la-bour are reeojrnising the position so seriously that all are being forced to nra-kp cmnmon cause, tdo nnt deny that sympathy .vith the vk-iimi.-e-.l JTiintlv miners w.i-. i n the first responsib!!- for t!ie openinp up of t-hi* present tr-u:4,1.-. \o doubt the workers are beginning to realise that an injury to one is an injury to all; that if my feiiow-worker is victimised to-day it may he my turn to-mnirow. Too true. We are grasping that truth very rapidly. and when the majority have tiffht hold of that, principle, then is the Waterloo of the wageslave system, with its ghastly array of oppression, injustice, want, misery, crime and war.' .