MR BELCHER'S POSITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 22 November 1913, Page 8

MR BELCHER'S POSITION.

MARITIME STRIKE RECALLED. (By Telegraph. —Own Correspocdent i CTIRISTCHURCH. Friday. To-day there called at the "Star" Otlice an "obvious" seaman, who declined to reveal his identity, but. wished to make ii few remarks on the subject of Mr \V. R»lcher (secretary of the Seamen'futon/, apropos the attacks made on him by a section of firemen and other?. "I strongly object," said lie. "to anV nii,' c:illin<» Mr Belcher a traitor. He 'nan •mc of the. best men of those wh.> organised the union, and at an open air meeting before the marit strike he pave his last half-crown to join the union If it was not for Mr Belcher the Seamen Union would not exist to-day. The men who called him a traitor are' simply boys only come out from the (lid Country" a. few days a<ro. and they think the union is froitlß t-o do everything for them. Mr Belcher several times has had to <*o to Wellington and Auckland to pithpr the union toß».thra. and but for him there would be no union to-day. It was only his patience in dealing with the Union Company that pot tho wapr.s they have to-day. The firemen, according to this morning's paper, seem to be in bad i-ir-r.uraataJices. A few weeks ajro there were jobs poing on the Maori and other boatand they would not take the jobs b<vau<o the watersideTS had them by 1 he wool ■ now the jobs are stuffed with Arbit.ra.tionist unionists. Is that any ben.-fit to the firemen?"