STRIKE LEADERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1925, Page 5

STRIKE LEADERS.

SENTENCED £_ WELLINGTON. SIX MONTHS' HARD LABOUR. FORFEITURE OF PAY. ARAWA TEST CASE. By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. This morning, in the Magistrate's Court a number of seamen were prose- - cl ,ted'for unlawful absence from their ships and for combining with other members of the crew so as to impede the progress of the voyage of the ship. Mr. Orr-Walker, S.M., was on the The'case of the first defendant, C. V. Lan"den, an able seaman on the Arawa, ■ SV -as°taken as a test. Counsel for defendants said they were prepared to plead guilty to the first charge of being absent without leave if the other charges were withdrawn. This procedure had been followed in Auckland. Mr. O'Leary said his instructions were to* press both charges, irrespective of what had been done in Auckland. The captain and chief officer gave evidence. The former said he assembled the crew and addressed them for ten minutes. He also read a clause in the articles. jlr. O'Leary said there had been a definite combination of defendants to prevent the ship going to sea unless their demands were granted. His Worship said he had no doubt an offence had been committed in regard to the second charge. Mr. Toogood. for the defence, said defendants would formally plead guilty on the first charge. In defence on the second charge, he submitted that the strike was the only recourse the men had against what they deemed a grievance. Mr. O'Leary said defendants were the first men to start to strike or give a lead in New Zealand, and should be dealt with more severely than those at Auckland or New Plymouth. He asked for a sentence of imprisonment on each defendant. The magistrate said if an offer had •been made by the men to go back to work it would have been taken into consideration, but the men seemed determined to flout the law. On the first charge all the defendants would be con- • victed and ordered to forfeit two days' pay, and, in addition, ten days' pay, as they had been absent without leave from August 23 until the date of the information. They would also be sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment with hard la!bour_pn the first charge, and the same on the second charge, the sentences to be concurrent. TWO CREWS RETURN. . BUT REFUSE DUTY. Following the order of the court that the crew of the Benicia should return to the ship the strikers went on board the vessel yesterday. However, they -.are firm that they will not work the ship. The crew of the Waimana, who are also on strike and have been ashore while the ship is anchored in the stream, returned to the vessel and like the crews of the Benicia, Matakana, and Zinal, they refuse to take the ship to sea, although they are willing to maintain enough steam for the refrigerators, so that the cargo of frozen jneat will not suffer. \ STATEMENT BT LOCAL LABOURITE. WAGES AND CONDITIONS. Under the heading "The Case for the . British Seamen," Mr. J. Purtell has forwarded a statement, from which we take the following extracts: — "In the first place, your leading 'article of September 7, under the heading of TJnions and Strikers,' takes local unionists to task for their promise of support to the strikers, and states that the agreement for reduction in wages was arrived at after careful discussion Iby representatives of the shipping companies and representatives of the workers. The information in my possession, re the above (from the men themselves), is to this effect: That Mr. Wilson, at a banquet in the Hotel Cecil, agreed to a reduction of £1 per month without consulting the rank and file. It is admitted that a clause exists in the present agreement which enables a slidihg scale of wages to be fixed by the . Maritime Board, which consists of representatives of the shipping companies and workers elected by Mr. Wilson, whom the rank and file have no say in electing. It is only natural that workers will accept increases in -wages without question. On the other hand, if there is going to be a reduction in wages, the matter should undoubtedly be referred to the rank and file. The only justifiable reason for a decrease in wages would be a drastic reduction in the cost of living. As a proof that such is not 1 the case, I enclose a cutting giving a comparison of London and other prices. "Your whole case is based on the carrying out of agreements. We say that Mr. Wilson has no right to accept the reduction on behalf of 50,000 workers without consulting them. It has got to be remembered that these men were receiving £15 10/ per mouth from 191S to 1921. Their wages have been whittled down to £10 10/ with a proposal that they should now accept a reduction to £9 10/ per month. The hours worked hy able seamen are 84 per week; firemen eight hours per day, 50 hours per week. I am afraid your sweeping statement , that it was left to Messrs. Walsh and Johnson and New Zealand admirers of the seamen to discover that the agreement is unsatisfactory in unfair. I can honestly say that there is not a labour official in Auckland who took m any incitement whatever. When a new union was formed owing to the maladministration of Mr. Wilson, a form was issued which compelled workers to belong to his union. If such workers refused to belong to his union "ey were refused employment by the various shipping companies. I have been aboard one of the Homegoing steamers in order to confirm certain reports made re the accommodaA° n i*7 il were l )os siblc to take every Auckland citizen and show them the conditions under which these unfortunate men cat and sleep and live gener««y» I am satisfied that every fairminded person would ask themselves w i r y can ? ct auvono to do this • ° Th r J found quarters for thirty men bL a tLe s P ace of two decent sized «*room gj no bathing accommodation, :^|^» vißible faciutiea for ***«

LYTTELTOX PROSECUTIONS. CREW OF THE HORORATA. | (By Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Summonses were served at Lyttelton on ninety-two members of the crew of the Hororata this morning. They were charged with the disobedience of lawful commands and impeding progress. RUAHINE'S CREW OUT. WALK ASHORE IN A BODY. WELLINGTON, Thursday. The entire crew of the New Zealand bin pp ing Company's steamer Ruahine walked ashore to-night and joiued the crews on strike. The Ruahine arrived at Wellington last Sunday from London and Southampton and lias been discharging part of her cargo at Wellington. She was to leave to-morrow afternoon for Auckland to discharge the remainder of her cargo and to commence loading at the northern port for London.