WATERFRONT LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 22, 27 January 1928, Page 14

WATERFRONT LABOUR.

Mr. Grays ton's letter does not throw much light on this subject, more than to strengthen the case for an open door. He needn't worry about the 25/ subscription fee, as, if a man hasn't got it he can't pay it, so cannot become a member; so that finishes that. If only 250 men out of a membership of 1300 can get. work, then, perforce, the shipowner is employing labour out of the nonunionist ranks, and it follows that he must be more satisfied with these men's labour than with union labour, as, generally . speaking, an employer doesn't employ labour for fun. If this is the case, who has the best right to be a member of the union—the man wlio gets the work and is willing to join, or the man who, according to Mr. Grayston, pays income tax on his earnings, or, as is well known, conducts a business or other ways of making money and can afford to play ducks and drakes with an industrial award ?. The. law. of .this country provides, I broadly speaking, that any man of good character can, on paying the dv.es any union in an industry. Why, then, should this union be excepted ? In any case, I think the public is entitled to an official expression of opin ion from the union, and who knows but possibly that it is right? In which case the matter ends as far as I am concerned. TOILER.