"MEN WANTED."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 133, 7 June 1937, Page 9

"MEN WANTED."

UNIONIST HOAX? MEMBER COMPLAINS. UNUSUAL ADVERTISEMENT. MOVE FOR BIGGER MEETINGS. A complaint that some members of the Auckland Carpenters and Joiners' Union had been hoaxed into attending a recent meeting of the union by an advertisement purporting to offer employment, when in point of fact no labour was required, is made by a member of the union in a letter to the "Star."

It is alleged that the advertisement attracted men from as far afield ae Putaruru and Pukekohe, and that when some non-unionists put in an appearance at the meeting and offered themselves for engagement they were laughed at by a section of those present.

It is stated that the object of the advertisement was to encourage more members to attend the ordinary quarterly meeting of the union, and the fact that it would be inserted in the "situations vacant" columns of the newspapers was fairly common knowledge, as a decision to adopt this procedure had been reached at a previous meeting. It is stated that such an advertisement conforms with the practice adopted in Australia.

The unionist who complains of the unfairness of these tactics states that the advertisement, which appeared in the "situations vacant" columns of the daily newspapers, read as follows:— "Carpenters wanted. 200 good men. Apply Trades Hall, 7.30 p.m., Wednesday, June 2." When men, who for the time being were not members of the union owing to unemployment, responded to the advertisement, they discovered that the June quarterly meeting of the union was in progress. "The secretary and executive were severely criticised for using the 'situations vacant' columns of the daily Press," adds the complainant. "Men Laughed At." "At a previous meeting of the union, it appears that it was suggested that the 'Personal' column might be used as that column was claimed to be more popularly read than the column containing 'meetings' with usual headings. The worst feature of the advertisement was that some carpenters who were out of employment, and who lived at a distance ont of Auckland, knocked at the door after the meeting commenced and offered themselves for engagement, only to be laughed at 4>y those nearest the door."

Questioned concerning the matter this morning, an official of the union explained that the use of the "situations vacant" columns had been authorised by the previous meeting, and it was then stated that this was the usual practice in Australia. There were no dissentients to the proposal. Both the mover and seconder of the motion were ordinary members of the anion, and the whole question arose out of a discussion on the rather sparse attendances at meetings. The matter was not brought forward by the executive, although naturally those officials were quite prepared to .take the responsibility for anything done after it had been authorised. There was very little criticism with respect to the insertion of the advertisement, aa the majority of members realised that the time mentioned in it coincided with the time arranged for the quarterly meeting.

A Jot of men, no doubt, had attended the meeting to make anre of the position, he added, lint the 1700 members of the union were well aware of the meeting night, having been advised by circular or being in possession of the printed list of meeting dates. So far as the official was aware only one man had asked about the employment offered in the advertisement, and he was really not a carpenter. The adverti3?ment wa« authorised for one occasion only, but whether or not its form would be used in the future remained for the members of the union to decide.