MEN STILL DETERMINED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 238, 1 July 1908, Page 8

MEN STILL DETERMINED.

THE STRIKERS AND THE PUBLIC. The strikers have:Veen meeting practically .all day, and at midnight last night large numbers of operatives >woro in their room at the' Trades Hall. - i; . / "Solid as when we started," said Mr. 'Andrew Collins, secretary of the. Operatives' ' Union, to a Dominion representative last evening. "The employers," he continued, "are using every endeavour to get the men to break away,-but they- cannot do it, They are using'all sorts of tactics, but unsuccessfully. AVe are receivin from, , all quarters' of the Dominion and "Australia

urging us to _ stick to our guns in our effort to-sdcure'an eight hours' day, and what wo consider , a livittg" wage; ' We are also offered financial; support if we requiro it. -No iiian will leave any other place to come hore. arid, blackleg-their fellow unionists. We are sorry at' the iriconvenierico caused the public, but - what can we do? Do, wo geit,theirsympathy? They feel the pinch': in" losing fheir broad, ' but when the new award was announced,' were- they sympathetic?.- No.'.'.They .'did riot worry. Now, ,we are prepared to put ,>in„ men> to give their labour free,-, if '.somebody' will" find theovens aiid the necessary-flour. We would work ;continuously night and day,' and. wo could turn 'out.'enough for. the whole - of Wellington.' .'An endeavour. is being made to' sccuiV a firm's 1 ovens 'and something definite should be known in tho morning. Public inconvenience: will be minimised as far as;possiblo.. If:we. succeed we will reduce tho price of, bread;" .

. Price of * "'The "masters'contend that if they accede to the demands' 'of tho. men the. price will have to' be raised on the consumer," remarked the reporter. • "Not aij, all,".replied Mr.-Collins. "The present price is too high, and they have a monopoly.,-..' The money' they are making now.leaves quit©'a- sufficient- margin of profit 1 , especially, as doing business on the cash, basis." : Oi'derly Behaviour. , _"I will say: this ;of the' men,".'he continued.. -" I have been in seven strikes, and I was one of the executive in the maritime strikewith-'Cthe' present Minister for .Labour, and' a.t wore orderly body of men' than these 'bakeJs I,; have never met. They are law-abiding,'and there has been no violence in any .shape or' form." the , '! The • operatives! .took the strongest ex. ceptiori . too the.'Minister's statement to the deputation, of ' employers on Monday that the individual strikers'.would be prosecuted. This caused a good deal of bitterness, and 'made.,the men. t mqr.e.,.determined. >As .far as <th% aro'-. cor.oernw, there. is only one thin'g 'for 'it,'''and 'they are quite-firm. .As •to the'fines,'; I.;do',ndt .'expect that a half of the.men'have; any' ; nioney, for they are. rely-; ing on tlio gowi'nature of their butcher and grocer for/food supplies. Somo 'of them are''actually-"short" of t money. They've got nothing; .'can.,'ypu . take the breeks off a Hielar.der?" ■ • ■ „.The Mqn Not Weakening. Tho reporter- mentioned a current rumour : that the-men., were, weakening. Mr. Collins gave a very decided negative, and, he characterised the "rumour-, as ridiculous, ._" Only -blacklegs ..are, in," ho , said, " aijd,, it .js a ;;ca,se;.of,,perpetual motion for them, fpr ; ,they'.cannot,,cope with the' trade. See 'this'man?.t".vho .'said, as' tho individual referred to came "down the passage. "Ho has just arrived at Wellington. The em'ployers were; going to -secure his services, but he came along here as he heard something,was up, and now he's out; too." Just, then,'/loud cheering was, heard from tho meeting room.. ■ "That sounds like weakening, doesn't it? " he masked, v ".When „they struck - us, they struck a snag.". , ... ,' " . Picketing. * " TJhe,, pickets . reported that at 6.30 -this 1 (Tuesday) 'morning, :no • one had started in the' bakehouses,'under observation." Tho dough is running over the floors, and tho masters are practically, baked,out. . '

' Mr. Tom Mann' and the strike, . Mr.'Tom-Mann was present ,at the even-, ing. meeting, and the reporter asked him what he thought of the strike.. , ; "I ;am exceedingly pleased; with' the turn events have taken," he said, "because tho minimum, .wage is below the Melbourne minimum, 'which has been established 1 at' £2 14s.- for forty-eight hours. ''•They secured that by taking action such as'this when the Qidttstrial'^itpefilxGourt.^aTe'.a decision adverse ;to thenv; , The;'position is simply this : The'men tliere and ■ here are not prepared to . submit •; to any ' plutocratic- legislation, which means tying'the men down to.industrial slavery/. I" am delighted, at tho position they. have, taken up, .and therefore I have no alternative :but to bp identified with them and help them .by.'everj; means in my power, and my brother Socialists will be glad-to be of,'service,-to them.''',' r