PREFERENCE CLAUSE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 589, 18 August 1909, Page 5

PREFERENCE CLAUSE.

:-: ;y PROTEBT-BV A UNIONIST. . ;. v ■:■•■.■•■■ Mention of •preference , to -.unionists .in a' . motion, at :,the uWharf. Labourers' i Confereiico' y^tfrday:gave,occasion toiiirViVM'Oaiiii, ;of;.jWellrugton/Ato. deliver',a;remarkable'at-; ,tack, upon: tho.preference clause: as/operating ■'.■■' ! f ?reierence,'Mie (ieciared,'.''has done n<>JP'Sg for ua except.starvation. li : is farco ever introduced here" Jiefore.proference, wasohtainedy a man—not K? r .y good..ohe^was.'getting £2 a week'on the-wharf, but now he himself, a leader ,of • a . gang,;made' soraetimos,6s.:a week, and at otheri tunes. Bs.vU)d.,< 9s.> 2d., 13s; lid., ■■■or J 1 - s:™--^preference,had5:™--^preference, had been any gwid, A he failed, to see it.', -It had'brought men down to the wharf; and before; they 'could begin -to work they had to;iodge a certain sum of .money.with-the; union,' and oiico they belonged to; it'they had.as much.claim to work , as.thpse .who had been'on the wharf for four or five years; Preference had been '.thu' ruination of -the waterside, workers of Wellington v i /? : & eT -%&, ■■'.•represent- my union,'" con.CludedJlr. M'Cann,,replying,to u question, and Itnink: the union will .endorse my sen ti- • ;inents. ■:.•'. ; ---;" '•;'. ''.■- '.•■■■■:. ■..-.• ;; v : Mr;.vH, ; Joyeo'.(Lyttelton) i ßaid ho did not .know whether the , last speaker, badbwn assooiatod with unions for many lobars;- ' " ■:;Mrj,M'Cann:Scveiiteeiiyoars..: ',■-' '■ '■';■•:■ : •;Mr. Yoyce, coi?tiniiing,.said ho was uttorly ■surprised—he hed almost:said indignant—at ,ppm|ons/expressed by Mr.; M'Cami;: ;• He did j not. know, whether Mr.'M'Carm thought pro- . fererice was inimical to unionism; V- ■.'■■■ *■■ ,'.=■ r-Mr, M'Cann :■ That's just what ] <Jo. ; ■■'.•.•■"' "'■■ s K-' Vo rce .proceeded .to.'shosv;thiit .prefer- 1 .ence.;hfa.\causod.'gredt; : increases-d{ mcinbar.ship;tovtbeunipns,:';,':?':>.■:. ; v;' '■ : : -;•¥£•■ J- ;T Poborne;:(GreymqutW^arguod -that! unemployment .on tho ■wharves was due not .to. preferonce; Lbuf .to the general-industrial • depression, '•Prqferonce had been useful by ~causing:.those.;wh'o. would done;so-to contribute : to-uriion funds.' ■"'MrrD.:j['Garthy: (Napier) said ■preference , had. been'beneficial at Napier." .■- . ', .Mr; D. Casey (Napier) 'said,the union at ■■■his .port was .three 'times.Vstronger ,nbw than it;was-.'■before-' preference 'was firaiitcd. The .' mem»who'.'- , UMd-,t6"}»6vlt. i -\yit]i' them-and' get 'tho! samo money^.withoiit , -siiußcribing to tlje •■; anipii wore now , ; obliged ,'rta do: 'so;- •'■■'' Ho thought'al|.the unions should - try to eet nreferenco. .■;■'".■■■': J; '- : .' : ': : •,- ■.;.--•■-.. '' '■■ ■>

: : : -Mr:';-:yf: Morris; (Dunediri) .and Mr. J. Purvis (Tirnaru);argAied that preference hadtoe a.'great , deal of good.: :, ' : '■■'. ■■;■■'-■ ■ 1 .Mr:; , A) -L: -- Jones v (Wellington) ''■■ endorsed' the.'.yiews'pf Mr/.M'Camr.'. '- .-: •-■.-•.'■ ,• ffi.'J.Bfutph (Wellington) was apparently ■beginning-to .explainsthat Mr.. JfCunn's remarks : did. not~,express ;the views of the Wellington union, but \\ai ruled out of order by.the obairrriah;,ou-the ground:that he had already spoken; to tho-niotion. :■ ■ The ruling alsp".applied ■to the, otlior- Wellington 'dele-■ gates, but the chairman said" they could probably, find a later opportunity to allu.de to the .inattor;'.' : ,.A'.:- : -.- -.':';;■ -•':.-"..-■'.-. '■'■:.'■" .; ..'■•-■ ,- Speaking later to/a Dolijnion reporter, Mr.ID; M'Laroh,-M;P,, secretary of the Wellington. Wharf Labourers'(TJnion, said; "You may .-take, it .from me. that..the. two Ayellingtqii, delegates, who spoko" against the; preference ;,cjause.- were. not. expressing the viows or-'the union.';; They have misunderstood the effect, of 'the. clause -in supposing : that it has' , ?? 6 .'! a-.''ig.supply,:of labour-..t0 come to .the: wharves. There, is no preference clause ,Bt;.Waiiganui, ! and yet.that port is smothered with excess of.labour. , ':' '■• . , .. ,: