LABOUR MATTERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 154, 29 June 1912, Page 11

LABOUR MATTERS

POSITION AT WAIHI TROUBLE NO NEARER SETTLEMEN! 1 . [BX TJSLSGEAfH— SMSCIAI, TO THB POST.J xWAIHI, This Day. That the strike at Waihi is no nearer a settlement was made clear at a public meeting held in the Academy Theatre last night, at which Mr. J.*Foster delivered an address in, reply to statements made by leaders of th 6 Labour Federation, and pointed the way to a solution of the dispute. The audience numbered about (500 when the speaker took the platform, arid was introduced by the chairman (Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, J.l J .), who intimated that no discussion would be permitted, and no resolutions accepted from either side, but that the speaker would be prepared to answer questions at the close of his ' address. The announcement was received wllh disapproval by a section of the audience, and Air. W. M'Lennan, vice-president of the Waihi Miners' Union, then asked whether a member of the union would be allowed to give an addreiss in. reply. Tha chairman asked Mr. Foster if this would bo permissible, and the latter made a decieive repjy, stating that tio would answer questions, but not permit of discussion. The statement was followed by an exodus from the theatre, about 400 persons leaving. This pointed to organised opposition on the part of the strike supporters, and gaye the im- j preasion that the majority of those, who had entered tho building were- not yet inclined to seek a eettltment. Wheji the exodus had ceased, Mr. Foster opened his address. He denied a report circulated to the effect that he had been a prey to an attempt by what was termed a "scab union," or, in other I words, a union apart from tho existing union. He had (he said) no such intention,) but had taken the platform to point out tho fallacies of the Labour Federation and its methods, and to urge upon the members of ihe Waihi Miners' Union to call for a ballot of ite members upon the question as to whether or not they should continue- to be associated with the federation. Like many others, ho (the speaker) had suffered as a result of the strike (practically brought about by on© man), and was" of the 'opinion that the time had come when the peopie- of . Waihi generally (including the Women folk, who were among the principle sufferers), should take steps to op* pose the methods and actions of the federation. When tho leaders of the organisation went from Waihi after addressing the miners, they were fully alive to the fact that they had played the last card, and that they had no prospect of adjusting tha trouble •to the satisfaction of the workers left behind. They had simply gone away leaving the town to' face starvation, and, despite efforts elsewhere to justify their action, had met with but little sympathy, from their follow workers. Thus it remained for the people of Waihi to say whether or not they would face starvation. He hardl/ thought 'that they would accept this alternative at the call of a few irresponsible persons, who could not help them out of : the difficulty — representations of a dying organisation which, as a last resource, was leaning upon tha-t iniquitous ' body known as the "1.W.W." This being so, tho right and_ proper course was for the workers to^ insist upon a secret ballot to determine the question as to whether or not they should cast aside the Federation, and he was prepared to say that many of those who had been ' persuaded to leave tho theatre were, unless they had misled him. in sympathy with such a course. The > Federation leaders had boasted of their ability to paralyse the j industries of the Dominion, but results had, made it quite clear that this was an idle boast. It had been- demonstrated to one and all concerned that the organisation, dared not call a' general strike, but, in an attempt to eavo its face, had been compelled to confine the trouble to a sectional strike, embracing but a 6mall section. In view of tho circumstance generally, and the failure of the organisation to make good its promise, it behoved the right-thinking members of the community to take steps towards bringing about a settlement of tho dispute. The simplest way to this «nd was to appoint some four or live , of their. number to wait on the owners ; und discuss matters. Tho could, by adopting this course, do what tho Federation and its leaders had failed to do -^viz., bring about a satisfactory solution of the' trouble, a trouble in which there was' no grievance against the employers. There could be no denying tho fact that the conditions on the j Wailii field more than^ favourably com- ! pared with those prevailing in any other mining community in tho world, and the rate of wages higher. All that wa» necessary wae that the men should ap proach the owners, and at "a round tho table conference" arrive at an agreement, which would then be ratified by the Arbitration Court. . In answer to % questions, Mr. Foster said tho reason why no agreement was reached between the Labour Fedora tioh delegates and representatives ,of the Mine Owners' Association at tlfb recent conference was because the for* mer could not point the road to a binding agreement ; alj they could .offer was the signature of tho executive, and it had been said by the leaders of the Federation tha-t agreements could be broken if they did not suit. With regard to the Beefton trouble, the speaker stated that he had reason to believe that the men there had a grievance-, and that it would be investigated, i STRIKE LEVY, j ALLEGED EVASION OF PAYMENT ! fBX MSWSQBAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, 28th June. The fact that many members of the Auckland Tramways Union are evading the payment of 2s per week — the levy struck to assist the Waihi and Reeftoli strikers—was recorded in to-day's Herald. An effort has been made to* refute the statements which were obtained from several of the men concerned, but full confirmation of them was secured from other quartern. The first levy, (taken up last week) was by no means unanimously responded to, Borne of the men refusing point blank to pay, and others only doing bo under protest. There are about 150 motormen and conductors in the Traffic Department, and of these about 121 paid tho levy.- Out of thirty-six other hands, only nine paid the 2s ; the other twenty seven declined to do so. To-day the collector at Epsom Barn mot with even leas success on taking up the second week's levy. Only four of the thirty-isix employees paid the 2r, no fewer than thirty-two refusing to do bo. Not only is there a movement amongst the motormen and conductors to secede from the Federation, but it was learned that Borne of the employees at Epsom Barns and power-house and on tho per-manent-way are talking of forming a sopajcate>' union, so that they may escape from, tho control of the Federation. REPORTS DENIED Interviewed, Mr. Arthur Rosser. secretary of tho Tramways Union, said a sum vi close «n £SQ-*»balunco of tv fund

raieed to aid the Lithgow strikers— -had been forwnrd-ed direct to the Federation Strike Fund. So far as the two-shilling collections were concernod, Mr. Robbgi 1 had personally come In contact with only oho section of the union at Epsom Barn. Out of 131 members, seven had been unwilling to make any contribution to the Btrike fund. Returns from four other collectors had still to como in, and Mr. Rosser expected that the number of refusals would be proportionately, tho same as in the case of the list al-' ready completed. There were a few cf tho men who were willing to give to Reefton, but did not want to give to Waihi. Mr. F. W. Arns^ secretary of the Labourers' Union, said that the resporiß© to tho 10 per cent, levy imposed in aid of the strike fund had exceeded his most aanguino expectations. The levy had been decided upon by a big majority of those present at a meeting called for tho purpose, and the majority were paying •up readily. CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAY MEN , OLD POSITION RESTORED. [BX TELEGRAPH— 'SPECIAL TO THB POST.J CHRISTCHURCH, This Da,y. The failure of Labour to gain moitf than one seat on the Tramway Board hau practically restored the old poaition, aa iar as the tramway men's dispute is concerned. The old board, which \va& faced) with a threat of a strike a. fortnight' ago, is in power again, and tho men will meet on Tuesday next to consider the position. They postponed definite action ponding the election. In the meantime, the Labour leaders are complaining that the board is elected on a kss liberal franchise than that in force in City Council elections. They state that they could have won on the' Parliamentary vote.