A LEFT WING?

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 107, 6 May 1926, Page 11

A LEFT WING?

ON WELLINGTON WATERFRONT

AN ECHO OF 1923,

Evidence has been provided during the past few days that an effort is being made to causo a split in the ranks of the Waterside Workers' Union. It is stated that a left wing group has already been formod, but what support has been given to tho new movement is not known. ' Eccently the following notice was circulated on the Wellington waterfront: "Dear Comrade.—lt is becoming plainly ovident that the affairs of your union require the closest attention of all serious-minded and militant waterside workers. Other members of your, uniou have realised the necessity of paying greater attention to union problems, and in order to give the matter the consideration it deserves it is thought that a meeting of all waterside workers interested should be called as soon as possible. For this purpose a meeting has been called to take place on Saturday, Ist May, at 8 p.m. in the Trades Hall, Vivian street. You are cordially invited to attend, and so help to consolidate the militant workers on the waterfront into a militant group. If this is achieved, then the left wingers in the Waterside Workers' Union will soon be an influential element in determining the policy and programme lof their union. Yours for solidarity, E. ■Moriarty, secretary, left wing group, Wellington.'' This is not the first occasion on which efforts have been made to form left wing groups on the waterfront. At the beginning of 1923 an attempt was made to form a new union, and this met with considerable success. Application was made to the Labour Department for registration under the title of the Wellington Stevedores and Coal Workers' Industrial Union of Workers,' but after the matter had been., referred to the Crown Law Office the application was refused. The matter was left to the Arbitration Court, but it was not carried any further.