FROM THE INSIDE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 82, 16 October 1928, Page 9

FROM THE INSIDE

POSITION OF SEAMEN UNIONIST'S REVELATIONS United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received 16th October, noon.) SYDNEY, This Day. An inside view of the Seamen's "Onion is furnished in the "Herald", by a member, who says that industrial peace is impossible while industry is conducted on present lines. Friday's meeting of the union, which resulted in | delay to the Ulimaroa's departure, was called for the purpose of ascertaining the members' attitude towards the' Watersiders' dispute. After five hours' acrimonious debates, heated interjections, and scurriloua personalities, /it was decided that all ships be manned until the Australian Council of Trades "Onions and the waterside workers adopted a uniform policy, but the significant fact was that a large majority; strenuously opposed a peaceful policy, though no principle was at stake. Howls were frequently raised for a general strike, and jeers greeted the plea that certain ships be exempted from the proposed struggle on the ground that their crews would be sacrificed vainly. A general stoppage was indeed a near thing, and it is hopeless for the community to expect consideration or peace from an organisation which treats its own members so callously. Only the eloquence and influence of officials and certain members, after a hard struggle, persuaded the rank and file that a strike under the circumstances would be sheer insanity. The correspondent blames the general pick-up system, under which hundreds i of men congregate, and the idlers are frequently harangued by foreigners with synthetic names, flourishing red handkerchiefs and union books but with no seamen's discharges. Added to these are mob orators from the Domain and Communists. One German agitator has not been to sea for twenty years. All these are capable of leading idle men, mesmerised and ready for any mischief, and they do. The shipping industry is overcrowded, and millions of sterling lost annually to the community 'through insensate strikers. The remedy should He in selecting the fewthousand men required, licensing them, and guaranteeing them more constant employment, and letting the loafers and industrial anarchists find other occupations. ■