LABOUR DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 58, 10 March 1937, Page 12

LABOUR DISPUTE

REPLY BY MR. COOK

MR. WALSH CHALLENGED

ADMITTING UNIONS

A further statement in the controversy over the split in the Alliance of Labour was made today by Mr. A. Cook, secretary of the New Zealand Workers' Union, who replied to a statement made in "The Post" on Saturday by Mr, F. P. Walsh, president of the New Zealand Seamen's Union. "Mr. Walsh makes a feeble attempt to reply to my statement that appeared in 'The Post' on February 25, and, although it was not my intention to reply further to Mr. Walsh, I am only doing so to offer a little sympathy, realising that Mr. Walsh, like ths parrot who talked too much, was left without a feather to fly with,"- writes Mr. Cook. "This fact his weak reply proves beyond doubt. "Those of us who know Mr. Walsh and his short career in the Labour movement of course realised at the outset that he would be all at sea in a newspaper controversy with a man or men who have had a lifelong experience in the movement and who I understand its principles.. "Mr. Walsh still harps on a telegram that the writer sent to the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates in 1929, and claims that, for daring to send a telegram to Mr. Coates, he betrayed an important union principle. I thought I had made it clear in my previous article that my telegram to Mr. Coates was made necessary on account of a promise made by. that gentleman (when Prime Minister) to the effect that never again in New Zealand' would men constructing railways work under the relief system, and later, when my union discovered that an attempt was being made to introduce the relief system on railway construction works I asked Mr. Coates, as Leader of the Opposition, to use his influence in making good his promise. "CAUSE OF SPLIT." Mr. Walsh in his long rambling statement in the "Evening Post" on January 22 very carefully avoided answering the question regarding his support for company unions. What reason had he for supporting unions registered by employers in the freezing industry other than the purpose of smashing the Wellington ' Freezing Workers' Union and damaging the whole of the Labour movement generally? Those were the unions that Mr. Walsh wished to have in the Alliance of Labour and mainly on that account caused the split in the Alliance of Labour. Further, will Mr. Walsh deny having stated to the writer on several occasions .. that he would not be satisfied until he put a certain secretary on relief works for all time? Fortunately, I. can produce a witness, and Mr. Walsh's denial will be of little avail. "Mr. Walsh very carefully avoids the issue regarding the support that he and his colleagues gave to the admission to the Alliance of Labour of the ■following organisations: The South Island Freezing Workers' Association, the North Island Freezing Workers' Association,1 the Westland Timber Workers' Union, the Westland Dredge and Alluvial Mine Employees' Union, and the Hawera and Stratford Bacon Factory Workers' Union. : "In reply to me. Mr. Walsh states: 'Mr. Cook criticised myself and those who supported the resolution to give representation to the Westland Gold Dredge Alluvial Workers' Union and the South Island Freezing Workers' Union. .. .' He very carefully omits to mention the North Island Freezing Workers' Union (definitely a company union and, I again repeat, formed for the sole purpose of smashing the bona fide organisation in that industry), and Mr. Walsh voted to admit them into the Alliance of Labour immediately their affiliation fees were paid. QUESTION FOR SEAMEN. "If the seamen were locked out and the shipping companies assisted free labourers to form and register.a company union to man ths ships, would Mr. Walsh at a later date, agree- to admit an outfit of that kind into a national industrial organisation of trade unionists? That ■is the question he has to reply to and he cannot do it because he knows his members would dismiss him immediately he admitted it. • "Of course, I must make excuses for Mr. Walsh, and again repeat that he has not been long enough in the trade union movement to understand its fundamental principles in matters of this kind. His policy is to try and become a big shot in the Labour movement in New Zealand.

/"I am proud to be associated with Messrs V. P. Morel, the Hon. E. Dye, D. Copland, J. O. Johnson, C. E. Baldwin, and J. Roberts, who were prepared to see that wonderful organisation, the New Zealand Alliance of Labour (that tins done so much good for the unionists of New Zealand in the past) smashed before they would allow it to become a dumping ground for company unions.

"Further, seeing that Mr. Walsh has side-stepped Mr. Roberta's challenge, I am prepared to meet him on any platform in New Zealand,, the judges .to be members of the unions that were affiliated to the New Zealand Alliance of Labour at the' time when the split occurred. Let them judge if the action of the men who walked out was justified or not, and, if Mr. Walsh prefers ' it, I will , give him an assistant to help him. He can have in his corner his own brother, and I will debate with him the following subject: Should shearers become members of the New Zealand Workers"Union? If the decision on either one or both subjects is given against me by a majority of the unionists assembled, then I will immediately resign from my present position. The onus is on Mr: Walsh."