The Beer Boycott

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1947, Page 2

The Beer Boycott

Sir, —Congratulations to the Wetland Hotel Workers’ Union on their stand over the beer boycott. The whole business is just a blot bn unionism so far as the Wbrkers are concerned and the kind of thing that the Communists are always Iboking for, but they cannot be blamed when workers blindly follow. The greatest “squealers” for the bbycott are prohibitionists and thosd who Overindulge, but, like the Communists, their opinion, no doubt, is that any Weapon will do to fight beer. It does not matter if the Labour industrial movement is wrecked. Mr Pratt is only partly right when he says that beer is sold in the threb main cities at 7d for a 12-ounce glass. He has conveniently omitted the fact that much ’ smaller glasses of beer are also sold at 7d per glass in the main cities. His opinions on the West Coast prices are likewise only part of the story, as I know from experience that the return “shout’ prevalent on. the Coast makefe tile beer cheaper, than in the city hotels. The hotel workers were right when they said that beer appears to be the only thing that a .fight was made over, and questions of importance were left in the background or finished up with resolutions of protest, but no action. Mr Pratt refers to milk prices and a few other things about which resolutions were passed. This is juSt the point, resolution after resolution, but no action till beer appears tb be a way out. It has not occurred to the Trades Council to make a fight oh general increases, but “By heavens, do not touch my beer,’ and we Will just go on passing resolution after resolution as to the huge

increase that the housewife hgs got to meet on- every buys. : But here again it is the housewife who has got to worry; One of the great jokes is the telegrams received from ‘big organisations in Wellington , congratulating the workers, and I am just wondeiirig if they are not a -mistake, as these heroes say to the Coast workers: “Go, on, fight as long as you do not interfere with our beer up hex e. This is the logic we are getting todaMv advice to workers is to get together . and vote to lift the boycott and demand from the Government that the price of beer be fixe<^ cordance with the amount sold. Unless this is. done within a certain tune the workers should meet and consider what action i£ -necessary to compel some action by the powers-that-be. —Yours, etc., _ NOT ONE OF THE MUGS. Greymouth, Oct. 13.

Sir The action of railway workers in changing their resolution of nd support for the boycott of 7d beer was an exhibition of weakness. If it is true that they invited a leading Communist to thOir second special meeting so that he might teach them right from wrong, then they, Were weak indeed* Local Trades Council members have confused the minds of some workers. If left- to think for himself, the worker would soon openly visit the 7d hotels, but because he is afraid of Communistic dictatorship he dare not do as he wquld wish. This is indeed d serious state of affairs and) if allowed to be tolerated, will lead to What every sane-thinking person fears; To put a stop to this trend the worker must insist that the union’s confine their .energy to the bettering of wages and working conditions and should not interfere with Our social life. It is my opinion that the Hotel Workers’ Union in its decision of nO support for the boycott and in its hostile, attitude towards the Trades Council deserves credit. It is a relief to know that at least all workers are not going to be led like sheep.':-This meeting must have beeh devoid Of Oil Communistic influence, as the feeling of the meeting was -strongly expressed by a majority vote of 42 to 2 against the boycott. If the railway workers had shown this type of iellOw workers would have admired them, but their apparent weakness has left them open to criticism from other unions; YOurs, etc., , CITizBN. BlaketOwn, October 11.