Victimisation By Tramway Unionists Alleged In Court

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22971, 14 June 1949, Page 8

Victimisation By Tramway Unionists Alleged In Court

(P.A.) DUNEDIN, June 14. Alleging acts of victimisation by fellow unionists at the Dunedin tram sheds four men, Andrew Baxter, William Henry Summers, Gordon Anthony Bryant and Harold Mowat Paterson, were plaintiffs in an action which began in the Supreme Court, Dunedin, yesterday before Mr. Justice Kennedy.

Several cartoons, allegedly ridiculing the plaintiffs, which had been displayed at the tram sheds were produced as exhibits.

The plaintiffs claimed £4OO for damages, an injunction restraining the defendants from again publishing cartoons, and the costs of the action. The first defendants were William Benedict Richards, national president of the New Zealand Tramways Union, George Alexander Harold Silver, Lawrence Owen McEntee, John Hollick, John James Christie, William Jarvis, Donald Cameron Duff, James Thomas Currie, Gordon Ferguson Hill, Walter Richard Cooper, Dudley Robert Harbourne, Chas. Andrew Dick, Leonard Harry Bennett, and James Henry Byson Dickson, all of Dunedin, tramway employees. The whole of the second defendants were the New Zealand Tramways Authorities’ Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers.

Disputed Levy

Outlining the plaintiffs’ case, Mr. C. L. Calvert said that in August, 1947, a levy of £1 was made on each member of the local branch of the union. The four plaintiffs in the present case refused to pay because they claimed the levy was unconstitutional and eventually the validity of the levy was tested before Mr. Justice Christie in the Supreme Court and his judgment was a win for the plaintiffs. From the date of that case the plaintiffs had been subjected to a campaign of vilification and intimidation at the tramsheds. Counsel said that a series of cartoons appeared at the carsheds, the first cartoon appearing in the locker room on October 17, 1948. On it was depicted an open grave with three dead rats and one approaching a trap. An inscription read: “In unloving memory of three, find one that went away. Died Supreme Court, Dunedin. No., R.1.P.” At the time the cartoon appeared one of the plaintiffs had left the union.

Mr. Calvert said that a tombstone ready for erection was lying nearby. Counsel said that a pound symbol was on that cartoon and on most of the others which appeared later. The symbol would refer to the pound levy.

Supporters of Union

After describing subsequent cartoons Mr. Calvert dealt with a fifth which was in the locked union notice board. This was later removed by the management.

In this cartoon the defendant Richards was shown on a rock and behind him was a body of men, obviously members of the union, on a rock labelled “unity rock.” Three other men wbre struggling in a “levy” swamp” and a fourth had regained firm ground.

Counsel said that the four plaintiffs had never been anti-union and all had taken part in the Dunedin strike last year.

Evidence was given by 14 witnesses, mostly tramway employees. Statements were made about malicious telephone calls received by two of the. plaintiffs, grease smeared on Summers’ locker and cards received by him- with the inscription “rat.” The hearing is being continued today.