THE RIGHT TO WORK.

Grey River Argus, 14 April 1916, Page 3

THE RIGHT TO WORK.

(To the Editor of the Argus.) Sir,— -My attention has been cal led to a letter appearing in your evening contemporary headed "Work on the Wharf," and also to a leader in the same issue deal ing wish the same question? .As your paper has always^given' my: union every courtesy, and as I wish my letter to appear with the most ' important sentences as I wrote them,. I have taken tbe liberty of replying in your esteemed organ whic,h on account of its straightforward dealing is righly appreciated by the Watersiders. In the first place allow me to reply to Mr. Eobert Gregory's charges. He says that the only reason assigned by the President and Secretary of the Union for excluding him was that there were too many in the JJnion and that they would not admit any more at present. Mr. Gregory does not state iacts. I told him that Ms application had been referred to the Jt:sficutive. The reason why Mr, Gregory was excluded was he cause h$ is medically unif t to ,do a vtay's work on the water front. We quite admit that his character is without reproach, but as it is the Union's duty to provide men to do the work of the port it is right and proper that they should see that these men ane phy sically fit. We consider that Mr Gregory is not physically fit for the arduous labour on the wharf. L- may state that fifty men have been placed on our books during the .last Mteen months. This does not seem as if we were a close corporation. We rightly re serve our right to exclude agitatorvs i\y\f[ scallywags from our ranks' and .we intend to do it. Since we. received the recent increase in pay there have been 70 applications for admission, and these are being carefully consider ed: An attempt was made to rope us in under the Watersiders Federation which is really our old friend the. Red Federation in its' Sunday clothes. We declined with thanks: We received recently from the Shipping Companies an increase -from 13s 4d to 15s 5d a day.' Our overtime increase is 3d por hour, 4d from 6 p.m. to midnight and 6d from midnight to 7 a.im' It is possible when there is a full supply of shipping for a man to earn from 30s to £2 a day. \Ve are now better paid than any other Union on the West Coast. "At she present time the right to Avorklies with the individual himself . •'•" Plenty of work is offering, yet, ,in spite of ths, the hue and cry is raj£.ed against the Port Waterside Union, and it is said that, so and so has. tried to be admitted and cannot get in. Have they tried elsewhere? Are they eager for work? If they are, they would get it easily. But no The water front is the goal. Whyi because two or three shifts a week would suit some of them. They would then have time to debate amalgamation, Socialism, Conscription/ of wealthy victimization etc. Whilst the married men with a large family is after all he can earn, he is the manwe give the preference to, that is providing nis intentions are honest, and not to 'ferment trouble when he gets in like some of tbem that have al neady been admitted: Further all applications that are sent to -me, are . submitted to the Executive, for their approval or otherwise. I am a unit, Yet, in spite of this, a minority of the applicants whose intentions have been discovered in .the -nick of' time seem to fall back on my birthright by using a word discrediting tbe legitimacy of my - birth. Although this does not worry me in the least, what I cannot understand is, where did they know my father and mother, considering they have been dead 40 years. This is quite a puzzle to me. As for -your contemporary's leader, I have placed it under the wash house boiler, where the 1 majority of the 'Star's' leaders are placed by the people of Greymouth. We do like first hand goods. Some people are wondering why the 'Star' abuses the Port Watersiders and smoodges to the Red Feds Corbie close and I will whisper to I you the reason. They advertise in the Star and we do not.— l am etc. H. KIRK, Secretary Port Watersiders Industrial Union of Workers. Greymouth, April 13th, 1916.