SEAMEN’S UNION

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 October 1928, Page 11

SEAMEN’S UNION

LATE EDITION

OUT OF POLITICS. EXPULSION BY T.U. CONGRESS. PRESIDENT’S SPIRITED SPEECH.

I United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright..) (Australian Press Association—United Service.)

Received 11.45 a. in. to-day. LONDON, Oct. IS.

“Good old tiger,” was Lie delegates' greeting to Mr Havelock Willson on his lalvincr the chair at the National Union ot Seamen’s annual meeting. Ju his presidential address, lie sakt, that the union in the 'past year had been threatened with all hinds of pains arid penalties j nevertheless, it was stil, very much alive, and had committed no crime, but had pursued an intelligent, commonsense policy. • They had discovered) from experience that politics was a. dirty game, an dthey had quitted a year ago, resulting in the union’s income being increased by £I(HX) weekly. The decision had not been detrimental to the union. What right had they, when either by persuasion or force they induced a man to join ai trade union to dictate toi him what should be the colour of his politics 'i There had been plots and schemas to disrupt the Se'amen’s Union. Referring to- the union’s expulsion from the Trades Union Congress, Mr Wilson said that the instigators were Communists and those belonging to the minority movement. A man saying that he could not get justice from the Seamen’s Union was a liar. There was-no tyranny in the union. He declared that no inquiry had been held by the Trades Union Congress into the circumstances of thp disamllation of the Seamen’s Union. The Trades Union Congress had said: ‘‘We are going to clean up the Labour movement.” biit- had modem bigger mess than over. They had elected Communists right -and left to ft'.l high positions. It- was the Seamens’ Union which should have been credited with purging the Labour movement bf blacklegs and soalleywags. “We are not afraid of* Communists or anyone else,” he said. “Now comes the mighty ‘Napoleon,’.Ernest Bevin. who says that he is going to -put the seamen right, get rid of all corruption and wipe out this union in a few weeks. The shipowner's once had the same idea, but after spending thousands they concluded that it was a waste and an extravagance to fight us, . and that common-senes -and goodwill on both ‘Slides was the best policy. There has never been more unity and determination amono- the seamen than now. Tf we are forced to fight we will 1 , give them all they want.” Numerousi reso-lution-s on the agenda viewed with alarm Mr Havelock 'Wilson’s proposed retirement from the presidency v Many delegates expressed the opinion that such -a course would be suicidal a.t this juncture. It was essentia 1 that he should remain on the bridge and preserve the continuity of policy -and to direct, operations. _ Mr Wilson said he would seriously consider their desire that he should remain in office. . A resolution was earned unanimously declining to accept his resignation.