THE DOMETT DIFFICULTY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14915, 10 February 1909, Page 7

THE DOMETT DIFFICULTY.

TROUBLE AMONGST THE COOPERATIVE WORKERS. MR H. CAMPBELL DISMISSED. Yesterday the secretary of the Federated Trades Unions (Mr C. Darcy) received the following telegram:— “ Darcy, Trades Hall, Christchurch.— Have just been dismissed without any reason whatever. Feel disgusted cowardly action.—H. Campbell.” Mr Campbell, who is a co-operative worker engaged , on the railway extension works at Domett, has been the leading figure in the agitation amongst the men at the works for the redress of various alleged grievances, and he was the author of a discourteously-worded telegram addressed to tho Prime Minister last week in regard to the delay in paying tho men. The secretary of the Federated Unions, speaking to a “ Lyttelton Times ” representative in regard to tho matter, said that he thought it probable that the Unions would take up Mr Campbell’s case. “Roughly stated, tho case against Mr Campbell is that he has made certain statements regarding affairs at the co-operative works at Domett,” said Mr Darcy. “ His statements were denied by the Minister, but Mr Campbell followed the matter up and proved beyond o doubt that Ins contentions were correct. The railway authorities have now retaliated by paying him off.” Mr Daroy added that Mr Campbell was corning to Christchuroh, and that his case would be considered at a meeting of the General Labourers’ Union.

Mr Campbell lias boon prominent in Labour matters for some years past. He took a leading part in an agitation amongst tbo co-operative labourers on the North Island main trunk railway works, and later he was one of the speakers on behalf of an unemployed deputation that waited upon the Prime Minister in Wellington. He formed the Union amongst the co-operative workers at Domett. He has taken a prominent part in Political Labour League matters in tho North Island. Ho claims to he one of the originators of the New South Wales Labour Party and practically the founder of the Labour Party in' Western Australia; A man employed on the co-operative works at Domett, when in Christchurch a few days ago, gave a local member of Parliament some information regarding tho conditions prevailing on the works. Ho stated that his first pay had worked out at the rate of 10s 4d a day, his second at the rate of 8s 4d a dav, and his third at the rate of 5s 2d a day. This marked fall had been duo to n reduction in tho price paid per yard from Is Sd to Is fid, and ho suggested that it would not have been allowed to occur had a practical and experienced man been making tho estimates. The officials seemed to fear that, the men would earn too much, and had gone to the other extreme by making it impossible for them to earn enough. The grievance in regard to the scarcity of tents had been remedied. The man added that some grievances had existed, but ho thought that the lenders in the agitation were “going a hit too far.”