By NAUTILUS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 41, 15 December 1911, Page 15

By NAUTILUS.

As showing the tremendous fluctuation on the N.Z. waterfront and the difficult task entailed in ascertaining t-he> exact working membership of a waterside ruikm, 602 now members joined the "Wellington Wharf Union during the year November, 1910. to Novoiiiljf/r, 1911. * * • Whether it will be advisable to keep the Waterside Workers' Federation as a. dues paying concern lvill be a matter for the wharf unions to decide shortly. Th<i majority of i-3ie.se unions are threepenny concerns built on the rteace-at-any-price policy of arbitration. With the advent o£ the N.Z.F.L., the expense entailed in paying into two federations becomes a serious matter to many of the smaller unions. It is held by some that the smaller federation could ho. dispensed with, but with this view I do not hold. It is necessary that the water&ide chain should be preserved round the coasts thought a good deal eoidd be done towards curtailing expense, and reduction of capitation fees to tile N.Z.W.W. Fed. could be made, and as an ofiß(-t the eonfer-ence of the N.Z.F.L. and the annual conference conld be lield in the one week at the Fame town, the smaller conference beins/ held first in order to allow national'questions to be decided by the larger Federation. In fret, a regular conference week could be inaugurated, dur- . ine which representatives of all traces would meet in one leading centre on tno same lines, the conferences of each, industry being hold first. Tins would grow "into an amial fete week with. _ a week's holiday for all wage-slavr-ss in t'ho country. As far as waterside workers are concerned, a week's holiday is not an unusual 'occurrence, though given at the pleasure of the masters; one- nnght well be taken to please our-F-elves just to show the solidarity of , labor. * * • I- Wuterside ur.kms which aim at rnakj in.- a staixl in order to better their conditions should re-member t^at so ! lon.g as we leave the harbour boards j urates the control of our mastery we^ are \ les-ving a dangerous weapon in tncir I hand? Ivnarnr.e a strike at WclLngton.. with those great gates closed and lined with police, the scabs quietly worKir.fr. or, the inside free from molestation or Wβ should aim at the control of these gatos; our masters well understand the necessity of rouumng the. TV':>-<-,rity of seats on these docks, henco the mHiqiaatod system of re.prc-sf-ntatiosi. Tins is «ur industry; we nlm, Pt v,v.r industries. v;;ty • not demand cl? nicer a Lie repr-esentntion ■on t-iO I'-.-irds, (-■•.-■iitrnlise ttie wnote b'lsii-oss vr.doT cv.r. hr-nd instcruW tiie ' pve.w-.it syfetcrv, th-r, -■-<■ tne union run "the *Vw.' ? We. power in do tVi* v,-e liave but to vn 3 !•;<?■ air <"k-mfm«l on for ore vrtHin—r-h-i». hv_>.i,e N. u. F Ti . stnn we- of ilif s-nipvjJJSg -' ; <?-,«1.,-' '.f M.--.V Z.-l■■.:■•'■' f iii ov ; r J--y:>r:n« i' s i-n. V> rtr.»st cont:--i T.k=hnt'l.onr b-»v,trtl~. Weliirrgton "W.Mtorside Tv"orkti_s : a ballot to ascertaHi tho'feoling -oi n ; en;l,ers regarding the €Vier-iiation cf registration under t'iie Ai-bitration. A-tt. This ballot has ,?eon pi'aeticajly rushed on by the rc&cbosiarwithout any oroparation ior«v«>ncualittes. To place a large niiioa snv;i as this in a proper position to light eaoii ntf-nlwr should bo in a position _"<Xi rocogiiifle wJi-yiJi'.-r lie is wcvliivig .viLi a, unionist or a n-on-unioinst. J n-o ir<ajurity of the local iron who have studied the position at Wellington recognise the need of a card ov butt-on system, because without preference there wilj be a need for forceful ac-ti-oji on the who will rat on their comrades.' fehoukl registration bo c-aii-cellerl it wrr.ii:! i>o v-,--A\ to withh-old the figures until d-rmands are made-on tho einpinyers, following the -of the" Seamen's Ujboh. " j The Aneklr.r.rl v.-atersiders hcv<- decided that as far ns the members aro concernod there will be no further midnight starts oil Sundays on aiid after the Ist January next. *= « * Following instructions from the executive'of the N.Z.W.W.F., the AiK-k-Jand Unien will, at an early date. take a ballot of its members on the question of cancellation of its registration under the LO. and A. Act. Much comnient is being made on this action of the Waterside as a result of a recent conference debarring the members throughout New Zealand the right of a ballot on the question of affiliating with the Federation cf Labor —whereas, on their own initiative-, the executive has decided on another such important step, which shoves what a biassed and narjvw-ajii'td-<:d view the majority of the to eon fere no o took. Another important step by .Awklnml ■y'.W. Union is the decision thafc_ ''rto mcnibcr shall leave or desert )as _j«.il>, : ' >r the purpose of taking on and more reuiuncrar-ive work. _ in-'i<.k ; intiily giving the "leavings - '* to the other ft 1--3-0 w. I »** ■ J Strenuous efiVirls ar<- l< iv-g put forth ')y Uie commit.fee set up by. tiie .Auckland sii?.h_avinual picnic a tli.in ity pi'edcce.ssorv. <•'.''•■ ;j iljic i> | ' I social *-.%-'■' as j