LYTTELTON WATERSIDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15496, 1 January 1914, Page 8

LYTTELTON WATERSIDERS.

ATTITUDE OF NEW UNION. LAW OFFICERS' DECISION'. [BI XELEOEAPH.--OWN COKEESTONDSNT.I WiXiiKGToy, Wednesday. The member of Parliament for Lyttelton, Mr. J. McCombs, and Mr. H. Toyce, secretary of the old Lyttelton Stevedores , Union, were in Wellington to-day on business concerning the position of the watersiders of Lyttelton. Mr. McCombs informed a reporter that out of some oGO members of the old union only 100 have been admitted to the ranks of the new union, and ho was in Wellington to elucidate the position of the 'WO men who have been shut out. He states that the aew union, whilst repudiating the suggestion, that that organisation lias been made a close corporation, says that its aemocrship is now sufficiently ijtvong for the requirements of the work of the port. That meant that the new union was barring any further admissions at present, awl it was contrary to the spirif, and letter of the Industrial, Conciliation, and Arbitration Act for iit to do so. It had baen decided that if the action of the new body was upheld by the authorities .the old union would also register under the Arbitration Act if it could legally do so. Messrs. McCombs and Voyce laid the matter before the Secretary of Labour on Tuesday and to-day, and there have been freauent conferences on the matter. One other mutter that was mentioned to the Labour Department officials, was that applications for membership ton the. new union had been replied to _by representatives oil steamship companies, and that it was only subsequent to thai reply being received that smother reply (couched almost in tho same- language as that from the employers' representatives), WM received by applicants from tho secretary of the* nW union. That'procedure, which Mr. McCombs believed had since • been stopiied, was taken strong objection to.

Tie position,., which is entirely a new one in the history of industrial unionism in New Zealand, ha? been thrashed out by the Labour Department ■< officials and the Crown law •■ officers/- and the result, which was conveyed to Messrs. McCombs and Voyce.today, was an expression of opinion by $e\ Crown law office that/the new . union had misinterpreted its rules, and that it could not bar tine admittance to its membership ;; of any ; bona-fido workers. Assuming that Che new union does not accept this opinion, it is probable that the matter Will be referred to the Arbitration Court for a ruling.

telegram: FROM DEPARTMENT. ANOTHER UNION proposed. , [BX m.EGBATH.-r-PaES3 CHBiSTCHtfBCB", Wednesday.'■ , The following is a copy of a telegram received by Mr. R. ; Stewart, secretary of the new union at Lyttelton, from Mr. 6. Lomas, registrar.-/of* industrial unions, Wellington have ■ received ', an; application for the registration of a new'; union of waterside workers : apparently composed of the men who were'recently employed or the wharf ,and;■.who- : went ■ out on strike. ) The I applicants , claim ; that; your body \is practical^, & close corporation in that you will not "admit members /'unless'; they, are actually employed as wharf labourers and then only after Jail members of your union < have befaii «agsged. If yoa have any representations to make please let me have them, a;, the applicants are pressing for immediate registration." ;,, "-* ; '? ■;■ .To this the secretary telegraphed a reply stating that the new union was not a close corporation and did > not desire?,that \ it should be I so, but it did not • see i. why it should fee flooded to such an extent that its member*, would be unable to obtain reasonable employment. He i also pointed out that, .: the union' hid 'nothing whatever to .do , with > selection';oilmen % who wore signed on by different shipping companies in Lyttelton,;, .. No further communication has been revived from Wellington on the I matter.' . '