WORK ON WHARVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15499, 5 January 1914, Page 8

WORK ON WHARVES.

NEW UNION MEMBERS, QUESTION OF ADMISSION. REPLY TO CRITICISM, WHY APPLICANTS ARE REJECTED. . Objection haw been raised by some applicants for admission to the new arbitration Waters de Workers' Union to the fiiethod adopted Lv the union's Committee in deciding who are and who are undosirable candidate for membership. It has boon stated tHfe several men of g>od character have Men reteod admission, Diicussif g vho matter with ft HfittAM) np' esental "'; Mr, (*}. Woods, the preside .t of the Tic*v organisation, pointed out v it undur Sue nnion's rules, the commitU> was perfectly within its rights lin so,acting what applicants it pleased for admission to Mie union. The?© rules had been accepted by tf-e registrar, and were J al. Thero could be no suggestion that tan union was a. close corporation, because 1 membership was not limited in any way. When the union was formed it was distinctly on the understanding that oil its members would bo supporters 'of the constitutional procedure of, the Arbitration and Conciliation Act for adjusting industrial differences. Persons who believed in the system called syndicalism were not to bo "admitted on any account. , In deciding who should be admitted to member .hip of the union, it was necessary that due precaution should bo taken against the introduction of a ,bad element, continued Mr, Woods, -.Men had been rejected, not beat use they were bad characters. morally, hut owing to the fact that their attitude on _ labour : affairs was opposed to the principle of arbitration. That men of good character should havo been rejected was unfortunate, but in- the circumstances now obtaining such instances could 'ft be helped; .As'illustrating the need for the t,«mautfev. lo exercise ex'wme care ir its duties, 'Mi, Woods stup id if>afc out c : 500 men who had been pfcsonrilly examLju by the •pmmittee, only ; : tvo had unhesitatingly admitted that they were syndicalists and would forever r,-<nain syndicalists. The remainder had > declared their approval of, and sympathy Will, arbitration, but whom proper investigation was made it was found that these men had aot yet altered their old ideas. Consequently, they had been refused admission. . A bad spirit, ; o, was still manifest amongst a good many of the late strikers, ana it would be disastrous to allow some of them to gam entrance to the union. r ' I

Demands for admission to the union had been made by a great number of the members of the old union. For 11 weeks these men had never asked for work, but had. refused it. Now. they were clamouring tor, and demanding, work immediately. ■Infcse who had already been deemed to be suitable ha-i been admitted to the union, and had obtained employment. : The other*! could only get work by joining the union, but before they could do thia they must first of all satisfy the committed "in the direction provided •' by the rules of . the union. '>£'■ - v.' •

{ MEETING OP NEW UNION,

OFFICE-BEARERS ELECTED. _ A meting of the new arbitration Wttterside Workers' Union held on Saturday night. . ~ *; Mr. G. Wood, acting-president, who proBided, was elected president, Mr. A. Woodham vice-president, Mr. John Cooke j treasurer, and Mr. J. Miller was appointed to-thai executive, and Messrs. H. | uorbstt and F. E. Willis to the Election iftammittee.* * >. * ■ V. '. " There . were over_ ISO members of the union at ' tho meeting which was very enthusiastic." ' The meeting considered , the applications made by members of the old union for admission to the new body. It was decided to recommend the committed to elect 50 approved applicants, and to defer the admission of the remainder. • , Respecting the proposed convention by the executive of' tne Ohinemuti Mines and Batteries ' Emplovees' Union of a conference of :■ arbitration unions' for the purpose -of . considering any ; suggestion , that may be (if benefit to the collective unions under i the Arbitration and Conciliation Ait it was decided to recommend that tho conference 'bo held in Wellington. Tho union is to .be represented /at the conference. -\ ' ■ - ,■ ; : I ."' - /- The meeting passed a of accounts for payment, and dealt with a good deal of correspondence. -' " GOLD MINES RESUMING. 1 ' WORK COMMENCES TO-DAY. ''r : '' _ I [BT TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] : Waibx. Sunday. Work in the Waihi Company's mine and battery ; resumes again ; on .' ; Monday, at eight o'clock. Work at the Grand Junction ■ mine also • starts. In • the Talisman mine., arid battery (Kairangahake) • operations will be commenced at the same time.

DENNISTOK MINERS TO WORK. "MINES. REOPEN TO-DAY. ' [BY , mEOBA.I'H.--I'EEB3 ASSOCIATION.] -'' " Wkstport, Sunday. The enginedrivers a,t> Denniston held a meeting on Saturday and agreed to resume work. \•,■ • - . • All the mines are opening to-morrow. It has been decided nt Denniston to give £10 to those who are forced to leave on account of their ; attitude over the industrial struggle, and to give £1 a week towards the support of their families until fresh employment' is . found. WATERSIDEItS WAITING. / LEGAL PROCEEDINGS PROBABLE. [BY TELEGBAPH. — CORRESPONDENT.] CnßtsTommcii, Sunday. It 'is generally recognised in the city that the legal aspect of the waterside workers' employment question brought forward by Mr. J. McCombs, M.P., has opened the way to many and important developments. The men are awaiting the final decision of the new Waterside: Workers' Union, and it is stated that should any man eligible for membership in the usual way be debarred, steps will be taken to test the matter. Amongst the men themselves there in a feeling of annoypjioo at the course adopted by the new union officials in Auckland, and the idea that a man can be excluded from a union because he holds,views not in accordance with those officials is condemned strongly. It is argued that no man . should be debarred from working; merely because of the views he may hold on political or industrial problems.

COAL FOII WELLINGTON. ANOTHER CARGO ARRIVES. [b? TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Sunday. Up to date several specially-chartered boats have arrived in Wellington with oversea coal, the latest to come into port being the tramp steamer Harflete, of 4814 tons. The vessel has about 7000 tons of coal to discharge at Wellington, and will probably berth on Monday. By tin end of next week the total amount of csal imported into Wellington since the strike will be about 60,000 Urns. Some of the South African coal is already in use in households. It is dull-linking stuff, hard to ignite, but gives fa! • 'heat and burns slowly. The market'rate for coal has fallen from' 4s to 2s 6d per cwt in the last ten (lays.