CARD SYSTEM DISCUSSED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16619, 16 August 1917, Page 6

CARD SYSTEM DISCUSSED

NEGOTIATIONS FAIL.

MEN MUST RETURN TO WORE. As a result of the meetings which had been ' held during the day, representatives

from several large unions, on their own volition, sought an interview with the

Cabinet on the evening of August 8. Ministers received them in the Premier's room at the Treasury. The unions represented were colliery, employees, coallumpers, wharf-labourers, trolly and draymen, seamen, meat industry, gas workers, and A.W.U. After explaining that most of the collieries were idle because there were no engines to take the coal away, and declaring that a general strike was threatening, Mr. A. C. Willis (colliery employees) said the organisations had agreed to propose: —(1) That the State Government re-! quest Mr. Justice Edmunds to act as arbi- [ trator and to inquire into the whole grievance. (2) That, in the meantime, the card system be suspended. (3) That, on Mr. Justice Edmunds being appointed, all the employees return to work, or. alternately. (4) That the inquiry be held while the men are out, the strike, in the meantime, to be no further extended. After deliberating in private for about ten minutes the Acting-Premier and hi» colleagues returned to the room, Mr. Fuller said : The question of "go slow " is not only a matter so far as the men

are concerned, hut it also affects the machines. In fact, it principally affects the machines used in these workships. The introduction of the card system is also , for the purpose of testing the machinery. In regard to the suggestion «bout the card system, I say at once that the Government cannot consent to its being suspended. Until we are perfectly satisfied that that card system is wrong we do not intend to alter it. and we intend to support Mr. Fraser. Groundless Suspicions. Replying to a question, Mr. Fuller said-.'We fee! that the objections which the men have taken are grounded on suspicions only, and we feel that the Chief Commissioner is entitled to introduce it in order to see that there is a proper state of efficiency. And we offer, after a time ! one month, two months, or three months, when it has had a trial the men are able to show they have » genuine grievance they will Lave the fullest opportunity of putting the strength of their position. If the men go back to work there will be a ful| inquiry. Mr. Rawlings (Gasworkers): Suppose i before the three months ar« up it is proved that the card system is detri- , mental ? , j Mr. Fuller: If the men prove they have a genuine grievance we will alter it. If '. it cannot be altered satisfactorily we would j abolish it. j Mr. Bodkin (A.W.U.): If you will leave ! matters as at June 1, we will accept. J Mr. Fuller: No; we cannot suspend the I card system. / I Mr. Bodkin: Then yon .don't adhere to ] arbitration. ( Mr. Fuller: The conditions of labour have not been altered. It is only the i taking of a record. The hours are just the same. Another conference. between the Strike Committee and the Government was held on Thursday morning, nearly all the Ministers being present. During the discussion the delegates of the enginedrivers said , the railway service had other grievances, j but " the card system set the whole matter j alight." € ~ I Mr. Dengate (Amalgamated Engineers)

said the men were prepared to accent the system in use at Walsh Island. He declared the Taylor system had caused strikes all over"the world. Mr. G. S Beeby, Minister for Labour : This isn't the Taylor system, and you know it. *'"' Mr. Den gate : Do you know the Taylor system No Attempt at Sweating.** Mr. Beeby : I have made a study of it; and know it better than yon. You are trving to make out that the Railway Commissioners are trying to sweat thenemployees, and you know as well as I do that is not true. «, Addressing the delegates, the Chief Commissioner of Railways, Mr. Fraser, denied that there was any intention to sweat the men by the introduction of the card system. The delegates knew well enough that men on machines could not be sweated. There was not the slightest foundation for the men's objections to the cards, unless, indeed, it was in the minds of the delegates* to shield the shirker.,,,, Mr. Boyd asked if the Government would accept the Walsh Island card system. . Mr. Fuller explained that the Government was not going to allow the methods of the railway system to be dictated by the men or their delegates. A condition precedent to the inquiry must be the return of Che men to work. Let the men return, and the Walsh Island and any other system could be fully investigated afterwards. Mr. Boyd asked if the card system was in we on the Clyde. Mr. Fraser : The only difference is that on the Clyde they use paper instead of cards. Finally Mr. Fuller announced that the

! men must first of all go back to work, I • and if it was shown that the card system I worked injustice in the way suggested, it would be either revised or abolished. Mr. Thompson : That will be an inquiry into the card system only? Mr. Fuller : Yes. With regard to the other grievances mentioned the Government is prepared to see that the men are ftven an opportunity of getting to the rbitration Court with the utmost speed. : , i . WHARF LABOURERS' MEETING. SOBER VIEWS OVERWHELMED. The gathering of the Wharf Labourers Union on Thursday, at which the decision ; to strike was made, was one of the largest hold in the history of the union, between 2000 and 3000 men being present. It was, freely admitted by members that the decision j amounted practically to an ultimatum to 1 the Government. The action of the union ' will affect thousands of men, as its membership alone is about 5000, besides which carriers and carters and other waterside workers will be involved, and the shipping of the port held up. The decision made by the wharf labourers was arrived at mainly by the efforts, of the " red raeeers " and the men who were working at Darling Point Island and Pyrmont wharves served by the railway, but were put off on account of goods trains stopping. These men openly boasted that if they were unable to work, then the other section, or those employed on the Miller's Point side of Darling Harbour and Woolloomooloo would also be idle. At the meeting the Darling Island men pre-' dominated. What was more important, they secured all the seating accommodation in. the front part of the hall, and by their tumult prevented the more sober-minded men in the rear from hearing what the motion or discussion was about. When the meeting was over, and the men came out. numerous inquiries were made by them as to what motions had been carried, and the men showed bv their itrnorance of the proceedings that they had been unaware of what they had voted for. When the decision 'was known along the waterfront, the utmost surprise was expressed. Almost generally the demand for a ballot was made. If this was taken it is believed that the decision would bo rescinded.