IN REPLY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8588, 26 November 1913, Page 7

IN REPLY

STATEMENT BY FEDERATION EXECUTIVE. The executive of the United Federation of Labour issued the following official reply to the employers' statement : " If the garbled inaccuracies of the employers' ' review ' is the only excuse for the continuance of the present struggle, it is a cutting commentary upon the rottenness of their case. "First of all, let it be understood that the onus of the present strike does not rest upon the workers, bat upon the shipping companies, particularly the Union Steam Ship Company, through their arrogant refusal to deal with the shipwrights ia tlieir ef-

forte to adjust their grievances. l The shipwrights of Wellington, bo it noted ia passing, asked for an alteration of their working conditions for' the first time in forty years, and were practically insulted by the _ shipping| trust. It was only after this trouble arose that the Wellington AVatersido, Union held a meeting of its members to discuss the situation. A FALSE STATEMENT. “ The employers’ ‘ review ’ then states that, ‘having resolved to strike,, the AVellington Waterside Union sank its identity, handing over tho wholes of tho strike negotiations to tho executive of tho Federation of Labour.’ This statement ia false. Tho dispute was not handed over to tho United Federation till about two weeks after tho strike eventuated. “This extraordinary ‘review’ goes on to say that ‘that body (United iederation) rejected all offers made by the employers for a settlement of the strike, but subsequently, when too late, signified its willingness to accept certain portions of the employers' terms ■ This statement is grossly inaccurate, j Tho only terms offered the federation were ‘the Act, tho Act, and nothing| but tho Act.’ It was the one andi only proposal submitted by the em- 1 ploycra. “Another gem from the ‘review’ speaks of tho Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union, ‘acting at tho behest of tho executive of the Federation of Labour,’ a statement as devoid of fact as many others in this comical effusion. It ki a matter of common knowledge that the. AVellington watersiders struck upon their own initiative, as the employers themselves point out in the beginning of their alleged ‘review.’ “Regarding -the oft-mentioned reference by the employers to tho Federation of Labour and tho waterside agreement, let it be understood that tho United Federation of Labour is in no way responsible for what the late Federation of Labour may or may not have done. The birth of the United Federation dates from July last. The waterside agreement was entered into over eighteen months previously. Since the Waihi strike took place over twelve ' months ago. obviously the United Federation can have had no part in that struggle. “PURITANICAL STANDARD.” “It ill becomes tho Employers’ Federation to speak of ‘ no reliance to bo placed in the written or spoken word ’of “any labour organisation. A perusal of tho fines and summonses inflicted upon employers for breaches of agreements in the annual reports of the Labour Department bears the most eloquent testimony of their puritanical standard in this connection. It is very apparent that tho string of inaccuracies at tho commencement of the ‘ review ’ is but a preliminary puff to the declaration at the end, that the ono end, aim, and object of tho employers is to wipe out those unions not prepared to bow the knee to them. We, on tho other hand, are equally determined that the smashing of legitimate unionism by scab-created concerns, hatched in the headquarters of the Employers’ Federation, shall not prevail. “ Tho despotism of which tho employers speak is all on their side. The demand that unions shall register under an Act that the law says is purely voluntary is the demand of a despot. Tho refusal of tho employers to assist in conveying foodstuffs to Westport is to put it mildly, despotism. “ It is inconceivable that any considerable section of the community will be misled by the glaring inaccuracies of the employers’ statement. Might we suggest that in future ‘ reviews ’ fiction bo replaced, by fact, for logic and argument, after all, are tho best means of convincing a people. If logic and argument cannot be applied, the wisest course to pursue is to drop what is a polpahly rotten case. “ (Signed) “ j. DOAVGRAY, Acting President. “ P. H. HICKEY, Secretary.” '