SEAMEN’S HOLD UP

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11367, 14 November 1922, Page 6

SEAMEN’S HOLD UP

DIRECT ACTION OR ARBITRATION ? (To the Editor “N.Z. Times.”) Sir, —Regarding the present hold-up of ships at several ports by seamen refusing to work under the terms of the Arbitration Court’s award, we protest most strongly against this attack upon the public. At least’thirty vessels are affected, whilst traders and the general public are being made to suffer. It >a all very good to find Labour men protesting that they are in favour of arbitration, a 6 they did when the Government introduced amending legislation, hut it is _an utter sham to take up the position of claiming to act under arbitration and by direct action also. ’The irritation strike method now put in force by a number oT the. seamen is a direct attack not merfely on the Arbitration Court (materially it is not affected), but on the consuming public. Such go-slow or restrictive measures hit the general body of workers hardest of all, because they force up prices and make the co6t of living heavier for aH.

A little while ago members of the public were giving money in order to supply work and relief to seamen as well as others, and people must feel incensed to find that when work is available men will not take it because they do not get all their own way. If the shipping companies shewed their dissatisfaction with an award, and they, have been much dissatisified at times, the Labour leaders would howl against such action as tyranny on the part of capital. What is the position now? Because they object to the award given, seamen are sticking up the trade of the country. With all the talk about big organisation and constitutional action t etc., the Seamen’s Federation, Alliance of Labour, and “New Zealand Labour Party” seem powerless to prevent these dislocations of industry. • Mr Holland protests to! the New Zealand public that they are not for insurrection, hut what is any protest worth if industrial insurrections go on in spite of all they may say. It looks aa if a spirit had been infused which defies all responsibility and cares nothing about the interest of the public. It is - time - this sort of thing - was stopped. No body of men have any right to say by their actions, "Ours<elves alone—hang everybody else.” If that is “Labour,” then, in self-protec-tion, tho great body of the public will be__for*3d to fight against it. At the same time, we do not believe it is Labour In general, but rather the outcome of the revolutionism being taught by certain misleaders. , N Z. WELFARE LEAGUE. “DEEP-LAID PLOT” DISCOVERED IN HAWKE’S BAY. “Judging from information gleaned yesterday” (reports the “Hawke’s Bay Herald”) “it would appear that the present shipping hold-up ia a prema tore development of a deep-laid plot. The facts revealed go to show that the Seamen’s Union had under way a big scheme for holding-up the trade andihdustry of the country at a certain period in the near future, when the busy season at its height; btit the action of the Auckland men precipitated the matter and upset the plans,, that were .being quietly matured. The" hand of the union has thus been forced, and the present piece-meal method of suspending work is really a cloak to cover up the .original scheme of paralysing Hie trade of the country.” _ The Wakatu got away from Wellington at 10 o’clock last night on the return trip to Lyttelton direct. The vessel took about 30 passengers and mails, which arrived by the Main Trunk express. Captain B. Irwin, of the Maori, and some of his officers transferred to the Mararoa. \