BITTER PERSECUTION

NZ Truth, Issue 511, 3 April 1915, Page 3

BITTER PERSECUTION

T~~ Teaching the Toilers a Lesson

It is very clear that the Auckland waterside worker, who m November of 1913 came out on strike, and forced tho farmer to come down to the city to restoro "Law and Order," is going to bo bitterly and unrelentingly punished for his folly. Not only has hia old union, which discarded the peaceful methods of the Arbitration Court to <ie» clde between Master and Man and went under the wins of the Federation of Labor, been broken up, but a ' new and • cer-» tainly bogus union has been formed* the officials of which are but the creatures of tho bosses. Into this new. union the worker who has, or Is suspected ot haying, Red Fed sympathies, is denied admission, and also the right to earn his dally bread and provide for the\ support of his wife and children on tha wharf. In addition to tits he is novf being subjected to an infamous "Chivvying" by the police of Auckland, and the poor devils, with the. fear of a cold and uncharitable winter before thorn, are actually being threatened with ar-* rest and imprisonment as idle and dls>< ; orderly vagrants. • ' #■■ ..■..•■■'•'■ ■'■■-•■ Wo have before heard that It was ' the intention of the Employers' Association to teach the worker who dared |to strike, a much-needed lesson, and "Truth" ventures to think that the Employers' Association is just at present carry fng its threat into execution, at any rato m Auckland. Unhappily, tha fact has got to' be faced that m Auok- | land the worker is taking it lying down. IHe is being submitted to, indignities which any man with any spunk m him. would Immediately resent,, and would retaliato with vigor. The Auckland worker, or at anyrate the Auckland . waterside worker, is apparently bereft of both these virtues, otherwise he would not submit to the rubbing-it-in process whioh is being carried on. It is true that a-number of the old unionists have debased themselves m the dirt, denied any connection with tho old union, foreswore Red Fed methods, and have gained admission to the new and very close corporation passing: m.uster as an "industrial union." No doubt thin denial has been made' with a purpose, and this is to again regain control ot tho union's affairs, as haß been accomplished In Wellington and other places, Others, however, are marked men, who either would not" deny their previous connection with tho old union, or were blackballed because of their previous connection with tho same. Naturally, It is not to bo wondered at that - tho officials of tho now and bogus union of workers ard* keeping their eyes on tho marked men/ and are prev<yituigr them gotting Into tho union. It means grood-byo to jobs whioh cannot all tha same be classed as cosy. • • • A large number of mon, single men mostly, but m a number of instances married men with wives and families dopendont on them, have trekked from Auckland out into the wilds. Sotno have got work m tho country, some have gono to other cities, and luvvo succeeded m getting work on the wharves, joined the unions, and have helped to get back to the position of "as you were." While tho old -hands have captured tho fort m Wellington and elsewhere, Auckland seemH to bo slow m coming into line, though it 1a Inevitable that the' day will como when tho present new union will bo a, union . worthy of its name nnd its objects. However, the influx to Wellington of Auckland waterside . workers, thosa who havo boen denied admission to tho Auckland un^n, seems to havo riled tho bosses • somewhat, for th© ukase has now gone forth (and it i« tho voice of tho Union Steamship Co.), that any man denied admission to tha Auckland union who joins tho Wellington union. 1b to be debarred from working on the wharves. This m a, , Tsar-liko ukano, yot it shown what, under a Government of tho «ort In power to-day, is likely to happen. How long will this sort of thlnjr tout? It Is true that a prophet has no honor In his own country, but "Truth" prefers to tnko a r)«k, and gamble a bit, that before many months have passed and unless fiomc change haw been effected, thero is going to bo serious trouble, and that It will break out m Auckland.