THE ALLEGED MANAPOURI BOYCOTT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12607, 10 March 1903, Page 6

THE ALLEGED MANAPOURI BOYCOTT.

TO THE KDITOK. | Sin,—The person who supplied you with ; the report appearing in your shipping news j of the sth inst. re tho alleged boycotting I of the cook on- the Manapouri has given a | fairly circumstantial account of the incident j from his own- point, of view. The writer of j this was present, and- heard -it all. On the [ merits of tho case I express no opinion whatever. The firemen had a grievance against the ■ cook, a-nd -adopted what they thought was the best moans of settling it. One would imagine this-wis tho first case of its kind; but moil have been removed from their positions for similar reasons when it has suited' tho Union Company to do so. What I have to remark about is the marvellous alacrity shown by the press and interested persons in publishing-and l oalling by ugly names any trifling matter arising in connection with working men, while a silence yon could cut *ith an axe is generally observed if the circumstances affected an influential person or oompany. The jnattor is clumsily reported with a covert sneer that tho firemen wanted to usurp other people's functions of appointing the cook. Tho writer of your report knew perfectly well that no such thing was intended, and intentionally fails to Eoe the difference between "appointing a, person" and "objecting to a person." It is mentioned that tlio firemon failed to acquaint the master with their complaint. That was certainly an omission. But it is open to question whether that would' have had muoli effect. It is well known that complaints from seamen and firemen are not relished by many officers. Some of the autocrats of the quarter deck aro enveloped in such a cloud of dignity as to roako them altogether unapproachable. Not. long since a fireman, with all due humility, approached one of these autocrats to make a complaint, and was peremptorily ordered "to get out of my presence." Another man had occasion to complain to ono of the brass-bedizened autocrats of tho engine room, who condescendingly lent his car to the complaint, a-nd in reply stated "he couldn't be troubled about such trifles as overtime; you'd better . see your smart secretary, who will doubt- - less get all you want." T11C99 are only a couple of instances of many, and indicate the futility of men'appealing to alleged superior officers for redress. They find from stern experience they could talk their tongues cut and bo no further ahead. They, therefore, realise they must assist themselves, and adopt tho handiest method of doing so. This incident is alluded to as boycotting; but if an employer gets rid of a man and posts him all over New Zealand as an undesirable character, and, perhaps, drives him out of the country, that action is called by a- more respect-able name. I am very much surprised that another incident which occurred" at Port Chalmers on Tuesday has not found its way into tho press column;. Permit me to supply tho deficiency. Some of the Waiknre's crew, on my advice, declined to si?: 11 new articles of agreement until a most objectionable stipulation put there by the Union Steam Ship Company had been removed. Every effort was mado to brow-beat, or cajole those men into submission, and, failing in that, to fill their places with others. But the men- were ftrm, and had the satisfaction of compelling the removal of the obnoxious clause. A littlo enlightenment to tho public as to tho nature of that stipulation, would bo interesting, Somehow it does not find its way into irint, but it would not be very difficult to jbtain.—l am, ete., Dunedin, March 5. W. Belcher.