SEAMEN AT VARIANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3803, 1 February 1927, Page 31

SEAMEN AT VARIANCE.

DISSATISFIED UNIONISTS. WELLINGTON, January 25. Following a special meeting of the members of the Seamen’s Union at Wellington to-day, a number of seamen took charge of the union’s office in Featherston street, evicting the secretary (Mr W. T. Young) and his assistant (Mr Frank C. Howell). It appears that a resolution was carried at the meeting as follows:—“That a commission be appointed to investigate the business matter of the union.” The subsequent occupation of the union office was merely a sequel to that decision. For some time past the union has been divided into two f ctions, and the meeting to-day gave a new ascendancy to one side. There was some talk to-day of forming a new union of seamen. A reporter who inquired for the r retary and his assistant was courteously received by the men in possession of the < ffice and were informed they were “away.” They regretted they could not make any statement to the press. REORGANISING POLICY. WELLINGTON, January 26. Since May, 1926. the Wellington Seamen's Union has been working under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act as the result of the cancellation of its registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. To-day the union re-regis-tered under the Arbitration Act. A visit to the offices of the Wellington Seamen’s Union in Featherston street this morning found the premises in the occupation of a number of seamen. Neither the secretary of the union (Mr W. T. Young) nor his assistant (Mr F. C. Howell) were there, and when Mr Young was asked for a reporter was told with a smile that he was “on holiday.” It appears that as the result of a meeting yesterday a body of seamen took possession of the premises and turned out the two officials with the object of investigating the files. The files of the office were still being inspected this morning, but the reporter was told that there was no information for the press. I 1 or a fortnight past meetings of seamen have been held from time to time, as the result of a difference of opinion regarding the conduct . of the union’s affairs, the nature of which was not given out, and today the Wellington branch of the Seamen’s Union registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The New Zealand Federated Seamen’s Union and its branches (Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin) cancelled their registrations. Wellington did so on May 13, 1926, but Auckland and Dunedin re-registered. To-day the three branches and the Federated Seamen’s Union are all registered under the Arbitration Act again. Mr Young, when interviewed this afternoon, defined to make a statement, but said that important developments niigkt shortly be expected. SEVERAL OFFICIALS DEPOSED. - . WELLINGTON, January 26. Another stage in the upheaval which has taken place in the Federated Sea-

men’s Union was reached to-day, when a commission of inquiry which had been sitting for some time "previously delivered its report to a special meeting of the members, after which, it is stated, the secretary of the union (Mr W. T. Young) and his assistant (Mr Frank C. Howell) were formally retired from office. Four other members were also struck off the union’s membership. A notice posted outside the office of the upion set out in some detail the result of the commission’s investigations, and stated that the findings and recommendations were adopted by 181 votes to two. It seems that exception was taken to the founding of a second union to which funds amounting to £2600 were alleged to have been transferred without legal authority, and a demand was made that this sum be refunded to the union The meeting appointed the following temporary officers:—President, Mr F P Walsh; .secretary, Mr Felix Newfield-’ vice-president, Mr Maurice Wall; treasurer, Mr P. A. Butler. With regard to organisation, the notice issued states that the union is now restored to its original basis, and steps will be taken to hold a national election of officers as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made. Under tins notice appeared the names of *• £-, Walsh (general president), Mr *• Newfield (general secretary), and Mr M. Wall (vice-president) and Mr P A. Butler (treasurer) of the Wellington branch, together with those of three members of the Auckland Executive Council, one of the Dunedin Executive Council, and one of the Wellington Council. There appeared also the names of eight of the members of the commission which reported to the special meeting of inembera held to-day. MR W. T. YOUNG EXPLAINS. ' WELLINGTON, January 28. In connection with the Seamen’s’ Union trouble, Mr W. T. Young made a statement to-day, which he said he wished to go forward to the workers of the Dominion. “A statement regarding my alleged deposition,” he said, “comes from a body that has existed only since Tuesday evening last, a body of which 1 was not at any time a member, let alone an officer. I am general secretary of the Federated Seamen’s Union of New Zealand, a bodyestablished in 1881, and first registered under the Trade Union Act in 1885. Our general president is Mr Fittes, our treasurer Mr Currie, our two vice-presidents are Messrs Brown and Payne, and our assistant secretary is Mr Frank Howell. The Federated Seamen’s Union of New Zealand alone possesses the right to depose any of its officers through constitutional channels. That fairly well answers the allegations under the head of a ‘bogus union’; but I may mention that our organisation is a national body, possessing national rules, and giving to members national rights, and it invests in the members themselves the absolute right to control the organisation, in place of the members being dictated to by a small coterie, whether later to be designated an executive council or otherwise. “In regard to the funds, which it is alleged were illegally transferred, I have to state that the money referred to, and also a little that has been added to it, stands to the credit at the bank of the men who own it, and they are not F. P. Walsh and Co. We are the trustees of the money to be honestly used for the purposes of the men who own it." In regard. to what took place at the office, Mr Young said that a number of men—between 60 and 70 —came to the office, headed by Walsh and seven other prominent men. They read the resolution of an alleged meeting, and demanded, that he hand over the keys and the property in the office. Mr Young refused, being the legal custodian of everything in the office. The result was that he was forcibly ejected by a man not a member of the Wellington Union. The general president and Mr Payne were also ejected by force. “In conclusion,” said Mr Young, “ I wish to say to the working men and women of the Dominion, who have known me in political and industrial labour movements for the past 28 years, that nothing of a bogus nature exists, and that the funds are perfectly safe in the hands of the men who are the trustees for those owning the money.”

ACTION AGAINST OFFICIALS. ! WELLINGTON, January 29. The causes of the differences in the Seamen’s Union, no public statement of which has yet been fully made, are likely to be more freely ventilated, as it was ascertained to-day that .a writ has been issued on behalf of the Wellington Federated Seamen’s Industrial Union of Workers, the body re-registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the plaintiffs, against Peter Fraser and Joseph William Trim, the trustees of the Federated Seamen’s Union of New Zealand, and C. B. Fittes, D. Currie, and W. T. Young, three officials of the Wellington Seamen’s Union, and the bank holding the funds of the Union Bank of Australia (Ltd.), the defendants. .An injunction was issued yesterday by his Honor Mr Justice Reed in the Sup* reme Court, on the application of Mr E. Hay., restraining all the defendants from dealing with the money at the bank, pending a further order of the court. The writ is to recover the sum of £2673, which.' the plaintiffs allege was recently transferred from their account to that of a new organisation.