SOME STRIKERS HAVE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13263, 23 December 1913, Page 7

SOME STRIKERS HAVE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE.

REFERENCES REQUIRED. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, kwt night. About 000 seamen and firemen have now signed on m various ships at Wellington, and a few others not yet manned will wait till after the holidays. Aa the result of criticism of his connection with the Seamen's Union, Mr W. T. Young to-day resigned from the presidency of the Federation of Labor. Specials and regular constables continue on duty at the wharf gates, and passes are still required of all people who would gain admittance. Ex-strikers are not being allowed on the wharves until they have signed on with the new union. At the outcome of the Government's action m bringing men m from the country to -work the wharves during the strike, it is stated that a movement is being started m the Wellington district to organise farm laborers and obtain an awadr under the Arbitration Act. It is proposed to extend the movement throughout New Zealand. Tlae Shearers' Association has decided m view of the end of the strike, to cease making a Jevy on members for the relief fund as from, to-morrow. The secretary (Mr Laracy) says the response so far has been very satisfactory, considering the fact that the weather has militated against work m the shearing sheds. AUCKLAND, last night. Xow that the strike has petered out without any arrangement having been made m regard to the return of the members of the Waterside Workers' Union, which has been replaced by the Jieir union, registered under the Arbitration Act, the position of t'he "old hands," so far as re-employment is concerned, is one of the chief matters of interest. All applicants for admission to the existing union have been subjected to searching inquiry —a course deemed necessary m view of the circumstances—and, naturally, the utmost care has been exercised m what is termed "keeping the ranks clean from the element dangerous to arbitration." In carrying out this policy it has inevitably com© about that a number of former workers on the wharves who applied have been refused membership, although, of course, others have been accepted. This morning a large number of the "old hands," including Mr JS. Canham and Mr Hillier, president and secretary respectively of the former union, went down m a body to the wharf shed where the union office is situated to apply for membership and" seek emploj'ment. The crowd is variously estimated tit between 400 and 700 workers, and it 13 stated tliat they arrived shortly before 8 o'cl<Jck equipped witli kits and wenring working clothes ready to resume work. . The secretary of the iinion (Mr Stan. Rickards), who met the men, describes the attitude of some of them as "threatening,"" and declares that they demanded work and claimed the right to remain m the shed. A few words -were exchanged, and Mr Rickards informed, the men that further applications for 1 membership could not be considered till Wednesday, and nsked them, to leave the.waiting room. This they did more or less reluctantly. It is stated that the labor available is more than ample to meet the existing needs. The union has a membership roll of 1234, and at present there is practically very little work offering. The members of the old union not only claim that the .procedure adopted m excluding them from the shed this morning and from joining the waterside union is high-handed and illegal, but it is submitted by them- that the.shed has been specially set asjd<j by the Harbor Board as a waiting room for the men working on the wharves, and that as they are* legitimate wharf workers they cannot be turned oat. As to their eligibility to membership, they, contend that the union cannot be formed into a Close' corporation, and that the rules' of the,, jhew union as registered on November Bth, 1913, do not contain any prohibition such as is now being enforced. It is officially stated that a batch of 150 members was enrolled on Saturday. A few applicants are not only submitted to the police, but applications must be accompanied by two references, and the individual must renounce tho Federation of Labor and sign allegiance to tho Arbitration Act. INVERCARGILL, Lost night. A contingent of over a dozen representatives of Otago and Southland dairy factories arrived m Bluff this afternoon to make a presentation to members of the Bluff Waterside Workers' Union. The function took place m the Union's office. Mr D. Ward, junior (Island Dairy Factory) occupied the chair and said they were all aware that had not the Bluff men taken the stand they did things would have gone very hard with tli© dairy farmers m Southland. The, result was that whenever a ship arrived the farmers were able to get their produce away and were thus m a happier position than those m many of the provinces m the North. They wished to commend the loyalty of the Bluff men and their honorable conduct m adhering to their agreement. The van-, ous factories throughout Southland, together with tho Wallace A. and P. Association, had subscribed tho sum of £148 78 6d, which he asked the secretary of the union to accept on behalf of the members of his union. He suggested that the sum should be divided into three parts —two-thirds to go to the married men, and one-third to the single men. Messrs Cameron (secretary) and White (president) returned thanks op behalf of the Bluff Watersdders' Union. Both referred to 'the unexpectedness of the gift and to its value, and said that the men would accept the gift.inthe spirit m which it was piven. The Bluff unionists had stayed at work because they thought it was their duty to honorably observe the agreement they had entered into under the Arbitration Court. f i - DUNEDIN, last night. About 130 men were employed at the wharf to-day on the Warrimoo. Invercargill, and Kaipara, the last of which arrived from Lyttelton yesterday with 800 tons, The Waipori was due this afternoon from Wellington with 1000 tons of cargo, consisting, for t-he most part, of transhipments. Strikers at Port Chalmers held a mass meeting yesterday mornintj and decided to go to work this morning. They applied for enrolment m the Arbitration Waterside Union. STARTING WORK AT BUNTLY. AUCKLAND, last night. The new union formed at Huntly ha« a membership of over 500. The agreement with the company was filed to-day. "We intend resuming early m January," said Mr E. W. Alison, chairman of directors, to-day. "Ample protection j will be afforded* men resuming woTk by regular police, and, if necessary, by special constables. T am pleased to be able to state that the farmers are preKd not only to protect tho workers, if required, to assist m obtaining coal."