Tactics at Arapuni

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 89, 6 July 1927, Page 9

Tactics at Arapuni

INNER STORY OF LABOUR UNREST

Mr. Barter States His Case

UP to the present I have refrained from giving- any statement, but I ha%-e been compelled to reply,” said Mr. R. F. Barter, who has been prominently associated with the Labour trouble at Arapuni. Speaking as district secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and Allied Trades and National Agent for the Engineers’ Federation, Mr. Barter gave some inner history of the strike and secession.

MR- BARTER dealt with several statements which have appeared in the Press. Mr. Gavin Stove stated in THE SUN on June 21. speaking as secretary of the Alliance of Labour, that if it had not been for the New Zealand Workers’ Union a strike would not have been possible. He also stated that if the crafts went back to their respective organisations they would be defeated by such organisations as Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth, Ltd. “But in the face of that statement.” said Mr. Barter, “we find on Thursday, June 30, Mr. Stove, along with Messrs. A. Cook and J. B. Williams, present cap in hand to appeal to that firm to stand by an agreement which was obtained by false pretences. Though the proceedings lasted for two days the only decision that could be arrived at was to apply to the Arbitration Court.” Mr. Barter refused to make any comment on that phase till after the court’s decision. Dealing with a statement made by Mr. Williams in Hamilton on Saturday last that there were outsiders in the controversy, Mr. Barter said that in his view the only outsider was Mr. Gavin Stove, of the Auckland Labour Party and the Alliance of Labour.” “GET UP THE HILL” After the mass meeting at which it was decided to secede from the New Zealand Workers’ Union the decision was conveyed to Mr. Williams and, said Mr. Barter, he was told what he had told many another poor unfortunate that he “could get up the hill” which means in Arapuni terms, “get out of the township.” As to the £1 subscription which Mr. Williams and his colleagues are trying to hide from the public, said Mr. Barter, the terms are quite definite. A man to-day who obtains work on the Arapuni job under the conditions of the agreement must pay £1 out of his first wages and if he succeeds in remaining till October 1 he must pay another £l. Regarding the tradesmen’s position on the contract, there was an agreement entered into between the N.Z.W.U. and the Amalgamated Society of Engineers which Mr. Barter said he had loyally stood by. He had not been to the Arapuni job until the present trouble though it had been previously agreed that before another contract was entered into with any firm in which the engineering trades were involved the Auckland branch of the Engineers’ Society was to be consulted. But that had not been done. x As to an assertion that Mr. Hally had interfered, Mr. Barter stated emphatically that Mr. Hally was there as Government representative and had showed no favour in any way to the speaker or to Mr. Sutherland. “As to the question in dispute,” said Mr. Barter, “Mr. Williams well knows as does anyone with an honesty of purpose to do the right thing by the rank and file of the organisation which he represents that the question of 4s 9d which he has tried to put before the public was not the main cause. It was a dissatisfaction with conditions in general.” Mr. Barter then dealt with Mr. Stove’s statement regarding the meeting last Sunday. Only certain individuals were allowed to be present. The resolution produced by Mr. Stove was not the decision of a majority of the men on the job. Mr. Barter went on to deal with the attitude of Messrs. Cook, Williams and Stove to the capitalistic Press. During the election of the workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court they had accused Mr. H. Hunter of running to that Press, but yet today they could not get there quick enough. “Furthermore,” said Mr, Barter, “I prefer to deal with the Press as condemned by that trjo and Its associates than with the paper controlled by those self-same individuals.” Regarding his own part in the trouble, Mr. Barter stated that he was paying his ordinary visit to the Waikato district and on Tuesday morning, June 14, he noticed in a newspaper that the Engineers’ Union had also declared a strike at Arapuni. His unionists being involved he wired to the New Zealand Workers’ Union branch at Arapuni regarding the desirability of his being present. The reply was: “Engineers involved. Presence at your own discretion.” Mr. Barter proceeded to Arapuni in com pany with Mr. J. Sutherland, secretary of the General Labourers’ Union, who happened to be in Hamilton deal ing with the local bodies’ workers’ award. They reported to Mr. J. Lake, secretary of the Arapuni branch of the N.Z.W.U., and Mr. J. B. Williams, district organiser, and not as previously stated national organiser of the N.Z.W.U., was also present. They were told that an executive meeting was being held and were invited to attend. At that meeting at which Mr. J. Kelly, as president of the branch was in the chair, the two visitors were introduced by Mr. Williams who stated that “he was very pleased” they were present in the time of trouble. Ad dressing the meeting Mr. Williams stated that he had to congratulate the men on the stand they had taken and that they had gone up 400 per cent, as men in his estimation. He hoped they would stand firm and remain loyal to one another, but he could not publicly announce he was in favour of the strike as it might involve a prosecution against himself and the union which might mean a fine of £3OO odd. MR. BARTER INVOLVED Then he asked the meeting to hear Mr. Barter, who informed it that he was only dealing with the engineers’ section and seeing it was on strike as the rank and file of the organisation the secretary became involved. A meeting was called for the following Wednesday. Mr. Williams was asked to attend, but unfortunately he had to attend a conference at Wellington. He informed Mr. Barter that he would be back at Arapuni. on the Friday. At the meeting Mr. Sutherland was called upon and stressed upon the men to remain loyal to their organisation.

A meeting of the engineers was called and 61 members were present on Wednesday. Mr. Kelly, Mr. Schell and Mr. Lake were also present. After the case was put forward by representatives of the New Zealand Workers’ Union in accordance with the spirit of true unionism the meeting unanimously decided to support the action of the men at Arapuni and confirmed Mr. Barter’s being involved in the struggle. Messrs. Barter and Sutherland then went to Hamilton, later departing for Thames and Auckland respectively. On Thursday night Mr. Barter received a special request to return to Arapuni which, in the interests of the rank and file, he decided to do. There he found Mr. P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, who had been sent by the Minister of Labour, and Mr. W. E. D. Bishop, national secretary of the Employers’ Federation. After much parleying through the efforts of the commissioner a conference was held and a settlement of the strike was arranged with credit to both sides. After the settlement had been signed a telegram was received from Messrs. Cook and Williams that they were too busy to attend the mass meeting on Saturday and asking the men to forward their decision and if necessary an executive officer would proceed to Arapuni. As the strike was declared off the meeting was postponed from 11 o’clock until 3 o’clock. There 300 were present and endorsed unanimously the leaders’ action. It was during that meeting the symptoms of internal trouble arose. Mr. Barter appealed successfully to the men to leave that matter alone during the trouble and while he was present at Arapuni. A meeting was called for Sunday, June 26, to which Mr. Williams and Mr. Cook were invited, though only Mr. Williams was present. A motion was carried to secede from the New Zealand Workers’ Union, but, stated Mr. Barter, he was not interested nor did he take part in any action. WILL STAND THE LIGHT OF DAY N.Z.W.U. AT ARAPUNI MR. STOVE IN REPLY When the statements were referred to Mr. Gavin C. Stove, speaking as secretary of the Auckland branch of the Alliance of Labour, he said that the assertion of the union officials running to the capitalistic Press was so much “tommy-rot.” “As far as going cap in hand to the firm,” said Mr. G. Stove, “I must deny that. We stood pat on our agreement. The New Zealand Workers’ Union officials went to Arapuni by invitation in consequence of the conference arranged, not to appeal to the company to stand by an agreement Such a statement is absolutely foolish and points to a bankruptcy of argument. The agreement is good at law, and the company is compelled to stand to it, as we are compelled to stand to our part. The question of this agreement was contested in the Arbitration Court in 1925, and the court refused to add as parties Sir W. G. Armstrong. Whitworth to the Northern Industrial Awards. “We had no conference with any side at Arapuni on Thursday, neither with the Barter, Sutherland and Kelly faction, nor with the firm. Mr. S. E. Wright finally suggested the reference to the court which, in the terms of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration could be made by either party. It neither needed our consent nor our endorsement. “As to the £1 subscription, what Mr. Barter says is quite incorrect. A man can get a 10s ticket in the latter half of the year, which will admit to several other unions. “THE 4s 9d STRIKE” “If 4s 9d was not the cause of the strike then what other clauses were in dispute between the parties? There was none. No other question was submitted. “Regarding Sunday’s meeting, the only people allowed to be present were members of the union. Is it “to be suggested that non-members or a member of some other craft union should have the right to vote an organisation out of existence?” Mr. Stove said he regarded the assertion of him rushing to the capitalistic Press as so much tommy-rot. Air. Barter made the first statement, and it was published in the Waikato. The affairs of the New Zealand Workers’ Union and its connection with Arapuni will stand the light of publicity.