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Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1922, Page 11

Mr. Arthur P. Cowie, missioner to seampn, writes to the Auckland Herald as follows: “As one who has worked incessantly among seamen for 15 years, I would like to suggest that a secret ballot be taken among the men concerned, just to give the public a genuine record of the inmost wish of seamen on the matter of accepting the award agreed on by the Arbitration Court. A union most certainly has its benefits, but when a man’s individuality is lost, and he has to become a consenting party to strikes, for fear of the after unpleasantness of other men, who might make his life unbearable aboard a vessel, it is time that there should be a system put into operation whereby a seafaring man, and also a worker ashore, can make his wishes known, irrespective of the bullying tactics sometimes adopted by irresponsibles and i ether*.”’