The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1902.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 11946, 22 December 1902, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1902.

The trouble at the quarries was one of the subjects di»cus>cd by the Harbour Board at. their monthly metting on Saturday. The rej-ult is what wc feared it would be if the Kroud insisted ujwn Leeming making such an apology as was placed before him for signature, as a "sine qua nnn" to his being reinstated in his employment. The virtually said that the Board desired to let Iteming down easily, and appeared to think that he would readily subscribe to the words of the suggested apology. Hut as soon as Leeming had read it he positively declined to sign, and gave as his reason that ho was asked to subscribe to something which *a« an admission that he had used the words attributecd to him by the Chairman and the Engineer, whereas he said that he had cot uw<i them, and to sign the apology would be equivalent to declaring himself to be a. liar. That was precisely the positron, and where the letting of Leeming " down easily" came in is a good deal more than wc are able to see. To all intents nvA purposes the apology might just as weil have contained the bald statement that Learning had told lies, and that he was sorry for it. A few days ago we suggested an apology which we think Leeming would have signed and which, in our opinion, the Board might have accepted without any loss of selfrespect However, it is useless to pursue tiat part of the subject further. The result of Learning's refusal to sign the apology was the passing of a resolution that "he be not reinstated." On that decision becoming known to the men they endorsed Leeming's action, and declined to go to work again. After a discussion the Board passed the following resolution :—" That when a sufficient number of men have been obtained, work at the quarries will be resumed, applications for which will be received at the Harbour Office." It was subsequently decided that, with the exception of Leceming, the men who had been in the Boards employ could apply individually for work, and would be given the preference * over strangers. Such is the position, and the Board are already advertising for men. Now as to the future: If any of the men can obtain equally remunerative work elsewhere without delay it might be judicious of them to accept it, but what about those who cannot do so, and some of whom have wives and children to proTide for? Do those "men consider themselves still bound to stand aloof out of a feeling of loyalty to Leeming? If so, how long is their so-called loyalty to last? Is it meant that all and each of the discharged men arc never again to take employment from the Harbour Board, even if it were offered' them years hence? If that is not the idea (and it appears to us to be a very absurd one) when is the Harbour Board to cease to be tabooed by these people?. If they would consider their loyalty sufficiently vindicated in three or six months, why not this morning? The affair which gave rise to the trouble is completely over. Leeming's re-engage-ment is out of the question, and we understand that he has obtained good employment elsewhere, and is anxious that those who stuck by him in tic recent dispute should not stand in their own light but should immediately apply to be put on again. Delays are dangerous. The I Board's advertisement is sure to elicit applications from at least some suitable outsiders, and tiough, as wc hare already stated, the discharged men are to be given the preference, it cannot bo expected that their places will be kept open for them when other men apply. Our earnest advice to each -.f the recent strikers is to ga at once to the Harbour Office and applv to Iw taken on. Toe Leeming incident is finally closed, and those who supported* him should look after their own bread and butter.