"TWISTING THE STRIKERS' TAILS."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10927, 17 November 1913, Page 6

"TWISTING THE STRIKERS' TAILS."

NEWSPAPER COMMENTS RESENTED. A PLEA FOR FAIR PLAY. "Wo are doing everything possible to avoid friction between the w ate raiders and the special constables in Lyttelton this week," said a member of the

ltK-.al Strike Committee to a reporter this morning, " but the attitude* of some of the newspapers is making our ta«k very difficult. In one respect we hn.vo to thank those journalistic opjxinents of ours. They have kepi on screwing' the strikers' tails so persistently that they have kent them absolutely lo.vul and •solid. If there was ever'any" possibility of wavering or'desertion on the part of the men, it has been removed by these continual pinpricks that keep them right up to scratch. But now that free labour is to be introduced on the wharves wo can dispense with this source of inspiration. We don't want to se.o these men insulted and badgered into committing some act of violence that will put them wrong in tho eyes of the public. It is quite "sufficient incitement to a breach of tho peaeo to have imported hero an armed blind of squatters from the country in order to intimidate us. •'These newspaper writers don't seem to have any sense of fair play. They abuse us no matter what we do. If wo don't, create a riot, and conduct ourselves peaceably, they say it is obvious t»liat the men are depressed and disconsolate, and that there is .no hearts in the strike. That kind of thing may not be punishable by law, but it is quite as likely to result in a breach of the peace ns anything our leaders in Wellington and Auckland have been accused of saying. It amounts to this: If vo are able to keep our ruen quiet when the ' specials' come to port,„it will be said that they were cowed into submission by the forces of law and order, and it will be inferred that they are a cowardly find half-hearted gang of mongrels without, sufficient spirit to put up ft fight. On the other hand, should we not bo able to prevent some scrapping, there will be a loud shriek about mob violence, lawlessness, outrages, cowardly attacks on law and order, alid all the rest of it. Messages will be sent all over New Zealand telling the public that'the reckless violence of the Lyttelton strikers had to be suppressed by a large force, and fresh levies of squatters will be brought from the backblocks to career about tho port oh their horses stirring up trouble. We don't expect a square deal or a fair deal from the Government ~ or from the newspapers supporting' the Government, but we want to give those newspapers fair warning that if they deliberately stir up trouble in this port we cannot accept responsibility for the actions of our men. We want to preserve law and order, and we ask the Government newspapers, not to help us, but to refrain from adding to our difficulties." AN INDIGNANT DENIAL. RESOLUTION BY WATERSIDERS. At a meeting of the Waterside Workers' Union, held at the Coronation Hall this . morning,' and attended by over 500 members, the following resolution was carried: "That the members of the Union at Lyttelton indignantly deny the imputation implied in a letter in this morning's ' Lyttelton Times" that 75 per cent or any number of members of this Union would willingly go back to work under any conditions, arbitration or otherwise, except those, stated by the executive of the U.F.L. and submitted to employers in Wellington. Further, that a copy of this resolution be sent, to Messrs Garrard and Watkins and to the Press." "INCOMPETENT AND A DANGER." CERTIFICATED CREW OF PATEENA MAKES PROTEST. "WE WONT CARRY MR WEBB." A frivolously-minded group' of steamship officers, most of whom .at present form part of the crew of the Pateena, bailed up a couple of "Star" reporters this morning and invited their attention to "clause 6.. subsection c " of" the waterside workers' latest manifesto, published in this morning's newsr papers. "It says here,", said one of them, "that we are ' incompetent and a danger to public safety.' Don't you think we ought to go for the newspapers for libel? That ought to bo worth at least £2000." " And yet," broke in another, "we will be asked to-night to carry Paddy Webb, the expresident, of the Federation. We ought to go on strike and refuse to carry him. " You can't do that," said another; " lie's . booked his passage with the company." " W 7 hat the (Hades) has the company to do with it?" was the retort. " The manager of the Union Company hasn't got the key of this situation. W T e're the bosses of this situation, and if we say we won't carry Mister Paddy Webb, Mister Paddy' Webb will have to stay on the wharf. Anyway, 7 ' the speaker continued, " we'll have to strike. The coffee wasn't made with milk . this morning and we had to take our breakfast up to the old man. It wasn't fit to eat." The local manager of the Union Company then joined in the discussion, and he was solemnly warned that unless he at once conducted the meeting to the nearest hostelry, there to distribute liquid refreshment, the Pateena' should not stir from her berth that night. The certificated crew had been insulted by heartless newspapers, they had had violence clone to their tenderest susceptibilities by having to travel on the same ship as Mr Webb, and they would just as soon work cargo to relieve their feelings as rejoin the Pateena. Tho manager firmly resisted the crew's demands and threatened penalties for mutiny on the high wharves. The conference broke up amidst much loud laughter and jocularity. The certificated crew evidently regard their present occupation as a gigantic joke. A CASE OF NEED. RAILWAY CASUAL HANDS. ' The stoppage of the port has thrown the goodsheds casual hands out of work, and some of them stand in need of immediate assistance. In all about one hundred men are affected, and of these over ninety are married and hove families. The men informed a reporter this afternoon that they had a very bad winter _ and had hoped to even matters up in tlie spring and summer. Unfortunately, the strike had come upon them, and, through no fault of their own, they found themselves out of work. The. custom followed at the sheds was that the men with the longest terms of service were taken on first and for some three months past the fifty men last on the list had not averaged £1 a week. The big majority of the men, it was stated, were members of the Amalgamted Society of Railway Servants, and they were standing loyally by the Department, but, until trade was resumed, they must wait and want. Their position was made more difficult by the fact that when the port was opened the sheds would fill up rapidly, and the men would have broken time, while the carters got the goods away. It really meant that they would not bo able to recover the lost ground. The strike meant all loss to them and no gain. In order to af-sist those most urgently requiring, assistance, the men considered that they should let the public know the. facts of the ca-se. For years they had handled the goods arriving here, and always to the best of their ability, and they thought that now tho employers or heads of firms might assist them in this emergency. Any one desiring to assist the members of the Union whose families arc in actual want may do so Uy comnui-

nicating with Mr A. M'Naugbton, export hand of A shed, or at Hu.wden Street, Sydenham.

NOTES. The collection taken up at Sydenham Park yesterday afternoon in aid of the strike funds netted £6 14s lid. At a special meeting of the Tanners and Fellmongers' Union on Saturday night tho sum of £SO was voted to the strike funds. A resolution was passed endorsing the action of the Mayor in refusing to take steps'to enrof special constables. A second resolution demanded the release of the strike leaders imprisoned at Wellington. The sitting of the Arbitration Court to-day has engaged the attention of the local trade union secretaries and also the secretary of the Employers' Association. Coming at this time, the sitting must interfere to somo oxtent with the organising work of. both parties concerned in the present industrial conflict. Mr P. O. Webb. M.P., quite won the approval of the large meeting held in Victoria Square on Saturday night by referring to Mr Herdmaii'as the Minister for Injustice. " Hear, hear," " That's what he is," and similar ejaculations were made on all sides. In response to the appeal for assistance made by the Lyttelton tallyclerks, Mr Richard Evans of the Kaiapoi flour mills, has informed the "Star's" Lyttelton representative tliat he is forwarding twenty-five 501b bags of flour for the men. "