A letter from Lord Devonport published in Friday's papers deals
with the question of "taking on" places. Last August it appears that the shipowners, in order to terminate the strike, consented that those places in future should be in localities chosen by the men's leaders outside the dock premises. The shipowners, Lord Devonport tells us, were only induced to concede this condition upon a personal under- taking being given by Mr. Churchill, Mr. Burns, and Mr. Masterman that they would use their best endeavours to induce the men's leaders to live up to the spirit of the agree- ment then signed. "From that date onward the leaders have abused this concession by making it compulsory that every man presenting himself for employment should carry the Federation ticket. Those that did not have it were driven off with intimidation, or, if that did not suffice, with violence. For these reasons, sufficient and definite as they are, it was, and will be, impossible to re- establish the shipowners' agreement in its original form." At the end of his letter Lord Devonport criticizes as im- practicable the proposals of the London Members of Parlia- ment. We may add that Mr. Harry Orbell, in a statement published in Friday's papers, uses the following words : "It is only fair to mention—and I know I am expressing the views of Mr. Gosling—that we have nothing to complain about in the manner in which Lord Devonport received us."
Previous page
