Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/733

 LABOIJR TRO!JBLES IN NEW ZEALAND 711 Whitcombe, who further stated his Company's intention of working the establishment on non-Union lines. In addition to this those bookbinders working for the Company who had joined the Bookbinders' Union received a week's notice of dismissal, but this notice was soon afterwards withdrawn. It should here be noticed that a Commission had been appointed by the House of Representatives to enquire into the alleged existence of sweating in the colony. This Commission sat in Christchurch a few days after the rejection by the Company of the Union's proposals, and certain evidence was given with regard to the Company's treatment of its employees, which at the commence- ment of the dispute discredited the Company in the eyes of the public; though in fairness to the Company it should be stated that the principal act complained of was afterwards admitted by the sufferer himself to have been quite _nintentional and the result of a mistake made by him. The next step was the calling out by the Typographical Asso- ciation of all its members employed by the firm. Previously to this several of them had signed a petition to the Company pledg- ing themselves to remain true to it for twelve months, on con- dition that Mr. Whircombe would not carry out his threat of having certain work done in England which had previously been done by the Company, and this was agreed to; but notwithstand- ing this the men, with one exception, went out. Then followed a period of negotiations and attempts by the Unions to have the matter referred to arbitration; but all sugges- tions of the kind were firmly rejected by the Company, who were successful to a large extent in filling up the places of those who had left them, and who took up the position that as the Unions had withdrawn their men, and they (the Company) had declared their intention of working on non-Union lines, there was o ground for arbitration. Every effort was then made to boycott the Company. Appeals were made to the public to refrain from dealing with them; pickets were placed at the doors of their establishment in Christ- church, and as far as possible the names taken of all who entered; the names of the shareholders were obtained and published; the various school committees were approached with a view to per- suading them not to deal with the Company; pickets on bicycles were sent out with the Company's delivery carts to take note of the names of customers; considerable s_ns were spent in .buying off and sending away men whom the Company imported from other parts of New Zealand and Australia; and the Company's