ROYAL COMMISSION ON TRADE DISPUTES ANH TRADE COMBINATIONS. sometimes violence have been resorted to, the Association contenting themselves by posting notices in their office windows, warning pickets, and offering a reward of £10 to those who give information which will lead to the conviction of those who have assaulted their members during strikes, but the reward has never been paid. The notice is for show purposes, the association leaving it to the police to protect the free labour workmen, and to summarily deal with intimidators. The greater portion of the strikes taken part in by the National Free Labour Association are of small dimensions, and the workmen supplied by it are only accommodated on the premises of the employers affected in exceptional cases. The association has not a staff of "trained emergency men," for whenever I have, acting under instructions, made application to it, my requirements could not be met, and I have had to supply. Mr. Collison, in his evidence states, "It is estimated that no less a sum than £285,000 has been spent by employers in eight years 1893-1901 in protecting members of the association from trade union pickets during strikes." This estimate is very questionable, the authority being Mr. Collison, who possesses no facilities for obtaining the information he imparts. The affected employers who employ labour through his association during strikes, do not nor either are they called upon to furnish returns of their expenses to him. The balance sheets of his association do not vindicate this estimate, which is his only criterion. Mr. Collison's statement that, "since the Taff Vale decision, the association had fought some twenty-five large strikes, at a cost of little over £4,000 to protect free labour men from the violence of the pickets" is untrue. No such number of "large strikes" in the period named has been conducted by his association, and its balance sheets for the years 1902-03-04 show the actual expenditure for supplying workmen, including fares and other expenses, to be £5,891 11s. 11d. To this amount has to be added the employer's expenses, on which Mr. Collison is silent. If he can give the estimates for the eight years, 1893-01, he ought to supply reliable information for the three ensuing years. Mr. Collison further stated that "during the recent strikes at the Medway Steel Works, Rochester, Jarrow Chemical Works, and the Covent Garden Porters' strikes, free labour men were marched through the streets in a body, right through the crowds of strikers and their sympathisers, without being even booed at." The first and last named strikes I was not present at, but replaced most of the 200 workmen on strike at the Jarrow Chemical Works, Jarrow, from Glasgow and Newcastle districts, and certainly never saw anything approaching a crowd of strikers, or sight-seers, in connection with that strike, though I had the supplying and conveying of the free labour men to the affected works. Mr. Collison states he has "had more experience of strikes than any other man in this country." This 307 experience has not been obtained from personal observa- Mr. William tion of strikes, but from the reports furnished him by Ellis. branch secretaries, who severed their connection with his association. During the Bristol tramways strike he showed despicable cowardice, being afraid to stir out at any time without a number of others to protect him, which was unnecessary. Of the way he conducts business: I have some copies of the "strike agreement forms," which he submitted before your Commission. These will be instructive of his methods of business during the Belfast farriers' strike of 1903 and 1904, which I propose to submit before your Commission. The rules of the National Free Labour Association, provide that no members can be elected to its executive council, unless they reside with twenty miles of London. This rule completely takes it out of the power of the branches to nominate any of their members, and keeps the control of the organisation in the power of one man. I will, when present before your Commission, submit the rules, which exist for show purposes only, as few are observed other than the one providing its general secretary with a liberal salary and unlimited hotel expenses. There are no bona-fide congresses of properly accredited delegates, these being mostly out-of-works, at 58. per day, and who, though ostensibly engaged as stewards, take part on all matters appertaining to the businesses of the congresses, the election of the executive council, and are expected and encouraged by Mr. Collison to do so to make a show. The accountant is the chief office clerk, and the auditors two of the committee, and there is no independent audit of its accounts, Much of its literature, which is distributed to employers and workmen, contains lying statements, and is still being circulated, some of which have come into my possession, and which I am prepared to submit before your Commission. These are surprising statements to make, but I can substantiate them before your Commission. I am quite willing to be confronted before Mr. Collison in the presence of your Commissioners, and there are other who can bear witness to my charges. The museum of "Trade Union Arguments," he desireu to submit before your Commission is no more genuine than his association. As specimens of " moral suasion " they are worthless. The National Free Labour Association was established in May, 1893, and my connection with it dates from October 1893 to March 1904, when I severed my connection with it. During that period I organised several of its branches and fought many of its strikes, which are considerably less than the alleged 500. I have attended all its annual congresses, with exception of its congress held in London, 1904, which was chiefly remarkable for the absence from it of its branch registrars, who attended the previous year. 5 April, 1905. INDEXES TO MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. 1. GENERAL INDEX. 2. THE EVIDENCE OF EACH WITNESS INDEXED SEPARATELY. 2 R INDEXES TO MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. I.-GENERAL INDEX. NOTE. -When a series of questions refer to the same subject, the number of the opening question only is given. Act done with "intent to harm" by individual, not Allen v. Flood, doctrine as to malicious intent in, Actions for Interfering with Business or Contracts Act of 1859 as to peaceful persuasion, 96, 396. Criminal Law Amendment Act 1871, 104, 143, 397. Employers' Liability and Workmen's Compensation Friendly Societies Acts. Application of, to trade unions, views as to, Provident Nominations and Small Intestacies Section as to summary proceedings in disputes Master and Servants Act 1867, 3851. Royal Commission of 1874-5 on, 142, 143, 237. Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, limitation of liability Molestation and Obstruction by Workmen Act Newspaper and Libel Registration Acts, application Trade Union Act 1871, see that title. Trade Union Act Amendment Act 1876, see that Agreements between employers' associations and em- Allen v. Flood: Cases as to conspiracy and trade interference Cave, L. J., judgment in, 148. Civil liability, motive in relation to, effect of decision Distinction between this case and case of conspiracy, Grantham, L. J.. criticism of the House of Lords' Halsbury, Lord, dicta of, as to effect of, 130, 136, Herschell, Lord, judgment and dicta in, 137, 151, Inducing to strike, decision as to, 580. James, Lord, of Hereford, on doctrine of "inter- Lyons v. Wilkins, in relation to, 110, 111, 118, 226, 232 Malicious intent, decision as to, 141, 150, 151, 153 Mogul" case in relation to, 137, 521, 797, 803, Picketing, although peaceful, is a criminal offence if Allen v. Flood-cont. Theory of facts in, importance of, and variations in Financial position of, 4437, 4441, 4553. Fines levied on members of, 995. Piecework, attitude towards, 987. Taff Vale Railway Company, contact with during Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants : Account, general, of the society and its objects Bills promoted by re conciliation, 1202. Allocation, 977, 982. Taff Vale Railway Company, relations with, 957. Grants to men dismissed from the company's Strike in 1900, attitude of the Society during, 1134. Bell, Mr., and Mr. Holmes, management Signalman Ewington's case made a pre- American Cases re Conspiracy, 126, 127. 94 2 R2 |