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, . . , 1 i 1 1 I , , ■ 1 • J ■ J ! r 1 j ! g j a HORSE RACE MEANS OF ENDING STRIKE J t How New Zealand Turfmen Figured in Breaking * Backbone of Ship Handlers Strike. 1 t "Propagandists of the socialistic order of things. ■ usually asserting that the high and lofty motive is 1 at the base of desirable happenings in their favor, set up this claim for the sertleinent of the great ship handlers strike in New Zealand." declared J C. E. Bosworth. commercial agent of the Tinted ■ States Department of Commerce, who has been in J the far east investigating the shoe and leather in- _ dustry. at the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce last j Monday. "As a matter of fact, it was not any [ high and lofty motive that ended the ship handlers ! strike, but a horse race." said Mr. Bosworth. as he proceeded to unfold his reasons for this rather re- ! markable statement. "When I arrived at Welling- ] ton. which is located on the North Island of New Zealand and is the capital, "there were thousands at dollars worth of meats, butter, cheese and other ! foodstuffs rotting on the various docks. When • asked as to the reason for this seemingly needless waste, the only reply I received was: Oh. what does it matter? This condition continued for sev- , a eral days and was accompanied by rioting and con- ] siderable disorder between the strikers and police. ; Ships lay at anchor, business was almost suspended , on the harbor front and a general condition of un- | rest was apparent. But no one seenied to be tak- 1 ing an aggressive stand in attempting to settle the 1 controversy. A few days after my arrival several 1 tall •inlanders came down to the docks and wanted to know when they could get a ship for Duuedin. which is located on the South Island of New Zealand. They received no satisfaction, merely being told that no ships were being loaded on account of the strike. This will never do. said the spokesman of the party. We have two horses entered in a cup race at Dunedin and we have our money down. We intend to ship them for the race. After delivering themselves of this ultimatum they departed." said Mr. Bosworth. "In two days a party of inlanders. leading two horses nnd armed with clubs, came marching into Wellington, and made straight for the docks. The horses wore thoroughbreds and apparently had been carefully prepared for racing." continued Mr. Bos- worth. . . "Appoaching the docks they marched up to where a ship was anchored, and. calling the captain, de-[ nianded that the two horses be loaded for Dunedin." " Nothing doing. in good American slang, was the only rejoinder they received. " But these horses are entered in the Dunedin Cup and they must be there for the race. We have our money down." " Well, we cant load them, because there is a strike here. expostulated the captain. " Load em, said the man, who evidently was the owner. "As the horses started over the gangplank there was a rush of the roustabouts, and after several heads had been cracked by the "inlanders the wharf hustlers withdrew, the horses were loaded and tiie backbone of the strike thereupon was broken." de- dared Mr. Bosworth. "So it was a horse race, rather than any high and lofty motive, such as we have been led to le-lieve. that ended the famous New Zealand longshoremens strike. It is quite necessary to add that one of the horses, on whose account the strike was broken, won the Dunedin Cup." he concluded.
