ME HUGHES'S CABLE MESSAGE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14844, 9 December 1913, Page 7

ME HUGHES'S CABLE MESSAGE.

MR MASSEY'S ACKNOWLEDGE-

MENT.

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.' , ) : WELLINGTON, December 8. The Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Mm- - ister, has merely acknowledged receipt - of the cable message from Mr Hughes...

When questioned on the subject he declined to make' any comment on Mr Hughes's proposal or on his own action.*-" It may bo pointed out, however, that five weeks ago Mr Massey did all that Mr Hughes now asks him to do, and a great deal more. .Hβ ' offered the -. Strike Committee arbitration by an in-.

dependent tribunal, with Sir Joshua Williams at the head of it, and the. Strike Committee replied in effect tHat- *v there was nothing to arbitrate about. - • But at that timo there were no regie- ■ tered unions of workers doing tho \. wharf labour at tho closed ports. These.. men havo now to be considered, nnd, in•■-

fact, they have put themselves in a " position to compel consideration. They . could, if they chose, invoke* the aid of the Arbitration Court, and it is not inconceivable, it is considered, that tho Court would protect them l from .the. effect of a decision by an outside tfibunal. Nor aro tho new unionists 1 in any peculiar position; thoy aro simply . in the samo position jm 75 per f«nt. of ; the unionists of Now Zealand, who believe in tho arbitration method, of settling disputes, and who do not belicvo in the direct action methods of tho * Federation of Labour. WANING, ENTHUSIASM- - , '_. A sidelight .on tho waning enthusiasm of tho strikers hero is tho rapidly , diminishing attendance at the Sunday afternoon '"-mass" mcetin#rah_ *-S3*i> * ster" demonstration. Yesterday tho orators addressed a small and cheerle_s gathering at Coui-tenay place, and speeches about the "solidarity of La-, bour" and tho determination of tho workers were dxdj made.