COMMENT OF "THE TIMES."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19176, 6 December 1927, Page 11

COMMENT OF "THE TIMES."

ARBITRATION SYSTEM'S

DEFECTS.

(AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

(Received December oth, 10.40 p.m.)

LONDON, December 5,

Tho Times" says: "Once again the economic life of Australia is at a standstill, and the situation is no less serious for being familiar. The past history of the industry shows that the Seamen'a Union and the waterside workera are seeking to control the maritime life of Australia. This explains the difficulty of reaching a settlement. The owners feel that if the present action of the Union in disregarding the award of the Commonwealth Arbitration Court is not resisted, the position will grow steadily worse. Behind the actual dispute regarding overtime lie vital questions of principle. The shipowners have taken their stand upon the award of the Arbitration Court at a time when the Court is being increasingly criticised in Australia. Episodes such as the present tend to destroy the reasonable measure of confidence requisite in business. Tho present trouble finds the Commonwealth Line less perturbed than the concerns which are enedeavouring to pay their way, possibly on the ground that 'he that is down needs fear no fall,' the Commonwealth Line has abandoned the other shipowners. There are quarters in which the action of the line will be so warmly applauded that further efforts will be made for its preservation. While everything should be done to save Australia from a grim Christmas, too high a price can be paid for peace. The Unions have been extremely successful in tho past, but farseeing Australians have uttered warnings that the gulf between the cost of production in Australia and the rest of the world is growing dangerously. The day must come when tho Trade Union leaders will realise they are trying to erect a vast structure of highly paid secondary industries upon insufficient foundations."

JUDGE BEEBY'S OFFER.

ATTITUDE OF THE MEN. (AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received December Gth, 1.25 a.m.)

MELBOURNE, December 5. Prom the proceedings in the Arbitration Court to-day it appears that the men desire a settlement of the question of the second pick-up before going to a full conference with the owners. The Management Committee of the Watersiders' Federation takes the view that Judge Beeby's statement meant if the Federation gave an undertaking to observe awards he would deal with tho question of one pick-up in conference, and that the men would not have to resume on two pick-ups before a full conference was granted. After the meeting of the shipowners to-day it was learned that they regarded the preliminary conference deal with tho pick-up question as useless and that the whole of the matters in dispute should come before a full conference of the two sides, which will possibly be called to-morrow.

KALLATINA EXEMPTED

(AUSTRALIA* AN» N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

BRISBANE, December 5., The secretary of the Cairns branch of the Watersiders' Federation has received notice from the Management Committee of the Federation that when tho steamer Kallatina arrives she is to be worked overtime if necessary.

REFUSAL TO WORK OVER-

TIME.

BREACH OF AWARD DENIED. (austhauan and h.z. cable association.) SYDNEY, December 5. The Watersiders 1 Federation claims thnt there is no justification for the shipowners laying up all ships, because tho wharf labourers refused to work overtime, and contends that the award makes.it optional for the men to refuse work after five in the evening, and by refusing overtime they are not violating the award.

As the result of the shipping strike only two out of the forty mines in the northern fields will be working to-day, making idle 15,000 miners, while 3000 miners are unemployed in the southern field.

It is anticipated that by the middle of the week 45.000 workers will be unemployed in New South Wales and Victoria.

NEWCASTLE MINES CLOSE.

(AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

(Received December 6th, 1.25 a.m.)

SYDNEY, December 5.

Everything is quiet along the waterfront. Some shipowners have been "utilising clerical employees to unload perishable cargo, and even some women employees are taking a hand. There was a somewhat more hopeful feeling to-night in view of the doings of the Arbitration Court in Melbourne to-day, but the position is not clear. A meeting of the Employers' Federation decided to support the shipowners in their attitude, and appointed a committee to deal with the position and any developments that may arise. All the mines in the Newcastle district excepting two were closed to-day. Five thousand laden coal trucks are standing on the lines awaiting shipment.

BRITISH SEAMEN.

PARTICIPATION UNLIKELY. (AUSTRALIA!? AND K.Z. AND SUM CABLE.) LONDON, December 4.

Mr Jarman, secretary of the Liverpool branch of the S«amen's + Union, has gone to London to discuss the Austra - fan deadlock with Mr Havelock WilS °Mr Jarman says: "We will advise our members in Australia to carry on. The Labourites are unlikely to be successful in pulling them out after thentreatment in the former Some are still stranded in Australia. EFFECT IN NEW ZEALAND. It is not expected that the shipping trouble in Australia, even if it lasts for' a lengthy period, will affect Zealand trade to any very appreciable extent. In ordinary circumstances more is imported by New Zealand from Australia than is imported by Australia from New Zealand. In 1925, for in-

stance, the imports from Australia, the value of which was over £IOO,OOO, consisted of confectionery, £131,412; raisins £113,773; wheat (exceptional) £794,207; pollard and sharps (exceptional) £122,126; tobacco and preparations thereof £425,341; coal £679,681; machinery and machines £104,396; timber, £752,758; and stationery, £133,996. Exports from New Zealand to Australia: Cattle hides, £226,261, greasy wool, £153,873; flax, £101,329; gold £383,338; timber £566,755. There are no indications at present of any intention of the New Zealand seamen supporting the Australian strikers. It is assumed that during the trouble there will be no interruption of the passenger service between the Dominion and the Commonwealth, as the vessels engaged will take no cargo either for the Dominion or for the Commonwealth.

Thc Maunganui, which is to arrive to-day at Wellington from Sydney, is advertised to leave on her return passage on Friday as usual. .