ADVICE FROM LONDON AWAITED.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19178, 8 December 1927, Page 9

ADVICE FROM LONDON AWAITED.

(AUBT3UMAH AND XZ CABLJ ASSOCIATION.)

(Received December Bth, 1.40 a.m.)

SYDNEY, December 7,

The steamer Waikouaiti, which has been held up by the strike, left Sydney for Newcastle to-night with her original crew. She returns to Sydney to finish loading. Overseas steamers which, sinqe the strike, have bcei. lying in the stream, are getting up steam to-night in readiness to come up to the wharves tomorrow morning. Eepresentatives in Sydney of overseas shipping companies declare that they believe authority will be given to commence work. • They will hoM a meeting at seven to-morrow morning to receive replies from their head offices to the cable sent by the shipowners from Melbourne to London to-day. The watersiders claim that if the shipowners decline to accept the labour offering to-morrow morning, the men will be in a position to claim a lockout and to approach the Arbitration Court again. They also declare that if apty company engages free labour a general strike will follow. A message from Melbourne states that the reply from London is not expected before two in the morning. BUTTER EXPORTING HELD UP.

SYDNEY MARKET GLUTTED.

SYDNEY, December 7. a result of the strike butter exporting has been brought to a standstill. Spring production is m full swing and still increasing, and New South Wales has a surplus over local requ mente of 10,000 to 12,000 boxes a week. Efforts are being made to dispose o as much as possible locally, and with this object in view the price ha, been further reduced by a OT a P oun^ The export of stone fruits to New Zealand and North Queensland has been cut off. and supplies have keen thrown on the Sydney market at reduced prices.

ARBITRATION COURT.

WATERSIPERS FAIL TO APPEAR.

MELBOURNE, December 7. The shipowners attended the Arbitration Court three times yesterday, but the representatives of the Watersidere Federation failed to appear. It is offtted that their absence was due to demands made by the owners, which wS not acceptable to the union, and which, it is claimed, would nave ren dered the conference a; fai '" re Frd No steps were taken by the £ raera Hon to end the dispute, and when the mating of the Federal Management Committee concluded, it was annoui-ced that the strike would continue unti the position reached a more satisfactory stage from the union s point of view. VESSEL SAILS WITHOUT LOADING.

MELBOURNE, Dewmber 7. The Comorin departed for London without loading her Meljmnj crg There are now sixteen overseas ana tJSnine interstate steamers at Melbourne.