THE STRIKE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 44, 2 December 1913, Page 3

THE STRIKE.

| WORK IN WELLINGTON. |- GOOD PROGRESS MADE. V WELLINGTON, Nov. 30. rGood work in handling cargo on the Marves was accomplished on Saturday, & spite of some delay caused by the Kin. The steamer Canada Cope from pfrisco was berthed and commenced disleharging, while the overseas ships Bjlurmfels and Hercules were a'so busy, C, well as a number of coastal vessels, niie Home liner Opawa completed loading waol and hemp, and' was ready to Lgve for London to-day, but owing to Ljdjp of her firemen deserting during Hhc night the vessel is now held up L the stream. The Wairuna finished Moading coal for the Gas Company M Miramar last night, and got away Ms morning for Fiji to load' fruit wad sugar for Auckland and Wellington in place of the Navua.

I'LAINING THE SITUATION. WELLINGTON, Nov. 30. Employers' Defence Committee is ; Mr W. M. Hughes,- president Transport Workers' Federation Iney to-day as follows:—"'The ;tee, representing a very large of the general community, beyou must iie unaware of the acosition in New Zealand, desires >rm vou that arbitration by Sir Williams was refused by the nt of the Federation of Labor i- compromise was possible. Seriting subsequently, took place and led till put down by the addition ial mounted and foot constables permanent police force. Sedincl inflammatory speeches by the tion of Labor leaders indicated possibility of a settlement by com- ?. At a conference, with the Minister in the chair, the emdemanded registration under the ition Act, which was refused by deration delegates. The employn asked the federation delegates r the next best thing providing independent tribunal, without seany response. At the same conthe employers also offered to tho question to a secret ballot Waterside Workers' Union, but so was refused. The only pronade by the federation delegates accept a money penalty previffered by the shinowners and rebv the Waterside Union, and had since been found by both o be impassible of enforcement, empts at arbitration having failsv watersiders' and drivers' un-1 egistfred under the Arbitration , ere formed. The former has a j rsbip of 1600. and the latter! The wliole wharf and cartage ; now being done by arbitration ts. Therefore there is no reason istralian unionists to refuse to New Zealand cargoes. The embeing definitely committed to I and protect the new unions, are efficiently carrying on the! it the principal Dominion pints, their registration fulfils the only nn required bv the employers, s now nothing left to arbitrate uid therefore nothing left to subSir Joshua Williams or any other tor. Finally, as the existence or leration of Labor is, in the opina very large section of the pubmenace not only to the business dustry of the Dominion, but to nirity of the whole community, lpossible for the employers to rei it in any shap:> or form. The rcrs' Defence Committee hopes mlanation will satisfy you that v course possible has been adopt--1 requests that von should have niuiiication published in the prinlapers of the Commonwealth for ! information.—(Signed) Foster,

I ME COURT SENTENCES. WELLINGTON, Nov. 30. st person* to appear in the Court in connection with the mble.s were Archibald CampWilliam Henry Lawton, who >ie the Chief Justice on S'atur■entence for taking part in a offence to which both had ;uilty. Mr H. H. Ostler r<>the detendan'ts. Alt' of Campbell, a respectable-niddlc-nged'maii, Mr O'Regan the prisoner was already sentence of two months on a coni tlie Lower Court in t-onnec-ii exactly the same eircumHe had been found on the octlie Royal Tiger affray with a e bludgeon in the shape of a > in his pos.ses.sion. Prisoner t be described as a rogue and !. He was a waterside worker, eld, married,' with a family, ort of the probation officer at he was a generally respecti who occasionally indulged in i liquor. He had been under ence of liquor at the time, and most excited state of mind. Sard to Lawton, who took a it nart in the riot in Whitid Tombs' shop on October 30. ■gau said that "the prisoner was of age, a.nd with the excepan offence committed eight 3 when he was a boy. there was onor: Some of the riots were rised by grave deliberation. I •efully considered these cases, en have nothing against them previous record. Both have Edilty to i crime which thf me has said may be punished : imprisonment with hard The court has also power to foi mative treatment for a furvears. It was a crime not the individual, but against the nmniunity. If there was no *pt in the community war and would ensue, and people could 5i hve in such a community. I to consideration the fact that « pleaded guilty. That weighs mth ma us showing a consciousit von have done wrong. You iK\ also of sabotage, the wilful wn of pronerty. You hare "ently dealt with in that pro- > against you were made of a y nature. I shall deal with you I also because you have pleaded *ml not attempted to do what dotto--bring forward witnesses "cation. Jt is impossible to deal «r cases figtuly, This is a very TOle serious ofteuc* £han steal'Peity, or crimes of th«t piass. crime against public order. ' No n p can allow its peace to be «. w it would not be worthy a'W a, civilised community. *«nor then (sentenced Campbell: lt imprisonment with ab °r, in addition to the two already being served. Lawton nwncfld. to nine month*' i»pi>

j Konment with hard labor, in addition to

three months ho is now serving—l2 months' imprisonment iii all. Hie Honor directed' that Lawtoa should bo committed to tho Invercargill Gaol, where ho might receive suitable treatment. '• AUCKLAND WHARVES NORMAL. AUCKLAND, Nov. 29. There has been no cessation in the activity of the work among shipping during the past week. Throughout the period the berthage available has been occupied almost continuously, and now the Harbor Board authorities are able to deal with vessels as they arrive an<r conditions on the Waterfront are rapidly drifting back to normal. FARMERS' CONSTABULARY. AUCKLAND, Nov. 30. The recent movement to establish a Farmers' Union Constabulary Corps, to lie- ready at a moment's notice in case of emergency, has assumed definite shape, and a constitution has now been framed by the Provisional Committee. According to the constitution tho objects are the preservation of the farmers' rights and the maintenance of law and order. The corps is to be organised by and under the control of the Farmers' Union. Members are to consist of farmers and others directly or indirectly interested in farming, and will also include professional men living in country districts. Members must be over 21 years of age. The organisation is to be run as a military body under the rules laid down in the King's Army and the New Zealand regulations. The force is to be formed into troops of 24 men and one officer, four troops to be a squadron, four squadrons a regiment. Two regiments are to form a brigade, for which there are to be similar officers. An organisation is to be appointed by the Executive Committee in each district to select a Selection Committee of six, which will then select the balance of the men required to make up the troon. The appointment of officers is to be bv election, the troop electing its leader and the troop 'leaders the squadron leader. The subscription is to be 5s for the first year and 2s (id thereafter annually. Parades are to be held at least half-yearly.

CHRISTCHURCH AND LYTTELTON. AN IMPORTANT MEETING. . CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 30. Everything is going on very smoothly in lown. A great deal of good work has Ixk'u accomplished by members of the new Drivers' Union, which is in a flourishing state. Quito a number of old hands turned up at their employers'' places of business and intimated their willingness to resume work. A meeting of the drivers and others interested was held in the Socialists' Hall this morning. Seen by a reporter Mr Hiram Hunter said that the meeting was simply called to talk over matters connected with the strike, and that no decisions were arrived at.. "On Monday night," said Mr Hunter, "we are going to hold a monster meeting of drivers and other unionists to definitely decide what further action we will take with regard to the strike." "Will the question of calling it off he considered?"' asked tiie reporter. r "Certainly nor, 1 ' was the reply. "There is absolutely no intention of doing that: in fact, it is more likely that it will lie extended. I am pleased to say that the majority of the men are splendidly loyal and solid for their organisation."

The ferry .steamer Wahine has made her .reappearance at Lyttelton. She is manned on deck by masters and officers, and in the (stokehold by arbiirationists." She has a full complement in all departments, and will continue to run in the ferry service in conjunction with the Pateena. On Saturday morning the Oorinthic arrived from Wellington, but as there was no berth available she anchored in the stream. The Corinthic has 2000 tons of cargo to land at Lyttelton.

While a patrol of "specials"' was riding along Colombo Street South near the railway station 0 n Saturday morning a ■special constable named Davidson, an employee of Mr Grigg, and a member of the Ashburton troop, was jammed between a motor-car and the tram. His hoi'sn became restive in the situation, and before the rider could get clear the tram ran into him. The. horse was killed, and Davidson suffered a fractured elbow and slight injury to one knee.

AT DUNEDIN. ARRIVAL OF STEAMERS. DUNEDIN. Nov. 30. The Dorset, from Lyttelton, and Turakina, from Timaru, arrived to-day. and the work of unloading them will be commenced to-morrow. Over 100 men are ready to commence work. The discharge of the Taviuni was completed yesterday. The Kotare got a crew and sailed for the South last evening. Members of the Strike Committee, who were arrested ' yesterday, were brought before court in the afternoon and remanded until Monday. Bail was refused. Arthur Tuft'en, a strike picket, was charged yesterday with using i obscene Language and also .with using insulting language in a public nlace. Accused was remanded until Tuseday, hail being allowed.

INVERCARCILL RAILWAYMEN. At the meeting of the InvercarHH branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants on Friday evening a letter was read from the Wanganui branch proposing a levy of five per cent, on the wages of members in aid of* the strike fund until the strike was ended, but no action was taken. P. H. Hickey (secretary of the United Federation of Labor)- forwarded a copy of a letter he had sent to the Dominion secretary of illie A.S.R.S., stating that the society was on the side of. the employer's, and appealing to members of the society not to transport "scabs" or policemen. ,The secretary (Mr M. Thomas) stated that he had written to Mr_jlickey endorsing the attitude taken up by the A.S'.R.S. Dominion Council.

IN AUSTRALIA. GREAT MEETING OF UNIONISTS. SYDNEY, Nov. 80. * One of the most representative unionist gatherings held in Sydney for many years met yesterday at the Headquarters of the Saamen's Union to discuss the position on the , waterfront Among .the representatives were the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia, Waterside Workers' Federation, Co«; LAimnere' Union, Northern *nd

Southern Colliery Employees' Unions, Australasian Society of Engineers, Federated Furniture trade, Australasian Workers' Union, Amalgamated Railway and Tramway Service, Railway Workers' and General Laborers' Association, Merchant Service Guild oi Australasia, and the Australasian Federation of Labor. The. meeting commenced at 11 o'clock in the morning, with Hon. Wm. Hughes as president. Proceedings were conducted with the greatest secrecy, and were adjourned at six in the evening until Monday morning, when the Seamen's Union will also meet. MORE STEAMERS HELD UP. SYDNEY, Nov. 30. The .latest additions to the list of vessels held up are the Aorangi and Ulimaroa, which were to sail yesterday for Wellington. The Ulimaroa has been docked. The ship painters and dockers have taken a hand by refusing to dock tho Malcura. "" ■ This has led to the calling of a meetins.-, of the Iron Trade Workers'.Federai it, to-morrow to consider the attitude to bt adopted by all affiliated unions. THE AORANGI SAILS. • SYDNEY, Nov. 30. The Aorangi got away at two o'clock this afternoon with a scratch crew. Tlu Aorangi's crew refused to take the vesse' out. _lt is stated that they thus committed a breach of their agreeltifii \' I I he Ulmiaroa is tied up awaiting the result of the conference of the Seamen's Union to-morrow regarding their attitude to ths vessel. It is understood j tiiat if the crew finally refuses to man ] her no attempt will" be made to raise 'a scratch crow. Apparently there are two parties among the unionists, One considers it advisable to confine the embargo to the Union Company at present, while the other contends that the shipping companies are so bound together that to allow any vessel to trade to New Zealand would indirectly assist the Union Company. , The Waipori arrived at Newcastle on Sphirdav from Hawke's Bav for coal. The coal-trimmers boycotted the vessel, but it is expectpd that she will get away early on Tuesday, sho:t-!oaded.

THE WAITOMO AT BLUFF. The Union Company's large cargo steamer Waitonio is landing at Bluff 2500 tons of coal and loading 10.000 sacks of grain for Auckland. Work has been continued day and night since arrival last Wednesday and the ship should be ready to sail by Tuesday.