LABOUR TROUBLES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 775, 26 March 1910, Page 5

LABOUR TROUBLES.

ENGINE-DRIVERS' DISPUTE. A PYRRHIC VICTORY. BEWILDERING CROSSING OF FUNC TIONS. By Telegraph—Preti AMociation-OopyrUtat . (Rec. March 25, 5 p.m.) Melbourne, March 25. Mr. Justice Higgins gave his decision in the Federal Arbitration Court in the engine-drivers' dispute, which was practically the outcome of the New l ' castle strike. The judge found that the matter was brought before him not because tho claimants had the same dispute in three States, but because the New South Wales men despaired of justice from the New South Wales Boards, and in order to come to the Federal Court got men in.other States to subscribe to their demands. That, ho ventured to Bay, was - not the idea of settling disputes extending beyond one State. The employers in this case had shown no desire to conciliate the men. If the circumstances were otherwise, it showed' that a. conciliatory action was desirable, •' and that the employers, had obtained but a Pyrrhic victory! They had only themselves to blame. They •. were suffering from a; bewildering number of boards in New South Wales, with a bewildering crossing of functions. Apart from the question of jurisdiction, he thought further proceedings were not i necessary or justifiable in the public interests, and therefore ho refused to adjudicate.

[The judge's remark aa to a "Pyrrhic victory" refers to the first battle of Pyrrhus, a King of Epirus, against the Romans. He obtained the victory, but the number of slain was equal. on, both sides; and theiconqueror said that such another victory.would totally ruin him. He sent Cineas, his chief Minister, to, Rome and,- though victorious, sued for peace.] WELSH COAL DISPUTE. WILL THERE BE A GENERAL : STRIKE? ;/ (Rec. March 24, ; 10.25 p.m.) ". London, March 24. Delegates representing 15,000 Welsh miners have. demanded that the Miners'' Federation of Britain shall call a general strike. The only possibility of averting a strike.on April lis the'intervention of the Board of Trade. _ Representatives of the'men will meet Mr.' Sydney Buxton to-day. . ...■•'• SYMPATHY ESTRANGED. (Rec. March 26, 0.55 a.m.) .' London, March 25. Mr. Buxton received the representatives of the coal-miners and afterwards delegates of the -.Miners'- Federation, and persuaded both to agree to a further meeting of the Conciliation Board at Cardiff on. Saturday. "The Times'.', states that the sympathies of the Miners' Federation of Britain iB already/estranged tea' not inconsiderable degree by the Welsh miners' opposition to the double Bhift system, which is already in operation in Northumberland and Durham. It. is possible the : Federation will apply pressure ; to prevent a strike.. ..,._■■ A STRIKE ABANDONEbii"" '" , ',-.'• • New York, March 23. Thirtyrfive thousand textile workers and 2200 bricklayers in Philadelphia have abandoned the strike-in sympathy with ; the tramwaymen.