CONCILIATION FAILS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1264, 20 October 1911, Page 5

CONCILIATION FAILS.

-. —* , SHIPS 1 OFFICERS' DISPUTE, WBATWILL HAPPEN NEXT? POSSIBILITIES OF A dENERAL STRIKE. Captain Watson, tho solo representative of the Jleroliant Service Guild at the hearing »f a dispute belwfieu thai body nml tho Union Steam Ship Company, left Duuediu yesterday morning for Wellington, states a Press Afsocimtion mossago. Ho should, therefore, arrlvo in Wellinc(on to-day. Tho message elates that Captain Watson brings with him proposals from tho company to bo submitted to tho guild, and it concludes:—"Tho question of overtime is understood to bo tho bono of contention." It would appear, therefore, that uo settlement has been arrived at, and that what the company now offer is something short of what tho men demanded. What Hie proposals aro no members of tho guild know, and tho local manager of tho Union Company, Mr. W. A. Kennedy, would say nothing more about them yesterday than that they represented tho company's last word. Tho Press Association audit is probably right when Ik states in cll'cct that Hie company hnvo. refused to accede to the demand for overtime pay, for tho rumour has been passed round in Wellington among those most likely to bo most correctly informed that tho company was likely to refuse to recognise overtime. It was not expected that tho guild would have much difficulty in securing from tho owners somo increases. The Points at Issue

In the conferences between tho local Shipowners' Federation and the ofiiecri of the small boats now lying idle, tho owners offered io roward the mon whoso duties were c,speoi«Jly aj-duous, and whoso hours of work were unduly long, by tho payment of bonuses in uuch cases, but tho guild insisted that tho payment should be at per hour. Tho officers wcro willing to work twelve hours per day at soa, ten hours per day when the ship was pa;t of the day in port and part at sea, and eight hours per day when tho ship was in port nil day. After tlieso hours had been worked, tho guild insisted that overtime should be paid at the rate of 2s. Gd. per hour. The chief reason advanced by members of the fedor-, atioa for refusing to rccogniso overtime was that the officers who would bo drawing the extra pay could regulate tho hours of work. This might lead to abuses, and to the owners being called upon to meet heavy claims for work in extra time, which could quite well hare been held over. In reply to this tho guild stated that tho officers wcro not the arbiters of what extra time should be worked. Tho men who really controlled (he working hours were in the offices of tho local agents. Those aro tho points oa which the two sides in the minor dispute disagreed, and it seems that tho guild havo met. with a similar difficulty in treating with the more powerful Union Company. Cancellation Ballot,

As tho members of the guild havo already stated that they will not again go before the Arbitration Court, it is very doubtful what will happen if a majority of the members aro unwilling to accept < the proposals offered. So much is known, that a ballot is being taken of member* as to whether the guild shall cancel its registration under the Arbitration Court. Tho ballot papers aro not yet returned, and it may uo somo time before tho result is known. This means, if it moans anything, that the men aro preparing thouisclres to striko should such rcem to thorn to be the wisest courso open to them. If the result of the ballot should lx> against cancellation, which seems improbable in view of current opinion, it may bo that tho guild will make a further appeal to the Arbitration Court,''b.ut this seems 6till more improbable. What May Happen. • Unless tho temper of tho officers who arc members of tho guild changes very much, a striko appears to be tho most likoly contingency at present. When this striko will occur uo ouo knows, but it will not bo forced, on in a hurry. Tho moaning of all this makes very bad news indeed. It means that tho ships will bo laid up, for tho last strike, small as it was, served ft> show that the guild will not look in vain for support from the wntersido workers and tho seamen, who may not permit ships to bo worked by other officers replacing those on striko. Inquiries made yesterday in labour circles go to show that union leaders nro oh ot opinion that tho next striko in New Zealand will not bo a sectional, hut a general strike. If tho unions nro satisfied that the cause of the workers going on strike in the first instanco is a just one, t'hey will assist them in tho most effective possible way by joining them. And there will ljo a big transport strike. Ominous Rumours,

There are rumours of an impending general strike, nnd the beginning of next month is tho time, usually given. Tho seamen expect to bring on their dispute in a week or two, and a 6triko may follow (.lint. There are also rumours that the drivers aro dissatisfied. If (he guild tako first action all thoso possibilities will bo precipitated, and become facts. For it is almost' certain that tho waterside workers nnd the seamen will join, and that tho miners will follow. This amounts to a serious holding up of sea transport, nnd if tho union loaders' views are correct, thero will be other strikes besides. Tho fact seems to be, as Mr. M. J. Reardon stated to a Dominion reporter some weeks ago, that tho workers are full of tho strike idea.

There aro other facts very difficult to assign causes for unless it be tho possibility of a strike. It is stated, for instance, that some extra cautious working men have lately purchased from their grocers such articles as (lour in exceptionally largo quantities. This may ba mere coincidence, but it is at least consistent: with the belief on tho part of tho worker's that a strike is likely to come.