SEAMEN ON STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1902, 10 November 1913, Page 8

SEAMEN ON STRIKE.

LOCAL ACTION ONLY. DUNEDIN AND AUCKLAND DISSENT. THE TRUE POSITION. MR. W. BELCHER INTERVIEWED. The position of seamen employed upon Now Zealand ships in relation* to the strike is decidedly complicated, and the one l'act that stands out plainly at the moment is that there is a serious conflict of authority between tho officials of the different unions which go to make up the Seamen's Federation of New Zealand. That this dissension exists has been manifest for some time past, but matters came to a■, head on Saturday. A meeting convened by tho officials of the Wellington branch was held in the forenoon, and at its eonelusion it was intimated that it had been decided "that tho crews of all ships should give twenty-four hours' notice." It was'assumed that this applied only to ships registered in New Zealand. As is reported in another place in this issue the Sydney Executive of tho Seamen's Federation' has issued instructions re-' garding intercolonial steamers sailing under Australian articles. The Dunedin and Auckland delegates of tho Seamen's Union, who are now in Wellington, when they wore interviewed on Saturday evening, denied that the Now Zealand seamen nacl been called out, and Mr. W. Belcher (secretary of the Dunedin Seamen's Union) made a brief statement which is printed below. He declined to go into details. The best information available at the moment is that the Dunedin aiid Auckland delegates were not consulted in any way about the seamen being called out, and, indeed, that although tho visiting delegates have been in town for some days they have not yet. met the representatives of the AVelliagton Seamen's Union in conference. The members of tho Dunedin and Auckland Seamen's Unions, it is understood, are determined not to break their agreement with the employers until they have some serious cause to do so. It. is authoritatively stated that the position arrived at by the Wellington branch oft Saturday was quito contrary to the rules of the Seamen's Federation, which requite, so we are informed, that two of the three branches, at least, must resolve accordingly beforo definite action can bo taken in the direction of calling out the seamen. Thore is no prospect of this being done. It is understood that the Dunedin and Auckland delegates liavo made arrangements ( for a conference with representatives of the Wellington branch to-day. So far nothing definite has been done, but it is hoged that the conference will be held during the day.

It is a fact with on important bearing on the position that Mr. Belcher is general secretary of the New Zealand Seamen's Union. There has been some misapprehension on this point, but we are told there is no question that Mr. Belcher is general secretary of the federation. By those who recognise this fact, it is assumed that Mr. W. T. Young (secretary), and tho other officials of tho Wellington branch have assumed national authority for their own ends. It is stated that the Duncdin and Auckland officials bitterly resent tho action of their Wellington associates.

A conference of Seamen's Union officials was held on Saturday afternoon, but it is understood that only Wellington representatives attended. The representatives of the Auckland Seamen's Union now in Wellington are Mr. R. G. Gordon (acting-secretary), Mr. S. Millbank (president), and Mr. J. Jack (delegate). The Bunedin delegates other than Mr. Belcher are Messrs. F. 0. Smith and W. Clark. STRIKE STORY DENIED. MR. BELCHER ON THE POSITION. When ho was interviewed oji Saturday, Mr. W. Belcher, speaking for the Dunedin and Auckland delegates of the Seamen's Union (all of whom were in his company at tile time) gavo an unqualified denial to the statement that the of all ships registered in New Zealand had been required to giyo twenty-four hours' notice. Mr. Belcher and his fellow-delegates stated that they were voicing tho decision of their respective branches of the Seamen's Union, and that their branches had given them full power to act or negotiate.