OLD HANDS SEEKING WORK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1921, 2 December 1913, Page 6

OLD HANDS SEEKING WORK.

ON AUCKLAND WHARVES. HUNTLY MINERS REJECT AN OFFER; (Br TolesraDi.— frtoj Association.) Auckland, Deeembor 1. For the first time for soma weeks a largo number of members of tho okl Waterside Workers' Union congregated at the head of tho Queen's Wharf risking for work on tho vessels in port. Their names were taken by the secretary and a ballot of members of the Arbitration Union will bo held to-night to decide who will bo admitted, The total number of waterside workers who have broken awav from tho strikers is now over 100. There wero 1300 members in tho old union, but they were not all regular workers on the waterfront. Tho return of so many men is regarded as significant. Many aro of opinion that it is tho beginning of a stampede. Shortly after 8 o'clock this morning the Union Company's Pukald arrived from AVellington and East Coast ports. To-morrow the two most important arrivals looked for hero avo tho warship Philomel from tho China Station, via Thursday Island, and tho Union Company's Maheno from Sydney direct. The Atua, manned by a "scratch" crew, sailed for the Islands and Sydney. Tho vessel carried stores for the Toligan and Snraoan natives and other large lines of cargo.

Hii.ntly Miners Reject An Offer. A Jargely-attended meeting of the Ilmrtly Miners' Union was licld this morning. Tho meeting was called to discuss a letter from the directors of tho latipiri Coal Mines, Ltd., offering the men the option of resuming work on Thursday morning tinder tho' terms of the old award. Several members of the union, addressed the meeting, all advising tho men to stand solid. The strike, they declared, was a universal one and they urged the men not to think of resuming work unless tho Auckland and Wellington strikes wero settled simultaneously. Questions were asked wlicthpr tho dismissed 16 men were to bo included in tho offer niado b.Y the company and some manifested a disposition to negotiato with the company in that direction. A motion , v.as, however, passed io the effect that i the men would refuse to resume work on Thursday morning and also that any negotiations for settlement must be made with the United Federation of Labour with which body the union is affiliated. The motion was declared I carried. It is understood that there was no demand for a secret ballot. Hotels Remain Oc*n, The streets and public, places of the City having to-day resumed their ordinary pen.cofulness, save for tho perfectly legitimate exhibition bustle, and the police having reported accordingly, it was decided by the. City Magistrate to further suspend the'onior of closure made last Monday and to allow the hotels to remain open to-night- from <5 o'clock to 10 o'clock, and again tomorrow from G a.m. to 10 p.m. At ihe last-mentioned hour the original order expires. lit'icklayors decided nt a moetiu;; of Iho union last night to maintain the same attitude in regard to tho -strike as tiiev lime been doing. Unit is not to kuowmgly handle "black" material.